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Stony Brook University Majors Overview: Salary, Courses & Career Outcomes

Every major at Stony Brook University with graduate salary, course catalog depth, and career preparation data.

#	Major	US Rank	Stony Brook University Salary	National Median	Premium	Degrees/Year	Courses
1	Computer Science	—	$86,250	$75,000	+15%	317	45
Featured Courses: AMS 325: Computing and Programming Fundamentals in Applied Mathematics and Statistics ARS 323: Mechatronic Arts: Physical Computing and Digital Fabrication BIO 312: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology BME 361: Data Science with Python CHE 358: Computing in Chemistry
2	Engineering	—	$82,800	$72,000	+15%	300	186
Featured Courses: AFS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power AFS 355: Ancient African Civilizations AAS 223: China: Society and Civilization BME 120: Programming Fundamentals in Biomedical Engineering BME 200: Bioengineering in Extreme Environments
3	Mathematics & Statistics	—	$71,300	$62,000	+15%	339	38
Featured Courses: AMS 102: Elements of Statistics AMS 103: Applied Mathematics in Modern Technology AMS 110: Probability and Statistics in the Life Sciences AMS 300: Writing in Applied Mathematics AMS 301: Finite Mathematical Structures
4	Business	—	$63,249	$55,000	+15%	476	76
Featured Courses: ACC 210: Financial Accounting ACC 301: Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting and Reporting ACC 310: Intermediate Accounting I ACC 313: Intermediate Accounting II ACC 401: Intermediate Managerial Accounting & Data Analytics
5	Health Professions	—	$59,799	$52,000	+15%	661	63
Featured Courses: AFS 306: Gender and Public Health in Africa AFS 368: Health and Disease in Africa BIO 369: Animal Nutrition BME 340: Clinical Insights for Healthcare Device Innovation & Entrepreneurship HAD 335: Medical Ethics in Health Care for CLS
6	Physical Sciences	—	$55,199	$48,000	+15%	132	112
Featured Courses: ARH 339: The Art and Science of Astronomy AST 100: Astronomy Today AST 112: Astronomy Laboratory AST 203: Astronomy AST 345: Undergraduate Research in Astronomy
7	Architecture	—	$55,199	$48,000	+15%	18	5
Featured Courses: ESE 345: Computer Architecture ESE 375: Architectures for Digital Signal Processing EDP 301: Urban Systems POL 327: Urban Politics SOC 323: Urban Society
8	Social Sciences	—	$51,749	$45,000	+15%	377	110
Featured Courses: AFS 308: Women Islam and Political Change in Africa AFS 346: Political and Social History of Africa AFS 372: African-American Political Thought ANT 225: Anthropology of Global Inequality ANT 255: Forensic Anthropology
9	Biological Sciences	—	$48,299	$42,000	+15%	690	122
Featured Courses: ANT 101: Human Biology ANT 208: Zombiology: What the Walking Dead Can Teach Us About Real Humans ANT 220: Controversies in Human Biology and Behavior ANT 303: Earth and Life Through Time: Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoecology (with emphasis on the Turkana Basin) ANT 304: Ecology: Linking People and Nature (with emphasis on the Turkana Basin)
10	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	—	$48,299	$42,000	+15%	159	7
Featured Courses: EST 440: Interdisciplinary Research Methods EST 441: Interdisciplinary Senior Project VIP 395: Intermediate Multidisciplinary Project VIP 396: Intermediate Multidisciplinary Project Practicum VIP 495: Advanced Multidisciplinary Project
11	History	—	$46,000	$40,000	+15%	59	101
Featured Courses: AFS 223: Regional History of Africa AFS 339: Recent African American History AFS 374: Environment and Development in African History AFS 396: Topics in African-American History AMR 301: Ethnicity and Race in American History
12	Communication & Journalism	—	$46,000	$40,000	+15%	52	63
Featured Courses: AMS 313: Communicating with Data AAS 214: Culture and Communication for Korean I AAS 314: Culture and Communication for Korean II AAS 370: Intercultural Communication BME 302: Research Fundamentals and Communication
13	Natural Resources & Conservation	—	$46,000	$40,000	+15%	43	55
Featured Courses: AFS 382: Race, Ethnicity and the Environment ANT 310: Environments, Ecosystems and Evolution: Evidence from the Turkana Basin ANT 325: Conservation and Indigenous Knowledges ANT 361: Primate Conservation ANT 408: Pastoralism Under Pressure: Savannas, Societies, and Sustainability in East Africa
14	Public Administration & Social Services	—	$43,700	$38,000	+15%	69	16
Featured Courses: POL 305: Government and Politics of the United Kingdom POL 359: Public Policy Analysis POL 379: Federal Government Power POL 380: Government and Politics of the Middle East HWC 210: Overview of the Social Work Profession
15	Foreign Languages & Linguistics	—	$43,700	$38,000	+15%	39	120
Featured Courses: AFH 385: French Caribbean Literature AFH 423: Africana Literature in French ARB 101: Intensive Elementary Arabic ARB 111: Elementary Arabic I ARB 112: Elementary Arabic II
16	Area/Ethnic/Cultural Studies	—	$43,700	$38,000	+15%	11	68
Featured Courses: AFH 390: Topics in Africana Studies AFH 447: Readings in Africana Studies AFH 487: Research in Africana Studies AFS 345: Culture and Gender: Women in Africa and the Caribbean AFS 360: African-American Social Commentary
17	Philosophy & Religious Studies	—	$43,700	$38,000	+15%	7	51
Featured Courses: AFH 379: Philosophy of Race (III) AFS 369: Religion and Politics in Africa ANT 351: Comparative Religion AAS 102: Eastern Religions AAS 236: Korean Religions
18	Psychology	—	$41,400	$36,000	+15%	518	32
Featured Courses: PHI 370: Philosophical Psychology (III) POL 346: Political Psychology POL 349: Social Psychology and Law POL 402: Advanced Seminar in Political Psychology PSY 201: Statistical Methods in Psychology
19	English Language & Literature	—	$41,400	$36,000	+15%	84	151
Featured Courses: AIM 102: Expository Writing AFH 205: Contemporary African Literature AFH 282: Contemporary Caribbean Women’s Literature AFH 329: Pan-African Literature I AFH 330: Pan-African Literature II
20	Visual & Performing Arts	—	$39,100	$34,000	+15%	53	314
Featured Courses: ACC 320: Artificial Intelligence in Accounting and Assurance AFH 249: African-American Literature and Music in the 19th and 20th Centuries AFH 339: Arts of the African Diaspora AFH 380: African American and Caribbean Theatre ANT 222: Greek and Roman Mythology through Art & Technology

