University of Wisconsin-Madison
ROI analysis for 72 degree programs. Sorted worst first.
| Major | Level | Debt | Earnings | Ratio | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Degree | $179,642 | $58,495 | 3.07x | TRAP |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | Degree | $127,000 | $96,320 | 1.32x | CAUTION |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's | $33,102 | $26,063 | 1.27x | CAUTION |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Doctoral | $63,482 | $57,096 | 1.11x | CAUTION |
| Law | Degree | $61,500 | $57,402 | 1.07x | CAUTION |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Degree | $64,000 | $71,047 | 0.9x | CAUTION |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's | $24,000 | $27,879 | 0.86x | CAUTION |
| Library Science and Administration | Master's | $33,938 | $40,309 | 0.84x | CAUTION |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | Bachelor's | $23,250 | $27,864 | 0.83x | CAUTION |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Bachelor's | $19,500 | $23,512 | 0.83x | CAUTION |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's | $39,736 | $51,374 | 0.77x | CAUTION |
| Public Health | Master's | $38,500 | $51,805 | 0.74x | VIABLE |
| Nutrition Sciences | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $28,232 | 0.73x | VIABLE |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's | $21,202 | $29,137 | 0.73x | VIABLE |
| Animal Sciences | Bachelor's | $25,000 | $35,454 | 0.71x | VIABLE |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $29,244 | 0.7x | VIABLE |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's | $19,989 | $29,174 | 0.69x | VIABLE |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's | $18,875 | $27,422 | 0.69x | VIABLE |
| History | Bachelor's | $19,500 | $28,843 | 0.68x | VIABLE |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $30,913 | 0.66x | VIABLE |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $31,572 | 0.65x | VIABLE |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's | $19,254 | $29,857 | 0.64x | VIABLE |
| Social Work | Master's | $29,000 | $45,760 | 0.63x | VIABLE |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's | $20,000 | $31,856 | 0.63x | VIABLE |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's | $20,196 | $32,123 | 0.63x | VIABLE |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's | $24,250 | $39,352 | 0.62x | VIABLE |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's | $17,732 | $28,989 | 0.61x | VIABLE |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's | $21,500 | $35,717 | 0.6x | VIABLE |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's | $18,689 | $31,655 | 0.59x | VIABLE |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's | $61,896 | $105,101 | 0.59x | VIABLE |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's | $22,250 | $38,140 | 0.58x | VIABLE |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Bachelor's | $21,500 | $36,807 | 0.58x | VIABLE |
| Genetics | Bachelor's | $19,500 | $33,912 | 0.58x | VIABLE |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Degree | $55,103 | $96,519 | 0.57x | VIABLE |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $36,006 | 0.57x | VIABLE |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $35,789 | 0.57x | VIABLE |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's | $20,000 | $34,941 | 0.57x | VIABLE |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's | $25,900 | $45,988 | 0.56x | VIABLE |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Bachelor's | $20,000 | $37,462 | 0.53x | VIABLE |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's | $21,500 | $40,648 | 0.53x | VIABLE |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's | $16,166 | $31,599 | 0.51x | VIABLE |
| Journalism | Bachelor's | $21,500 | $42,011 | 0.51x | VIABLE |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $41,945 | 0.49x | VIABLE |
| Sociology | Bachelor's | $17,212 | $37,772 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's | $20,500 | $44,957 | 0.46x | VIABLE |
| Physics | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $45,916 | 0.45x | VIABLE |
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's | $50,847 | $112,390 | 0.45x | VIABLE |
| Economics | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $48,053 | 0.43x | VIABLE |
| Agricultural Public Services | Bachelor's | $15,000 | $36,985 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's | $17,875 | $43,684 | 0.41x | VIABLE |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | $20,080 | $51,817 | 0.39x | VIABLE |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's | $20,000 | $53,294 | 0.38x | VIABLE |
| Engineering Mechanics | Bachelor's | $23,500 | $61,649 | 0.38x | VIABLE |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's | $20,213 | $52,867 | 0.38x | VIABLE |
| Marketing | Bachelor's | $20,000 | $53,817 | 0.37x | VIABLE |
| Engineering, General | Master's | $41,000 | $110,338 | 0.37x | VIABLE |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Bachelor's | $18,737 | $52,840 | 0.35x | VIABLE |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's | $20,181 | $61,474 | 0.33x | VIABLE |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's | $20,500 | $62,203 | 0.33x | VIABLE |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's | $20,492 | $63,620 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's | $23,481 | $74,061 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's | $22,500 | $70,596 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Agricultural Engineering | Bachelor's | $19,970 | $61,703 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's | $21,500 | $66,167 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's | $22,250 | $70,478 | 0.32x | VIABLE |
| Materials Engineering | Bachelor's | $20,195 | $64,892 | 0.31x | VIABLE |
| Insurance | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $65,571 | 0.31x | VIABLE |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's | $21,638 | $72,510 | 0.3x | VIABLE |
| Real Estate | Bachelor's | $20,138 | $69,730 | 0.29x | VIABLE |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's | $19,450 | $70,199 | 0.28x | VIABLE |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's | $20,500 | $72,878 | 0.28x | VIABLE |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Bachelor's | $12,500 | $47,469 | 0.26x | VIABLE |