In 2025, the U.S. student loan debt sits at $1.77 trillion, with borrowers ages 24 and younger owing a median amount of just over $14,000. The Department of Education recently announced the reinstatement of student loan payments, following its five-year halt after the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 5, around 5.5 million loanees could be routed to debt collectors and have their wages garnished, tax refunds withheld, or Social Security benefits slashed. As these potential economic outcomes weigh on the bank accounts of working-class American adults, high schoolers question if they will be subjected to the same fate. If your early-career goal centers on becoming financially successful, here are the top collegiate degrees that are earning the highest salaries.
With S.T.E.M. remaining at the forefront of the salary wheel, majors like Computer Science and Engineering take the lead. On average, early-career Software Engineers received around $60,000 to $80,000 a year in 2015, with mid-career engineers earning between $96,000 and $147,250. Entry-level software engineers can now make a median income of a little over $104,000 in 2025. In addition, top-earning engineering degrees like petroleum engineering make between $88,000 and $105,000, with entry-level engineers working to extract and produce oil and gas from the Earth. Aerospace engineers ranked second in the highest-paid engineering occupations, generating around $70,000 for early-career engineers nationwide, according to ZipRecruiter. Generally, engineers are in high demand owing to the ever-changing technological landscape and rapid infrastructure growth.
By graduating with a Nursing degree in 2022, first-year Registered Nurses (RNs) received a median income of around $89,000. According to the Nuse Licensing Map, earnings are dependent upon experience, role, industry, and location. In 2025, early career nurses can begin to generate between $80,000 and $90,000 annually. RNs are recipients of high salaries compared to other professions due to their mandatory training, highly demanding work, and specialized knowledge.
Despite Humanities majors operate on the lower end of the earnings spectrum, majors like English and History can be utilized to explore various career paths. Since the American Bar Association requires no set prerequisites for admission to law school, young adults with humanities degrees can use their critical-thinking skill sets to offset their pursuit of a legal profession. Beyond education, English majors can achieve careers in journalism, publishing, public relations, or communications and marketing. Early career PR specialists made an average base salary of $66,750 in 2023, with the 25 percent best-paid professionals bringing home around $92,290.
As student loan debt looms over the heads of many Americans, the pursuit of a degree with a high earning potential remains a key consideration for future college students. While S.T.E.M. fields like Computer Science and Engineering continue to lead in terms of salary potential, degrees in Nursing and even Humanities offer their own pathways to success, particularly when paired with the right experience and career trajectory. For those aiming to avoid financial strain in the face of mounting debt, choosing a degree aligned with strong job prospects and lucrative salaries is more important than ever.