Student’s Guide to Borrowing Levels by Major When you’re reviewing your financial aid award letter and applying for a , think about the total amount of money you will borrow for all your years in college and especially how that total loan amount will relate to your expected starting .

Find your major and the associated average starting salary earned by graduates with a bachelor’s degree in that specific college major1. If your major is not listed, the one that is the most similar to your chosen major will give you a good estimate. Your average starting salary is equivalent to the maximum recommended borrowing for a four-year degree.

Annual Starting Salary and A Maximum Recommended Borrowing Accounting $47,810 Actuarial Science $68,310 Advertising and Public Relations $40,590 Aerospace Engineering $66,350 Agricultural Economics $48,790 Agriculture Production and Management $39,030 Animal Sciences $35,130 Anthropology and Archeology $34,150 Applied Mathematics $51,720 Architectural Engineering $58,550 Architecture $48,790 Area Ethnic and Civilization Studies $39,030 Art and Music Education $37,080 Art History and Criticism $37,080 Astronomy and Astrophysics $21,470 Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology $39,230

B Biochemical Sciences $33,670 Biological Engineering $45,860 Biology $37,080 Biomedical Engineering $53,670 Botany $32,980 Business Economics $53,670 Business Management and Administration $43,910

1 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2019 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample File. Starting salary data is based on 25th percentile salary information (inflation-adjusted to 2019 dollars) for U.S. civilians with a highest academic degree of a bachelor’s degree, age 18 – 64 (inclusive), who work full-time and full-year. are adjusted based on the 2019 cost of living index for Iowa as calculated by The Council for Community and Economic Research.

©2021 Iowa Liquidity Corporation® Annual Starting Salary and C Maximum Recommended Borrowing Chemical Engineering $60,500 Chemistry $40,980 Civil Engineering $60,500 Clinical Psychology $33,180 Cognitive Science and Biopsychology $48,790 Commercial Art and Graphic Design $38,450 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services $31,230 Communication Technologies $34,150 Communications $40,010 Community and Public Health $36,890 Composition and Speech $32,400 Computer Administration Management and Security $43,910 Computer and Information Systems $48,790 Computer Engineering $66,350 Computer Networking and Telecommunications $44,980 Computer Programming and Data Processing $40,980 Computer Science $60,500 Construction Services $58,550 Cosmetology Services and Culinary Arts $29,270 Counseling Psychology $27,320 Court Reporting $29,270 Criminal Justice and Fire Protection $39,030 Criminology $39,030

D Drama and Theater Arts $33,180 Annual Starting Salary and E Maximum Recommended Borrowing Early Childhood Education $30,250 Ecology $34,150 Economics $50,740 Educational Administration and Supervision $25,860 Educational Psychology $40,980 Electrical and Mechanic Repairs and Technologies $42,940 Electrical Engineering $67,330 Electrical Engineering Technology $54,640 Elementary Education $34,150 Engineering and Industrial Management $60,500 Engineering Mechanics Physics and Science $48,790 Engineering Technologies $43,910 English Language and Literature $37,670 Environmental Engineering $53,670 Environmental Science $39,030

F Family and Consumer Sciences $31,230 Film Video and Photographic Arts $34,150 $51,720 Fine Arts $34,150 Food Science $46,840 Foreign Language Studies $37,670 Forestry $43,910

G General Agriculture $37,080 General Business $43,910 General Education $34,740 General Engineering $54,640 General Medical and Health Services $34,150 General Social Sciences $39,030 Genetics $35,130 Geography $42,740 Geological and Geophysical Engineering $40,010 Geology and Earth Science $41,470 Geosciences $29,270 Annual Starting Salary and H Maximum Recommended Borrowing Health and Medical Administrative Services $37,080 Health and Medical Preparatory Programs $35,320 History $38,060 Hospitality Management $37,080 Human Resources and Personnel Management $41,960 Human Services and Community Organization $33,180 Humanities $38,060

I Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering $58,550 Industrial and Organizational Psychology $40,980 Industrial Production Technologies $58,550 Information Sciences $55,620 Intercultural and International Studies $38,060 Interdisciplinary Social Sciences $34,150 International Business $46,840 International Relations $42,940

J Journalism $40,980

L Language and Drama Education $36,590 Liberal Arts $37,080 Library Science $31,230 Linguistics and Comparative Language and Literature $32,200 Annual Starting Salary and M Maximum Recommended Borrowing Management Information Systems and Statistics $58,550 Marketing and Marketing Research $43,910 Mass Media $38,840 Materials Engineering and Materials Science $60,500 Materials Science $63,430 Mathematics $47,810 Mathematics and Computer Science $56,600 Mathematics Teacher Education $37,080 Mechanical Engineering $66,350 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies $57,570 Medical Assisting Services $36,100 Medical Technologies Technicians $46,640 Metallurgical Engineering $63,430 Microbiology $43,910 Military Technologies $58,550 Mining and Mineral Engineering $68,310 Miscellaneous Agriculture $31,230 Miscellaneous Biology $34,540 Miscellaneous Business & Medical Administration $46,840 Miscellaneous Education $40,010 Miscellaneous Engineering $58,550 Miscellaneous Engineering Technologies $48,790 Miscellaneous Fine Arts $29,270 Miscellaneous Health Medical Professions $34,150 Miscellaneous Psychology $35,130 Miscellaneous Social Sciences $43,910 Molecular Biology $34,150 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies $39,030 Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science $39,030 Music $31,230

N Natural Resources Management $40,500 Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering $87,820 Neuroscience $34,150 Nuclear Engineering $58,550 Nuclear, Industrial Radiology, and Biological Technologies $46,840 Nursing $49,770 Nutrition Sciences $39,030 Annual Starting Salary and O Maximum Recommended Borrowing Oceanography $29,570 Operations Logistics and E-Commerce $48,790 Other Foreign Languages $39,030

P Petroleum Engineering $60,500 Pharmacology $45,860 Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration $63,430 Philosophy and Religious Studies $37,080 Physical and Health Education Teaching $36,100 Physical Fitness Parks Recreation and Leisure $34,150 Physical Sciences $44,500 Physics $43,910 Physiology $33,670 Plant Science and Agronomy $39,030 Political Science and Government $43,910 Pre-Law and Legal Studies $39,030 Psychology $34,150 Public Administration $43,910 Public Policy $42,940

S School Student Counseling $35,130 Science and Computer Teacher Education $37,080 Secondary Teacher Education $38,060 Social Psychology $37,080 Social Science Or History Teacher Education $35,130 Social Work $31,230 Sociology $37,080 Soil Science $39,130 Special Needs Education $36,590 Statistics and Decision Science $50,740 Studio Arts $30,250

T Teacher Education: Multiple Levels $37,080 Theology and Religious Vocations $31,230 Transportation Sciences and Technologies $55,620 Treatment Therapy Professions $39,030 Annual Starting Salary and U Maximum Recommended Borrowing United States History $38,060

V Visual and Performing Arts $32,200

Z Zoology $34,150