Career Path Match at Stony Brook University 🎖️ DeepColleges Exclusive

How many courses at Stony Brook University align with each career direction. More relevant courses mean better preparation for your target career.

Pre-Med / Clinical Medicine 133

ADV 201: Preparing for Medical School HBA 461: Regional Human Anatomy for Respiratory Therapists ANT 300: Human Anatomy ANT 350: Medical Anthropology ANT 411: Comparative Primate Anatomy

Sociology & Anthropology 78

ANT 120: Introduction to Biological Anthropology ANT 225: Anthropology of Global Inequality ANT 255: Forensic Anthropology ANT 350: Medical Anthropology ANT 381: Applied Anthropology

Film & Video Production 46

ARH 210: The Art and Technology of Film ARH 398: Topics in Film and Video Art ARS 328: Digital Arts: Animation ARS 402: Documentary Media Art AAS 232: Introduction to Asian American Fiction and Film

Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering 41

AIM 100: EOP Pre-Freshman Summer Academic Bridge ADV 202: Academic Success Seminar ADV 488: Academic and Transfer Advising Services Internship ATM 345: Atmospheric Thermodynamics and Dynamics ATM 346: Advanced Atmospheric Dynamics

Journalism & Media 40

ANT 408: Pastoralism Under Pressure: Savannas, Societies, and Sustainability in East Africa ARH 207: Digital Media: History/Theory ARH 347: Avant-Garde Art: Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism COM 208: Mass Communication COM 305: Mass Communication Law & Ethics

Music Industry & Production 39

ARH 334: Performance Art I: The European Avant-Garde ARH 344: Performance Art II: World War II to the Present DAN 353: Special Topics in Dance Performance DAN 400: Performance Dance Ensemble EGL 140: Shakespeare in Performance

Climate & Earth Science 38

ANT 303: Earth and Life Through Time: Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoecology (with emphasis on the Turkana Basin) ANT 317: Climate Change and Human Evolution ATM 201: Introduction to Climate and Climate Change ATM 205: Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences ATM 347: Advanced Synoptic Meteorology and Weather Forecasting

