Natural Sciences: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Natural Sciences graduates earn a median $57,935 four years after finishing — $9,575/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 7.1 years. Federal data pools 85 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 868 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Natural Sciences ranks #116 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 43% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | $95,507 |
| 2 | Daemen University | NY | $76,980 |
| 3 | Kansas State University | KS | $68,243 |
| 4 | Dominican University | IL | $56,555 |
| 5 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | $56,124 |
| 6 | California State University-Chico | CA | $55,102 |
| 7 | University of Puerto Rico at Cayey | PR | $42,313 |
| 8 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras | PR | $39,675 |
| 9 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro | PR | $36,327 |
| 10 | Universidad del Sagrado Corazon | PR | $23,655 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.