Student’s Guide to Borrowing Levels by Major When you’re reviewing your financial aid award letter and applying for a loan, 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 salary. 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. Salaries are adjusted based on the 2019 cost of living index for Iowa as calculated by The Council for Community and Economic Research. ©2021 Iowa Student Loan 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 Finance $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 .