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Vassar College Majors Overview: Salary, Courses & Career Outcomes

Every major at Vassar College with graduate salary, course catalog depth, and career preparation data.

#	Major	US Rank	Vassar College Salary	National Median	Premium	Degrees/Year	Courses
1	Computer Science	—	$101,250	$75,000	+35%	31	7
Featured Courses: BIOL 353: Bioinformatics CMPU 144: Foundations of Data Science CMPU 145: Foundations of Computer Science CMPU 203: Software Design and Implementation MATH 244: Intermediate Data Science
2	Mathematics & Statistics	—	$83,700	$62,000	+35%	33	36
Featured Courses: EDUC 361: Seminar: Mathematics and Science in the Elementary Curriculum MATH 121: Single Variable Calculus MATH 125: Topics in Single Variable Calculus MATH 126: Calculus IIA: Integration Theory MATH 127: Calculus IIB: Sequences and Series
3	Physical Sciences	—	$64,800	$48,000	+35%	32	51
Featured Courses: AFRS 244: Indian Ocean ANAS 337: Eels as Teachers: Learning with Earth’s Ancient Residents ASTR 101: Solar System Astronomy ASTR 220: Stellar Astrophysics ASTR 240: Observational Astronomy
4	Social Sciences	—	$60,750	$45,000	+35%	147	94
Featured Courses: AFRS 225: Prison Literature and Political Dissidence in the MENA Region ANTH 140: Cultural Anthropology ANTH 150: Linguistics and Anthropology ANTH 170: Topics in Anthropology ANTH 201: Anthropological Theory
5	Biological Sciences	—	$56,700	$42,000	+35%	92	43
Featured Courses: ANTH 120: The Human Animal: Intro to Biological Anthropology ANTH 223: Primate Behavior and Ecology ANTH 322: Human Evolutionary Developmental Biology BIOC 272: Biochemistry BIOC 356: Biochemistry Senior Seminar
6	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	—	$56,700	$42,000	+35%	38	2
Featured Courses: ANAS 313: Approaches to Multidisciplinary Inquiry HISP 216: Topics in Multidisciplinary Analysis
7	Natural Resources & Conservation	—	$54,000	$40,000	+35%	20	42
Featured Courses: ANAS 213: Indigenous Environmental Activism ASIA 238: Environmental China: Nature, Culture, and Development BIOL 374: Microbes and the Environment CHEM 254: Environmental Science in the Field ESCI 111: Environmental Justice in the Anthropocene
8	History	—	$54,000	$40,000	+35%	16	82
Featured Courses: AFRS 131: Narratives of Black History: Lives and Archives AFRS 168: Black Histories in the United States AFRS 215: African American History to 1865 AFRS 229: Black Intellectual History AFRS 246: African American History since 1865
9	Communication & Journalism	—	$54,000	$40,000	+35%	12	2
Featured Courses: ANAS 203: These American Lives: New Journalisms
10	Area/Ethnic/Cultural Studies	—	$51,300	$38,000	+35%	20	35
Featured Courses: AFRS 200: Movements and Ideas in Africana Studies AFRS 221: Captive Genders and Methods of Survival AFRS 223: Surrealism Across the African Diaspora AFRS 248: Racial and Ethnic Group Politics in Popular Culture AFRS 351: Africana Studies Seminar
11	Foreign Languages & Linguistics	—	$51,300	$38,000	+35%	18	82
Featured Courses: AFRS 105: The Self and the Western Other in Modern Arabic Literature AFRS 106: Elementary Arabic AFRS 207: Intermediate Arabic AFRS 307: Upper-Intermediate Arabic ASIA 125: Tradition & Creativity in Japanese Culture
12	Philosophy & Religious Studies	—	$51,300	$38,000	+35%	13	48
Featured Courses: AFRS 231: Algeria/France:Race, Religion & Citizenship AFRS 280: Africana Philosophy AFRS 330: Religion, Critical Theory and Politics ANTH 268: Religion, Repression, and Resistance in Latin America ANTH 271: Contemporary Arab Studies: Culture, Religion, Politics
13	Education	—	$51,300	$38,000	+35%	11	35
Featured Courses: EDUC 162: Education and Opportunity in the United States EDUC 235: Issues in Contemporary Education EDUC 252: Sexuality and Education: A Global Perspective EDUC 256: Bilingualism and/in K-12 Public Education EDUC 267: Our Lives, Our World: Teaching and Learning About Human Rights Alongside Youth
14	Psychology	—	$48,600	$36,000	+35%	42	27
Featured Courses: JWST 222: Psychological Perspectives on the Holocaust MEDS 204: Media Psychology NEUR 249: Research Methods in Physiological Psychology PSYC 108: Reading and Writing in Psychological Science PSYC 209: Research Methods in Social Psychology
15	English Language & Literature	—	$48,600	$36,000	+35%	31	101
Featured Courses: AFRS 228: African American Literature AFRS 233: Carceral Literature of the Caribbean AFRS 251: Topics in Black Literatures AFRS 253: Topics in American Literature ANAS 106: Writing Home: language for travel, belonging, and foreignness
16	Visual & Performing Arts	—	$45,900	$34,000	+35%	66	308
Featured Courses: AFRS 202: Black Music AFRS 213: Art, Spirituality and Power in Precolonial African History AFRS 217: Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy: Cultural Studies Between Media Theory and Philosophy AFRS 232: African American Cinema AFRS 266: Art, Urgency, and Everyday Life in the United States

