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When undergraduate college students , there can be several factors that go into their decisions.

But if maximizing one’s future earnings is high on their priority list, some areas of study have a .

A New York Fed of 2022 American Community Survey data found that college graduates who majored in one of 14 areas of study had a median mid-career wage of at least $100,000 a year. The NY Fed defined mid-career as people between the ages of 35 and 45. The analysis only included people with a bachelor’s degree — no additional graduate school education — and used what’s noted as people’s first major.

One general area of study accounted for nine of the 14 spots: engineering.

Chemical engineering majors had the top median mid-career wage of $133,000, per the analysis. Computer engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering rounded out the top five.

Eight of the top 10 median wages for people aged 22 to 27 — defined as early-career wages — with a bachelor’s were also types of engineering. Computer engineering just surpassed the median wage of chemical engineering for early-career professionals with a bachelor’s. None of these median wages were six figures. Computer engineering came closest with a median of $80,000.

Median wages and unemployment of college majors

Table sorted from highest to lowest mid-career median wages

As rates have risen in recent decades, many Americans have taken on a considerable amount of . The average list price for tuition at has grown from $16,000 and $41,000, respectively in 2002-03 to $23,000 and $53,000 in 2022-23, according to a analysis. The average American consumer with had a debt balance of roughly $39,000 as of the third quarter of last year, per Experian data.

This changing landscape has caused some people to question . In response to these concerns, some high school graduates have gone , while others have opted for alternative paths, like or .

Not all job openings require someone to have a anymore. Kelli Jordan, vice president of IBMer Growth and Development, that “more than half of our US job openings don’t have a bachelor’s degree requirement.”

Sometimes a college degree is preferred for a job seeker. Automaker Stellantis said in a previous statement that “most non-bargaining unit positions (salaried) require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree,” but also noted that “for some positions, a degree might be a preferred qualification which would open those up to people who can demonstrate proficiency in other ways.”

While many young people will continue pursuing four-year degrees, their future earnings potential could play a in some of their decisions.

The five non-engineering majors that came with the highest mid-career median wages in the New York Fed analysis were computer science, finance, economics, construction services, and business analytics.

Seventy-three majors were included in the analysis results. College graduates who majored in early childhood education had the lowest median mid-career wage, at $48,000 a year. Other types of education majors had relatively low mid-career median wages, such as the secondary education major.

Across all the majors, the median mid-career wage was $80,000 a year. Meanwhile, the wage for early-career workers was $50,000 a year.