Software Engineering 36

AMS 325: Computing and Programming Fundamentals in Applied Mathematics and Statistics BME 120: Programming Fundamentals in Biomedical Engineering BME 312: LabVIEW Programming in Engineering CSE 102: Introduction to Web Design and Programming CSE 114: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

Linguistics & Translation 36

AAS 360: Chinese Sociolinguistics AAS 385: Translation Studies of Asian Languages CLS 113: Greek and Latin Literature in Translation FLA 440: Foreign Language Acquisition Research FRN 395: Readings in French Literature I: Analysis and Interpretation

Chemical & Materials Engineering 31

ARS 264: Introductory Ceramics ARS 364: Advanced Theory and Practice of Ceramics CME 160: Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology CME 304: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I CME 310: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I: Unit Operation Fundamentals

Marine & Ocean Science 26

BIO 353: Marine Ecology CIV 422: Introduction to Coastal Engineering CIV 423: Coastal Engineering Planning and Design ENV 316: Coastal Zone Management ENV 339: Economics of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Electrical & Hardware Engineering 25

BME 271: Introduction to Electric Circuits and Bioelectricity ESE 118: Digital Logic Design ESE 273: Microelectronic Circuits ESE 319: Electromagnetic Waves and Transmission Lines ESE 337: Digital Signal Processing: Theory

Pharmacy & Drug Development 24

HAD 432: Pharmacology HAD 445: Selected Topics in Toxicology HAN 489: Pharmacology for Anesthesia Technology MAR 394: Environmental Toxicology and Public Health BCP 201: Introduction to Pharmacology: Drug Use & Its Molecular Basis

International Relations & Diplomacy 23

AFS 340: Human Rights and Africa AAS 338: Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Diplomacy AAS 339: Contemporary China: History, Politics, and Diplomacy ECO 325: International Trade GLI 211: Perspectives in Globalization Studies and International Relations

Management Consulting & Strategy 22

BUS 302: Social Media Marketing Strategy BUS 326: Organizational Behavior BUS 346: Operations Management BUS 399: Intellectual Property Strategy BUS 441: Business Strategy

Education & Teaching 21

ANT 353: Biodiversity Assessment Methods for Tropical Field Research HAD 351: Research Literacy and Design EDP 305: Risk Assessment and Sustainable Development FLA 307: Critical Pedagogy FLA 320: Pedagogy in Practice

Environmental Engineering 19

ANT 408: Pastoralism Under Pressure: Savannas, Societies, and Sustainability in East Africa CIV 301: Probability and Statistics for Civil and Environmental Engineering CIV 320: Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Design CIV 394: Sustainability of Building and Infrastructure Systems ENV 301: Sustainability of the Long Island Pine Barrens

Public Policy & Government 19

ACC 301: Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting and Reporting BUS 378: Marketing Ethics, Public Policy, and Social Change GLI 102: Academy of Civic Life GLI 402: Democracy and Justice for All HRJ 248: Global Accountability: Human Rights Law and Governance

Biomedical Engineering 18

BME 100: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering BME 120: Programming Fundamentals in Biomedical Engineering BME 212: Biomedical Engineering Research Fundamentals BME 300: Writing in Biomedical Engineering BME 303: Biomechanics

Nonprofit & Social Impact 17

COM 404: Communication for Social Change & Public Advocacy HRJ 301: Human Rights Stewardship: Ethics, Communication, and Advocacy HWC 210: Overview of the Social Work Profession HWC 304: Contemporary Social Justice Issues HWC 305: Practice Processes in Social Work I

AI / Machine Learning 16

ACC 320: Artificial Intelligence in Accounting and Assurance BUS 375: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence BUS 379: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence BUS 444: Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Business CSE 327: Fundamentals of Computer Vision

Marketing & Brand Strategy 16

BUS 302: Social Media Marketing Strategy BUS 334: Integrated Marketing Communications BUS 348: Principles of Marketing BUS 358: Marketing Research BUS 359: Consumer Behavior

Architecture & Spatial Design 16

ARH 330: Public Art and Urban Design in New York City ARS 299: Studio Management Workshop ARS 365: Theories and Practice of Sculpture: Welding, Construction, and Intermedia ARS 390: Topics in Studio Art ARS 420: Studio Art Senior Seminar

Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Research 16

CME 460: Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization CME 470: Polymer Synthesis: Theory and Practice, Fundamentals, Methods, Experiments CHE 301: Physical Chemistry I CHE 302: Physical Chemistry II CHE 312: Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences

