The Top Business Degrees With The Best ROIs

Selecting a college major is in many ways a strategic investment for students. Some degrees offer reliable, long-term financial growth, while others carry greater uncertainty and less predictable returns. Quartz’s 2025 roundup of high-ROI degrees highlighted ten standout degrees, four – sometimes five – of which are business- related.

THE TOP FIVE BUISNESS DEGREES WITH THE BEST ROI

Of the top ten, the majors with the highest ROI were Accounting, Finance, Economics, Data Science and Analytics. You may also include Computer Science.

Unpacking these further, according to the Education Data Initiative, accounting majors can expect lifetime earnings between $8 and $9 million. “I chose accounting because it’s a skill set that every business needs. The ROI is real – there’s structure, stability, and upward mobility,” said Class of 2026 Jasmine Liu from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to Forbes.

Finance offers similar benefits says ’25 grad Daniel Reyes from NYU Stern in an interview with Business Insider, “I looked at mid-career salary data and saw finance consistently near the top. It’s not just about money – it’s about flexibility and growth.”

For the Economics major, the Education Data Initiative highlights this major has high returns particularly for those specializing in consulting or financial services. That appealed strongly to Priya Menon from Georgetown University’s Class of 2025 “Economics gives me options. Whether I go into consulting or policy, I know the ROI is strong. It’s a degree that opens doors,” she tells Forbes.

Data Science and Analytics is a major which Bridgeport University’s 2025 report says offers high starting salaries and explosive demand. And security too, says Aiden Brooks from the University of Texas at Austin’s Class of 2026 to Forbes Advisor. “Data science is the sweet spot between business and tech. I wanted a major that’s future-proof and high-paying – and this one checks every box.”

Last but not least is Computer Science and IT, sometimes living in the business school and sometimes considered business adjacent. Newsweek reports that CS and IT graduates can see five-year returns exceeding 300%, driven by surging demand across industries, especially with the accelerating growth of AI.

DEGREES WITH THE BEST ROI OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS

The other majors in Quartz’s top ten were engineering, mathematics and statistics, and nursing.

Engineering degrees, especially in electrical and computer fields, can yield lifetime earnings of up to $10 million, according to the Education Data Initiative. Math and statistics graduates are highly sought after in both tech and finance, with strong ROI confirmed by Quartz. Nursing offers both purpose and pay, with lifetime earnings exceeding $8 million.

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