STEM Majors — ROI Rankings (2026)

80 stem majors across 5,918 school-major combinations analyzed for debt, earnings, and job market outlook.

Majors

75/100

Avg ROI Score

$23K

Avg Median Debt

$77K

Avg Year 1 Earnings

STEM Majors by Average ROI

#	Major	Avg ROI Score	Avg Debt	Avg Earnings (1yr)	Schools
1	Information Science/Studies	89/100	$21,058	$95,000	120
2	Computer Software and Media Applications	88/100	$23,127	$95,000	58
3	Computer Programming	88/100	$23,186	$95,000	55
4	Computer and Information Sciences	88/100	$22,109	$95,000	586
5	Computer Science	88/100	$22,120	$95,000	569
6	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	88/100	$23,647	$95,000	209
7	Statistics	88/100	$20,607	$78,000	31
8	Computer Systems Analysis	88/100	$23,859	$95,000	18
9	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	88/100	$24,936	$95,000	28
10	Mathematics	87/100	$22,032	$78,000	437
11	Applied Mathematics	87/100	$21,317	$78,000	53
12	Mathematics and Statistics, Other	87/100	$22,334	$78,000	11
13	Mathematics and Statistics	87/100	$21,694	$78,000	2
14	Computer and Information Sciences, Other	86/100	$29,170	$95,000	3
15	Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering	79/100	$20,688	$92,000	32
16	Industrial Engineering	79/100	$20,660	$92,000	35
17	Manufacturing Engineering	79/100	$19,990	$92,000	6
18	Chemical Engineering	79/100	$21,337	$92,000	71
19	Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	79/100	$20,707	$92,000	18
20	Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering	79/100	$18,764	$92,000	8
21	Construction Engineering	79/100	$21,021	$92,000	2
22	Metallurgical Engineering	79/100	$20,913	$92,000	4
23	Mining and Mineral Engineering	79/100	$20,475	$92,000	5
24	Ocean Engineering	79/100	$21,075	$92,000	3
25	Engineering Mechanics	79/100	$20,764	$92,000	1
26	Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering	79/100	$19,372	$92,000	8
27	Nuclear Engineering	79/100	$20,461	$92,000	4
28	Textile Sciences and Engineering	79/100	$19,978	$92,000	1
29	Surveying Engineering	79/100	$20,522	$92,000	1
30	Paper Science and Engineering	79/100	$20,767	$92,000	1
31	Electromechanical Engineering	79/100	$21,301	$92,000	1
32	Biological/Biosystems Engineering	79/100	$21,301	$92,000	1
33	Engineering	78/100	$22,103	$92,000	77
34	Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	78/100	$21,565	$92,000	156
35	Mechanical Engineering	78/100	$21,740	$92,000	325
36	Civil Engineering	78/100	$21,674	$92,000	146
37	Biomedical/Bioengineering	78/100	$21,849	$92,000	74
38	Engineering, Other	78/100	$22,272	$92,000	7
39	Materials Engineering	78/100	$22,674	$92,000	6
40	Computer Engineering	78/100	$22,069	$92,000	106
41	Architectural Engineering	78/100	$21,770	$92,000	5
42	Engineering Science	78/100	$22,379	$92,000	17
43	Petroleum Engineering	78/100	$23,369	$92,000	7
44	Engineering Physics	78/100	$22,764	$92,000	16
45	Geological/Geophysical Engineering	78/100	$21,407	$92,000	5
46	Systems Engineering	78/100	$21,128	$92,000	7
47	Polymer/Plastics Engineering	78/100	$21,867	$92,000	3
48	Electrical and Computer Engineering	78/100	$22,940	$92,000	6
49	Agricultural Engineering	78/100	$21,413	$92,000	1
50	Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	75/100	$33,867	$92,000	1
51	Engineering-Related Fields	75/100	$24,624	$65,000	25
52	Engineering Technology	75/100	$24,327	$65,000	29
53	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologies	75/100	$25,014	$65,000	36
54	Engineering Technologies, Other	75/100	$24,358	$65,000	15
55	Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies	74/100	$27,218	$65,000	6
56	Construction Engineering Technology	74/100	$25,465	$65,000	24
57	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies	74/100	$26,634	$65,000	41
58	Computer Engineering Technologies	74/100	$25,862	$65,000	20
59	Engineering Technologies	73/100	$27,987	$65,000	11
60	Engineering-Related Technologies	73/100	$28,571	$65,000	7
61	Architectural Engineering Technology	73/100	$27,580	$65,000	6
62	Chemistry	72/100	$22,249	$65,000	299
63	Physics	72/100	$21,192	$65,000	124
64	Astronomy and Astrophysics	72/100	$21,171	$65,000	9
65	Science, Technology and Society	61/100	$22,417	$52,000	7
66	Computational Science	60/100	$24,287	$52,000	5
67	Economics and Computer Science	60/100	$24,364	$52,000	1
68	Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	59/100	$25,243	$55,000	64
69	Data Analytics	59/100	$25,159	$52,000	6
70	Neurobiology and Neurosciences	59/100	$24,743	$55,000	166
71	Human Biology	59/100	$25,979	$52,000	19
72	Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	59/100	$25,391	$55,000	32
73	Zoology/Animal Biology	59/100	$25,586	$55,000	37
74	Mathematics and Computer Science	59/100	$24,692	$52,000	16
75	Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	59/100	$24,699	$55,000	5
76	Data Science	59/100	$24,724	$52,000	1
77	Biology	58/100	$26,330	$55,000	1300
78	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	58/100	$26,102	$55,000	248
79	Human Computer Interaction	58/100	$27,123	$52,000	11
80	Biology Technician/Biotechnology Laboratory Technician	52/100	$40,120	$55,000	1