Mathematics & Pure Research 16

AMS 303: Graph Theory AMS 345: Computational Geometry AMS 361: Applied Calculus IV: Differential Equations CSE 355: Computational Geometry MAT 308: Differential Equations with Linear Algebra

Psychology Research (Non-Clinical) 15

AMR 392: Social and Behavioral Sciences Topics in American Studies GLI 392: Social and Behavioral Sciences Topics in Globalization Studies HUI 392: Italian-American Studies in the Social and Behavioral Sciences POL 349: Social Psychology and Law PSY 220: Survey in Developmental Psychology

Data Science & Analytics 13

ACC 401: Intermediate Managerial Accounting & Data Analytics AMS 316: Introduction to Time Series Analysis AMS 317: Introduction to Linear Regression Analysis AMS 380: Data Mining BME 361: Data Science with Python

Neuroscience & Brain Research 13

ARS 319: Art + the Brain BIO 208: Cells, Brains, Minds BIO 334: Principles of Neurobiology BIO 335: Neurobiology Laboratory BIO 337: Neurotransmission and Neuromodulation: Implications for Brain Function

Mental Health & Clinical Psychology 13

ANT 353: Biodiversity Assessment Methods for Tropical Field Research EDP 305: Risk Assessment and Sustainable Development HAN 471: Trauma and Trauma Systems HAN 475: Fundamentals of Environmental Health HAN 478: Internship in Environmental Health

Biotechnology & Genetics 13

BIO 103: Introduction to Biotechnology BIO 310: Cell Biology BIO 320: General Genetics BIO 321: Ecological Genetics BIO 327: Developmental Genetics Laboratory

Public Health & Epidemiology 12

AFS 306: Gender and Public Health in Africa BME 210: Applied Biostatistics EGL 290: What is Public Health? A Humanities Approach HAN 440: Introduction to Community Health Education HAN 450: Introduction to Public Health

Civil Engineering & Infrastructure 11

CIV 210: Land Surveying CIV 220: Civil and Environmental Infrastructure Systems CIV 312: Steel and Reinforced Concrete Design I CIV 330: Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering CIV 341: Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory

Entrepreneurship & Startups 11

BME 340: Clinical Insights for Healthcare Device Innovation & Entrepreneurship BUS 337: Entrepreneurship Compared Across Countries BUS 353: Entrepreneurship BUS 383: Social Entrepreneurship ESE 201: Engineering and Technology Entrepreneurship

Accounting & Audit 11

ACC 210: Financial Accounting ACC 301: Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting and Reporting ACC 310: Intermediate Accounting I ACC 311: Federal Income Taxation I ACC 313: Intermediate Accounting II

Physics & Astrophysics 11

AST 347: Cosmology AST 390: Special Topics in Astrophysics and Cosmology BME 310: Introduction to Biomedical Optics and Ultrasound ESE 308: Quantum Optics for Engineers ESE 332: Quantum Mechanics for Engineers

Actuarial Science & Insurance 9

AMS 110: Probability and Statistics in the Life Sciences AMS 310: Survey of Probability and Statistics AMS 311: Probability Theory AMS 410: Actuarial Mathematics BUS 376: Risk Management & Insurance

Economics & Economic Research 9

AMS 335: Game Theory ECO 110: Introduction to Microeconomics ECO 111: Introduction to Macroeconomics ECO 321: Econometrics ECO 323: Applied Microeconomics

UX / Product Design 8

CSE 323: Human-Computer Interaction CSE 333: User Interface Development ESE 323: Modern Circuit Board Design and Prototyping ISE 323: Human-Computer Interaction ISE 333: User Interface Development

Supply Chain & Logistics 8

AMS 341: Operations Research I: Deterministic Models AMS 342: Operations Research II: Stochastic Models BUS 371: Supply Chain Management CIV 305: Transportation Systems Analysis I CIV 306: Transportation Systems Analysis II

Pre-Law / Legal Studies 8

AFS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power BUS 399: Intellectual Property Strategy HIS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power HIS 371: Law and Society in American History, 1620-1877 POL 320: Constitutional Law and Politics: United States

Cloud Computing & DevOps 6

CIV 220: Civil and Environmental Infrastructure Systems CIV 394: Sustainability of Building and Infrastructure Systems CIV 418: Subsurface Infrastructure CSE 356: Cloud Computing ESE 343: Mobile Cloud Computing

Clean Energy & Sustainability Engineering 6

CME 491: Sustainable Future through Renewable Energy ESE 350: Electric Power Systems ESE 413: Introduction to Photovoltaics ESE 462: AI Driven Smart Grids EEO 482: Power Systems Engineering I

