Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
ROI analysis for 104 degree programs. Sorted worst first.
| Major | Level | Debt | Earnings | Ratio | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Degree | $215,577 | $59,741 | 3.61x | TRAP |
| Nutrition Sciences | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $15,149 | 1.65x | TRAP |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $18,839 | 1.43x | CAUTION |
| Music | Bachelor's | $26,438 | $20,571 | 1.29x | CAUTION |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $21,352 | 1.26x | CAUTION |
| Law | Degree | $65,436 | $54,072 | 1.21x | CAUTION |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Bachelor's | $24,614 | $22,853 | 1.08x | CAUTION |
| International/Globalization Studies | Master's | $45,147 | $43,974 | 1.03x | CAUTION |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $25,116 | 1.0x | CAUTION |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's | $23,250 | $23,725 | 0.98x | CAUTION |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $27,870 | 0.97x | CAUTION |
| History | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $27,051 | 0.96x | CAUTION |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Bachelor's | $25,601 | $26,833 | 0.95x | CAUTION |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Bachelor's | $24,225 | $25,485 | 0.95x | CAUTION |
| Natural Resources and Conservation, Other | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $28,554 | 0.95x | CAUTION |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $29,005 | 0.93x | CAUTION |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's | $25,375 | $27,946 | 0.91x | CAUTION |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | $25,717 | $28,620 | 0.9x | CAUTION |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's | $26,940 | $30,320 | 0.89x | CAUTION |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $29,652 | 0.88x | CAUTION |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's | $41,000 | $46,674 | 0.88x | CAUTION |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's | $97,044 | $110,382 | 0.88x | CAUTION |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's | $25,750 | $30,110 | 0.86x | CAUTION |
| Sociology | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $30,335 | 0.86x | CAUTION |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $30,749 | 0.85x | CAUTION |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | Master's | $48,937 | $58,377 | 0.84x | CAUTION |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's | $26,500 | $33,395 | 0.79x | CAUTION |
| Animal Sciences | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $31,682 | 0.79x | CAUTION |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $32,077 | 0.78x | CAUTION |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | Bachelor's | $25,887 | $33,036 | 0.78x | CAUTION |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's | $25,500 | $34,135 | 0.75x | VIABLE |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's | $41,000 | $54,328 | 0.75x | VIABLE |
| Journalism | Bachelor's | $24,367 | $33,090 | 0.74x | VIABLE |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $34,969 | 0.74x | VIABLE |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | Bachelor's | $25,431 | $34,758 | 0.73x | VIABLE |
| Public Administration | Master's | $41,000 | $56,081 | 0.73x | VIABLE |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Bachelor's | $31,750 | $44,201 | 0.72x | VIABLE |
| Business/Corporate Communications | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $35,169 | 0.71x | VIABLE |
| Agriculture, General | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $36,386 | 0.71x | VIABLE |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's | $31,107 | $45,891 | 0.68x | VIABLE |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Bachelor's | $23,000 | $33,729 | 0.68x | VIABLE |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $38,349 | 0.68x | VIABLE |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's | $25,625 | $37,726 | 0.68x | VIABLE |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $38,061 | 0.68x | VIABLE |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's | $23,250 | $34,958 | 0.67x | VIABLE |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $37,482 | 0.67x | VIABLE |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $40,776 | 0.66x | VIABLE |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $39,223 | 0.66x | VIABLE |
| Plant Sciences | Bachelor's | $22,048 | $34,546 | 0.64x | VIABLE |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's | $25,500 | $40,637 | 0.63x | VIABLE |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's | $44,873 | $72,509 | 0.62x | VIABLE |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's | $24,375 | $39,513 | 0.62x | VIABLE |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's | $29,612 | $48,179 | 0.61x | VIABLE |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's | $25,593 | $42,524 | 0.6x | VIABLE |
| Architecture | Bachelor's | $30,440 | $51,482 | 0.59x | VIABLE |
| Landscape Architecture | Bachelor's | $29,966 | $53,453 | 0.56x | VIABLE |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | Bachelor's | $25,784 | $45,940 | 0.56x | VIABLE |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's | $41,000 | $72,738 | 0.56x | VIABLE |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $47,444 | 0.55x | VIABLE |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's | $23,250 | $42,918 | 0.54x | VIABLE |
| Economics | Bachelor's | $24,500 | $45,928 | 0.53x | VIABLE |
| Food Science and Technology | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $49,091 | 0.51x | VIABLE |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's | $25,648 | $50,624 | 0.51x | VIABLE |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's | $23,455 | $45,612 | 0.51x | VIABLE |
| Psychology, Other | Master's | $41,000 | $81,025 | 0.51x | VIABLE |
| Marketing | Bachelor's | $24,947 | $51,414 | 0.49x | VIABLE |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Bachelor's | $26,869 | $55,225 | 0.49x | VIABLE |
| Forestry | Bachelor's | $20,089 | $41,479 | 0.48x | VIABLE |
| Engineering, General | Bachelor's | $25,949 | $55,455 | 0.47x | VIABLE |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's | $23,151 | $49,813 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Architectural Engineering | Bachelor's | $31,000 | $67,154 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $58,206 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | $23,875 | $52,010 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Physics | Bachelor's | $23,299 | $50,536 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $58,773 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $57,465 | 0.45x | VIABLE |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Certificate | $17,273 | $39,262 | 0.44x | VIABLE |
| Agricultural Engineering | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $60,836 | 0.44x | VIABLE |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | $41,000 | $92,512 | 0.44x | VIABLE |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's | $24,164 | $55,595 | 0.43x | VIABLE |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's | $41,000 | $95,304 | 0.43x | VIABLE |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $59,349 | 0.42x | VIABLE |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $61,387 | 0.42x | VIABLE |
| Engineering, Other | Bachelor's | $25,500 | $61,978 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's | $26,723 | $65,376 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Computer Engineering | Master's | $41,000 | $100,190 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's | $41,000 | $99,798 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $61,200 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Polymer/Plastics Engineering | Bachelor's | $27,000 | $66,366 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Nuclear Engineering | Bachelor's | $24,623 | $62,046 | 0.4x | VIABLE |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $65,214 | 0.4x | VIABLE |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's | $26,000 | $67,461 | 0.39x | VIABLE |
| Statistics | Bachelor's | $21,500 | $55,709 | 0.39x | VIABLE |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's | $26,969 | $68,716 | 0.39x | VIABLE |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's | $26,706 | $70,502 | 0.38x | VIABLE |
| Materials Sciences | Bachelor's | $23,224 | $64,925 | 0.36x | VIABLE |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate | $14,000 | $38,928 | 0.36x | VIABLE |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Bachelor's | $21,489 | $61,252 | 0.35x | VIABLE |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's | $24,250 | $69,173 | 0.35x | VIABLE |
| Systems Engineering | Master's | $32,822 | $96,574 | 0.34x | VIABLE |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's | $20,500 | $63,873 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Information Science/Studies | Master's | $33,905 | $109,295 | 0.31x | VIABLE |
| Petroleum Engineering | Bachelor's | $22,837 | $80,718 | 0.28x | VIABLE |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's | $21,500 | $100,372 | 0.21x | VIABLE |