Top 10 Highest Paying Degrees

The National Association of College and Employers (NACE) has released the top 10 highest paid bachelor's degrees by average starting salary in 2010. Petroleum Engineering tops the list for highest paying salary of $86,220. Eight out of 10 of these degrees are engineering disciplines. The only non-engineering-related degrees rated in the top 10 are computer science and information sciences & systems.

1. Petroleum Engineering
Average starting salary: $86,220

2. Chemical Engineering
Average starting salary: $65,142

3. Mining & Mineral Engineering (including Geological)
Average starting salary: $64,552

4. Computer Science
Average starting salary: $61,205

5. Computer Engineering
Average starting salary: $60,879

6. Electrical/Electronics & Communications Engineering
Average starting salary: $59,074

7. Mechanical Engineering
Average starting salary: $58,392

8. Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering
Average starting salary: $57,734

9. Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering
Average starting salary: $57,231

10. Information Sciences & Systems
Average starting salary: $54,038

Source: Winter 2010 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers

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