by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you want to know more about Northwestern University, such as what majors does it offer, how diverse it is, how well it ranks, and more, this is your one-stop resource. If you’re interested in learning more about a particular stat, just click on its tile to go to a new page that covers the topic more in-depth. Also, you can jump to any section of this page by clicking one of the links below.
In the most recent reporting year, students from 27 majors graduated from Northwestern University.
Northwestern University awards degrees and credentials ranging from certificates up to its highest offering, the doctor’s degree - research/scholarship and professional practice.
| Degree Level | Offered |
|---|---|
| Certificate | ✓ |
| Associate | — |
| Bachelor’s | ✓ |
| Master’s | ✓ |
| Doctorate | ✓ |
Completions: 5,838 undergraduate · 13,706 graduate (19,544 total)
Ranked by the number of degrees awarded, these are the most popular majors at Northwestern University.
| Most Popular Majors | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 9,772 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. | 1,791 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. | 675 |
| Economics. | 404 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology. | 373 |
The following majors at Northwestern University have the strongest reported average salaries.
| Highest-Paying Majors | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Law. | $187,194 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | $162,478 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies. | $150,242 |
| Engineering, Other. | $140,321 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services. | $129,419 |
Explore the full list of majors at Northwestern University, sorted by study area.
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 9,772 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. ↳ Management Science. · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other. |
1,791 | $118,780 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services. ↳ Finance, General. |
361 | NA |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. ↳ Business Administration and Management, General. |
217 | $120,709 |
| Marketing. ↳ Marketing/Marketing Management, General. |
178 | NA |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 93 | $162,478 |
| Business/Managerial Economics. | 52 | NA |
| Human Resources Management and Services. ↳ Organizational Behavior Studies. |
39 | $69,350 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering. | 142 | $75,892 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering. ↳ Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. |
131 | $61,993 |
| Engineering, Other. | 87 | $140,321 |
| Materials Engineering. | 86 | NA |
| Industrial Engineering. | 80 | $84,644 |
| Civil Engineering. ↳ Civil Engineering, General. |
79 | NA |
| Computer Engineering. ↳ Computer Engineering, General. |
79 | NA |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. ↳ Electrical and Electronics Engineering. |
66 | NA |
| Chemical Engineering. | 65 | $71,607 |
| Manufacturing Engineering. | 16 | $66,553 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. | 10 | NA |
| Engineering Physics. ↳ Engineering Physics/Applied Physics. |
8 | NA |
| Operations Research. | 5 | NA |
| Engineering, General. | 3 | NA |
| Engineering Mechanics. | 3 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. ↳ Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia. · Radio and Television. |
675 | $27,414 |
| Communication, General. ↳ Speech Communication and Rhetoric. · Communication and Media Studies, Other. |
88 | $48,840 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. ↳ Sports Communication. · Health Communication. |
9 | $59,798 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine. | 141 | $60,913 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions. ↳ Physical Therapy/Therapist. · Orthotist/Prosthetist. |
130 | $44,415 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services. ↳ Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist. · Communication Sciences and Disorders, General. · Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist. |
123 | $63,520 |
| Public Health. ↳ Public Health, General. · International Public Health/International Health. |
120 | NA |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions. ↳ Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling. · Genetic Counseling/Counselor. |
57 | $54,060 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. ↳ Health and Wellness, General. · Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. |
49 | $60,050 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. ↳ Physician Associate/Assistant. |
35 | $102,431 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies. ↳ Medical Science/Scientist. |
32 | $150,242 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services. ↳ Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator. · Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. |
22 | $129,419 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs. ↳ Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies. · Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Other. |
18 | NA |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics. ↳ Medical Informatics. |
18 | $88,288 |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities. ↳ Bioethics/Medical Ethics. |
3 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Law. | 293 | $187,194 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies. ↳ Programs for Foreign Lawyers. · Tax Law/Taxation. |
278 | NA |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other. | 93 | $66,854 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies. | 14 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Economics. ↳ Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. · Economics, General. |
404 | $71,488 |
| Political Science and Government. ↳ Political Science and Government, General. |
125 | $45,960 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies. ↳ International Relations and Affairs. |
37 | $46,450 |
| Sociology. ↳ Sociology, General. |
35 | $41,134 |
| Anthropology. ↳ Anthropology, General. |
26 | NA |
| Social Sciences, General. ↳ Social Sciences, General. · Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods. |
13 | NA |
| Geography and Cartography. ↳ Geography. |
2 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology. ↳ Counseling Psychology. · Industrial and Organizational Psychology. · Clinical Psychology. |
373 | $39,767 |