Investment Banking & Finance 6

AMS 420: Investment Science Foundations BUS 355: Investment Analysis BUS 356: Financial Analysis, AI, Excel ECO 360: Money and Banking ECO 389: Corporate Finance

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation 6

HAL 205: Introduction to Athletic Training BME 303: Biomechanics BME 420: Computational Biomechanics HAN 459: Introduction to Sports Medicine MAR 375: Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation

Space Industry & NewSpace 6

AST 205: Introduction to Planetary Sciences AST 459: Write Effectively in Astronomy/Planetary Sciences GEO 347: Remote Sensing GSS 355: Remote Sensing GIS Data GSS 360: LiDAR Remote Sensing

Game Development & Design 4

AMS 335: Game Theory CSE 380: 2D Game Programming CSE 381: 3D Game Programming ECO 355: Game Theory

Robotics & Autonomous Systems 4

CSE 378: Introduction to Robotics ESE 481: Design of Secure IoT Embedded Systems ISE 378: Introduction to Robotics MEC 450: Mechatronics

Quantum Computing 4

ESE 332: Quantum Mechanics for Engineers PHI 382: The Quantum Moment: Quantum Mechanics in Philosophy, Culture, and Life (III) PHY 307: Physical and Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics PHY 382: The Quantum Moment: Quantum Mechanics in Philosophy, Culture, and Life (III)

Real Estate & Development 4

BUS 333: Introduction to the Business of Real Estate BUS 406: Real Estate Finance ECO 329: Urban Economics SUS 406: Coastal Housing Resilience

Bioinformatics & Computational Biology 3

BIO 312: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology EBH 380: Genomics EBH 381: Genomics Laboratory

Graphic & Visual Design 3

HBA 325: Anatomical/Bio Illustration ARS 355: Anatomical/Bio Illustration ESE 382: Digital Design Using VHDL and PLDs

FinTech & Blockchain 2

AMS 320: Introduction to Quantitative Finance BUS 381: Blockchain & Digital Assets

AR / VR / Spatial Computing 2

CSE 328: Fundamentals of Computer Graphics CSE 366: Introduction to Virtual Reality

Aerospace Engineering 2

MEC 464: Fundamentals of Aerodynamics MEC 465: Aerospace Propulsion

Sports Analytics & Management 2

HAL 205: Introduction to Athletic Training HAN 460: Exercise Physiology

Food Science & AgTech 2

BIO 369: Animal Nutrition HAN 461: Introduction to Nutrition

Digital Health & Telemedicine 2

CSE 377: Introduction to Medical Imaging ISE 377: Introduction to Medical Imaging

Cybersecurity 1

ESE 360: Network Security Engineering

Fashion & Luxury Industry 1

THR 323: Costume Design

Highest & Lowest ROI Majors at Stony Brook University

Highest-Earning Majors

Computer Science

$86,250/yr

Engineering

$82,800/yr

Mathematics & Statistics

$71,300/yr

Lowest-Earning Majors

Visual & Performing Arts

$39,100/yr

English Language & Literature

$41,400/yr

Psychology

$41,400/yr

Popular Majors at Stony Brook University

The most popular fields of study, ranked by the number of degrees awarded.

Biological Sciences

14.3%

Health Professions

13.4%

Psychology

12.5%

Social Sciences

11.0%

Business/Marketing

10.0%

Best Majors at Stony Brook University →

Stony Brook University Majors FAQs

What are the most popular majors at Stony Brook University?

Stony Brook University's most popular majors by share of degrees awarded are: Biological Sciences (14.3%), Health Professions (13.4%), Psychology (12.5%). The full ranking by graduate salary is in the table above.

Which major at Stony Brook University pays the most?

The highest-earning major at Stony Brook University is Computer Science, with a median 4-year-out salary of $86,250 — well above the school-wide median of $74,502.

Are some majors at Stony Brook University harder to get into than others?

Yes. Stony Brook University's overall acceptance rate is 49.0%, but selective programs (computer science, business, engineering, nursing) often admit at lower rates than the school-wide average. Check program-specific admission stats where available.

Should I pick my major based on salary at Stony Brook University?

Salary should be one factor, not the only one. Major choice impacts earnings (engineering and CS typically lead) but career fit, course interest, and graduation-rate within the major also matter. The salary table above shows the median pay by program at Stony Brook University.