Top 50 STEM Programs by ROI

#	School	Major	ROI Score	Debt	Earnings (1yr)	Verdict
1	Capitol Technology University	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	99/100	$4,080	$95,000	STRONG BUY
2	Capitol Technology University	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,080	$95,000	STRONG BUY
3	Capitol Technology University	Computer Programming	99/100	$4,080	$95,000	STRONG BUY
4	Strayer University-District of Columbia	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,794	$95,000	STRONG BUY
5	Strayer University-District of Columbia	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,794	$95,000	STRONG BUY
6	Strayer University-Florida	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,406	$95,000	STRONG BUY
7	Strayer University-Georgia	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,498	$95,000	STRONG BUY
8	Strayer University-Georgia	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,498	$95,000	STRONG BUY
9	Strayer University-Global Region	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,121	$95,000	STRONG BUY
10	Strayer University-Global Region	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,121	$95,000	STRONG BUY
11	Strayer University-Maryland	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,855	$95,000	STRONG BUY
12	Strayer University-Maryland	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,855	$95,000	STRONG BUY
13	Strayer University-New Jersey	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,896	$95,000	STRONG BUY
14	Strayer University-New Jersey	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,896	$95,000	STRONG BUY
15	Strayer University-North Carolina	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,828	$95,000	STRONG BUY
16	Strayer University-South Carolina	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,566	$95,000	STRONG BUY
17	Strayer University-South Carolina	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,566	$95,000	STRONG BUY
18	Strayer University-Tennessee	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,311	$95,000	STRONG BUY
19	Strayer University-Tennessee	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,311	$95,000	STRONG BUY
20	Strayer University-Texas	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,284	$95,000	STRONG BUY
21	Strayer University-Texas	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,284	$95,000	STRONG BUY
22	Strayer University-Virginia	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$4,420	$95,000	STRONG BUY
23	Strayer University-Virginia	Information Science/Studies	99/100	$4,420	$95,000	STRONG BUY
24	Strayer University-West Virginia	Computer and Information Sciences	99/100	$3,601	$95,000	STRONG BUY
25	Universidad Adventista de las Antillas	Computer Programming	99/100	$1,809	$95,000	STRONG BUY
26	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Computer Science	98/100	$6,171	$95,000	STRONG BUY
27	Bethesda University	Computer and Information Sciences	97/100	$9,639	$95,000	STRONG BUY
28	Caribbean University-Bayamon	Computer Programming	97/100	$10,798	$95,000	STRONG BUY
29	Caribbean University-Ponce	Computer Programming	97/100	$11,417	$95,000	STRONG BUY
30	Central State University	Computer Science	97/100	$8,894	$95,000	STRONG BUY
31	Dominican University of California	Computer Programming	97/100	$11,499	$95,000	STRONG BUY
32	Eastern Washington University	Computer and Information Sciences	97/100	$11,346	$95,000	STRONG BUY
33	Eastern Washington University	Computer Software and Media Applications	97/100	$11,346	$95,000	STRONG BUY
34	National American University-Rapid City	Computer and Information Sciences	97/100	$10,727	$95,000	STRONG BUY
35	National American University-Rapid City	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	97/100	$10,727	$95,000	STRONG BUY
36	Santa Fe College	Computer and Information Sciences	97/100	$8,541	$95,000	STRONG BUY
37	Tulane University of Louisiana	Computer Science	97/100	$8,622	$95,000	STRONG BUY
38	University of Hawaii at Hilo	Computer Science	97/100	$8,629	$95,000	STRONG BUY
39	University of Hawaii at Hilo	Mathematics	97/100	$8,629	$78,000	STRONG BUY
40	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	Computer and Information Sciences	97/100	$10,237	$95,000	STRONG BUY
41	Berea College	Computer and Information Sciences	96/100	$11,808	$95,000	STRONG BUY
42	Brigham Young University-Hawaii	Computer and Information Sciences	96/100	$6,110	$95,000	STRONG BUY
43	Brigham Young University-Hawaii	Mathematics	96/100	$6,110	$78,000	STRONG BUY
44	Brigham Young University-Hawaii	Computer Science	96/100	$6,110	$95,000	STRONG BUY
45	Collin County Community College District	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	96/100	$12,441	$95,000	STRONG BUY
46	Daytona State College	Computer and Information Sciences	96/100	$12,437	$95,000	STRONG BUY
47	East-West University	Computer and Information Sciences	96/100	$12,522	$95,000	STRONG BUY
48	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas	Computer Science	96/100	$11,992	$95,000	STRONG BUY
49	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	96/100	$13,114	$95,000	STRONG BUY
50	Judson University	Computer and Information Sciences	96/100	$12,138	$95,000	STRONG BUY

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Frequently Asked Questions

CollegeROI tracks 80 stem majors across 5,918 school-major combinations with detailed debt and earnings data.

The average ROI Score for stem programs is 75/100. Average median debt is $23K with average first-year earnings of $77K.

Among stem majors, Information Science/Studies has the highest average ROI Score at 89/100. The best individual program is Capitol Technology University in Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management with a score of 99/100.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Last updated: March 2026