7 Highest Paying Bachelor Degrees

Everybody wants to go straight from school into a high-paying career. The trouble is, how can we maximize our chances? The best bet would be to choose a degree that syncs up nicely with the highest-paying careers out there. That way you’ll be set up with the most relevant skills right out of the gate. Here are 7 highest paying bachelor degrees that can steer you into a good job.

1. Health Care Administration

The health care industry is always at the top of the heap: there's lots of growth and lots of jobs, many high-paying. Training resources are widely available, and the demand for this kind of work just keeps increasing. You’ll have a relatively easy time finding employment once you’re finished with school. If you’re not ready to commit yet, try a couple of classes in anatomy, statistics, accounting, or physiology and see what you think.

2. Computer Science

No matter what field you want to end up in, a degree in computer science can really set you up to stand out at the forefront of the technological vanguard. Whether it’s web building or design, software engineering, A.I., you’ll already have a major foundation laid towards building your career. Most jobs requiring a comp sci degree also pay very well. Try a class or two in computer engineering, computer math, or digital system design if you’re not sure.

3. Civil Engineering

You like to build things, design things, dream big. Fix problems that befuddle everybody else! Make the world a better, more ergonomic place? The country is in sore need of an infrastructure reboot, so jobs requiring a civil engineering degree are going to spike. Good to get in early doors! Try a couple of courses in dynamics, engineering economics, or fluid mechanism for a start. There are lots of others, depending on your school’s catalogue.

4. Nursing

Like Health Care Administration, no matter what you do with a degree in nursing, you’re almost guaranteed a well-paying job. Nurses are the backbone of the whole industry. They’re the ones doing 90% of the patient care. If you like all things medicine and really enjoy helping people, try a few courses in chemistry, physiology, anatomy, psychology, or mental health and see if you’d like to pursue more.

5. Accounting

Everybody needs an accountant–from individuals to small businesses to huge corporations. If you’re good at math and financial systems, this might be a great opportunity for you. The further up the ladder you go as an accountant, the higher the pay. There are lots of accounting courses, and courses on tax and business law that can help you decide if you feel the call.

6. Psychology

Even as our reliance on technology increases, there is still a high demand for understanding human behavior. You don’t necessarily have to be a shrink if you get a degree in psychology; you could work for large corporations, in HR, or in industrial relations… the sky's the limit. The more emphasis is placed on marketing trends and analysis, the more the demand for those with psychological training will increase. Try out some neuroscience, with some statistical methods, and some perception vs. sensation classes to see how it feels to you.

7. Business Administration

If you have a bit of the entrepreneurial spirit, this might be a great degree for you. Certainly it will stand you in good stead if you’d like to create and build your own business one day. This degree will give you the planning experience and knowledge to back up all your dreaming and big ideas. Start with classes in financial or operations management, systems and accounting, and other business and marketing topics to prepare yourself.