| Psychology, General. | 173 | $34,751 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology. ↳ Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics. · Research and Experimental Psychology, Other. |
60 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science. | 277 | $93,232 |
| Information Science/Studies. | 178 | $96,475 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. ↳ Artificial Intelligence. · Computer and Information Sciences, General. |
36 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Biology, General. ↳ Biology/Biological Sciences, General. · Biomedical Sciences, General. |
181 | $19,001 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences. ↳ Neuroscience. · Neurobiology and Anatomy. |
141 | $19,214 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences. ↳ Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other. |
39 | $52,627 |
| Biotechnology. | 38 | $63,570 |
| Botany/Plant Biology. ↳ Botany/Plant Biology, Other. |
11 | NA |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology. ↳ Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other. · Biostatistics. |
5 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Music. ↳ Music Performance, General. · Music, General. · Stringed Instruments. · Voice and Opera. · Keyboard Instruments. · Conducting. · Musicology and Ethnomusicology. · Music Theory and Composition. · Jazz/Jazz Studies. |
164 | $32,239 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. ↳ Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General. · Playwriting and Screenwriting. · Acting. · Directing and Theatrical Production. |
112 | $23,935 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management. ↳ Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General. |
74 | $42,782 |
| Fine and Studio Arts. ↳ Art History, Criticism and Conservation. · Art/Art Studies, General. |
27 | NA |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts. ↳ Documentary Production. · Film/Cinema/Media Studies. |
15 | NA |
| Design and Applied Arts. ↳ Design and Visual Communications, General. |
11 | NA |
| Dance. ↳ Dance, General. |
3 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics. ↳ Statistics, General. |
73 | $59,892 |
| Applied Mathematics. ↳ Computational and Applied Mathematics. · Applied Mathematics, General. |
71 | $80,781 |
| Mathematics. ↳ Mathematics, General. |
61 | $68,815 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Public Administration. | 83 | $66,011 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy. | 70 | $65,015 |
| Public Policy Analysis. ↳ Public Policy Analysis, General. |
40 | $40,701 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Data Science. ↳ Data Science, General. |
54 | NA |
| Sustainability Studies. | 46 | NA |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis. | 14 | NA |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. ↳ Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. |
9 | NA |
| Systems Science and Theory. | 8 | NA |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 8 | NA |
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 5 | NA |
| Science, Technology and Society. | 4 | NA |
| Cognitive Science. ↳ Cognitive Science, General. |
4 | NA |
| International/Globalization Studies. | 1 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other. | 70 | NA |
| Engineering-Related Fields. ↳ Engineering/Industrial Management. · Engineering Design. |
41 | $111,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. ↳ Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician. |
20 | NA |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians. ↳ Robotics Technology/Technician. |
16 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry. ↳ Chemistry, General. |
72 | $87,834 |
| Physics. ↳ Physics, General. |
49 | NA |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics. ↳ Astronomy. · Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other. |
11 | NA |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences. ↳ Geology/Earth Science, General. |
10 | NA |
| Materials Sciences. ↳ Materials Science. |
3 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision. ↳ Higher Education/Higher Education Administration. |
39 | $48,965 |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research. ↳ Educational Evaluation and Research. · Learning Sciences. |
20 | NA |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. ↳ Secondary Education and Teaching. · Elementary Education and Teaching. |
20 | NA |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. ↳ Music Teacher Education. |
13 | NA |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education. | 5 | $54,661 |
| Education, Other. | 5 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General. | 66 | $29,896 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies. ↳ Creative Writing. · Writing, General. |
20 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. ↳ Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. · Humanities/Humanistic Studies. |
76 | $50,603 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| History. ↳ History, General. |
73 | $38,991 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services. ↳ Linguistics. · Comparative Literature. |
26 | NA |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. ↳ French Language and Literature. · Spanish Language and Literature. · Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General. |
15 | NA |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. | 11 | NA |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. | 4 | NA |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. ↳ German Language and Literature. |
4 | NA |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. | 2 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. ↳ Sport and Fitness Administration/Management. |
50 | $48,897 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies. ↳ African-American/Black Studies. · Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other. · Women's Studies. · Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies. · Asian-American Studies. |
32 | NA |
| Area Studies. ↳ American/United States Studies/Civilization. · African Studies. · Near and Middle Eastern Studies. |
11 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research. ↳ Environmental Science. |
24 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy. | 16 | NA |
| Religion/Religious Studies. | 7 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other. | 21 | $79,568 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services. ↳ Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other. |
20 | NA |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.