Most Meaningful College Majors
Money isn’t everything. Some majors lead to more meaningful jobs than others. If you want to change the world with your education, check out the most meaningful college majors (and we’ll tell you the earning potential as well).
| Major | % High Meaning | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major:Apparel Merchandising | % High Meaning:35% | Early Career Pay:$56,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$88,800 |
| Major:Communication Design | % High Meaning:34% | Early Career Pay:$60,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,900 |
| Major:Visual Communications | % High Meaning:34% | Early Career Pay:$52,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$85,600 |
| Major:Retail Merchandising | % High Meaning:34% | Early Career Pay:$60,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$94,600 |
| Major:Financial Economics | % High Meaning:34% | Early Career Pay:$73,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$128,300 |
| Major:Video Production | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$48,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$77,300 |
| Major:Interactive Media Design | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$62,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$134,100 |
| Major:Advertising | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$55,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$106,400 |
| Major:Software Applications & Programming | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$73,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$114,100 |
| Major:Apparel & Textile Manufacture | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$55,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,400 |
| Major:Merchandising | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$61,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$86,000 |
| Major:Media Arts | % High Meaning:33% | Early Career Pay:$52,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$92,000 |
| Major:Physics & Astronomy | % High Meaning:32% | Early Career Pay:$67,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,600 |
| Major:Advertising Design | % High Meaning:32% | Early Career Pay:$63,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,000 |
| Major:Communications Technology | % High Meaning:32% | Early Career Pay:$54,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$81,500 |
| Major:Foreign Affairs | % High Meaning:32% | Early Career Pay:$65,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$157,700 |
| Major:Global Business | % High Meaning:31% | Early Career Pay:$65,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$96,500 |
| Major:Fashion & Retail Management | % High Meaning:31% | Early Career Pay:$57,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$72,300 |
| Major:Multimedia & Web Design | % High Meaning:31% | Early Career Pay:$57,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$85,700 |
| Major:Political Economy | % High Meaning:30% | Early Career Pay:$75,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$156,700 |
| Major:Food Marketing | % High Meaning:30% | Early Career Pay:$67,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$122,800 |
| Major:Plastics Engineering Technology | % High Meaning:30% | Early Career Pay:$75,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$124,000 |
| Major:Web Design | % High Meaning:29% | Early Career Pay:$55,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$81,200 |
| Major:Automotive Technology & Service Management | % High Meaning:29% | Early Career Pay:$63,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$89,400 |
| Major:Fashion Merchandising | % High Meaning:29% | Early Career Pay:$55,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,000 |