Career Path Match at Vassar College 🎖️ DeepColleges Exclusive

How many courses at Vassar College align with each career direction. More relevant courses mean better preparation for your target career.

Film & Video Production 53

ANAS 215: Global Indigenous Film ANTH 215: Global Indigenous Film ASIA 111: Social Change in South Korea Through Film ASIA 295: Critical Reading of South Korea Film DANC 378: Choreography, Performance and Production

Sociology & Anthropology 39

AFRS 217: Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy: Cultural Studies Between Media Theory and Philosophy ANAS 217: Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy: Cultural Studies Between Media Theory and Philosophy ANTH 120: The Human Animal: Intro to Biological Anthropology ANTH 140: Cultural Anthropology ANTH 150: Linguistics and Anthropology

Music Industry & Production 29

ASIA 234: Topics in Global Performance DANC 215: Dance Composition and the Craft of Choreography DANC 378: Choreography, Performance and Production DRAM 224: Introduction to Performance Studies: What is(n’t) Performance DRAM 234: Topics in Global Performance

International Relations & Diplomacy 21

ASIA 263: Critical International Relations ASIA 363: Decolonizing International Relations ECON 248: International Trade and the World Financial System ECON 345: International Trade Theory and Policy EDUC 267: Our Lives, Our World: Teaching and Learning About Human Rights Alongside Youth

Linguistics & Translation 20

ANTH 150: Linguistics and Anthropology ASIA 367: Chinese Linguistics BIOL 101: The Biosphere in Translation BIOL 324: The Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics of Translation CHEM 324: The Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics of Translation

Pre-Med / Clinical Medicine 18

ANTH 229: Skeletal Anatomy: Humans and Animals ANTH 234: Forensic Anthropology: Anatomy, Crime, and Humanity BIOC 272: Biochemistry BIOC 356: Biochemistry Senior Seminar BIOC 393: Special Topics in Biochemistry

Climate & Earth Science 17

ESCI 105: Field Geology of the Hudson Valley ESCI 151: The Solid Earth: Physical Geology ESCI 226: Remote Sensing of Environmental Change ESCI 251: Global Geophysics and Tectonics ESCI 271: Structural Geology: Deformation of the Earth

Journalism & Media 15

AFRS 354: Race, Language, and Digital Media ANAS 203: These American Lives: New Journalisms ANTH 268: Religion, Repression, and Resistance in Latin America ANTH 354: Race, Language, and Digital Media ART 263: Painters of Modern Life: Realism, Impressionism, Symbolism

Psychology Research (Non-Clinical) 15

ANAS 254: Memory and Justice in Latin America and North America ANAS 360: Memory Work ASIA 311: Trauma, Memory, and Justice: Quests of Modern East Asia COGS 211: Perception and Action HIST 311: Trauma, Memory and Justice: Quests of Modern East Asia

Architecture & Spatial Design 13

ART 272: Topics in Architectural History ART 370: Seminar in Architectural History ART 107: Studio Art Foundations: Approaches to Making ART 275: Architectural Design 1 ART 276: Architectural Design II

Public Policy & Government 12

ANAS 268: Indigenous Legal Traditions and Governance ESCI 202: Public Policy and Human Environments ENST 202: Public Policy and Human Environments ENST 287: Energy Technology and Public Policy ESSC 202: Public Policy and Human Environments

Economics & Economic Research 12

ECON 203: Introduction to Econometrics ECON 250: Labor Economics ECON 273: Development Economics ECON 303: Advanced Topics in Microeconomics ECON 304: Advanced Topics in Macroeconomics

Education & Teaching 11

DANC 296: Dance Pedagogy; teaching methodologies for a diverse culture EDUC 250: Introduction to Special Education EDUC 272: “Spoken Soul”: Exploring Language and Literacy with Poughkeepsie and Arlington High School Students EDUC 274: Embodied Memories Podcast: Developing Africana Religious Literacy Curricula EDUC 276: (English) Language Pedagogy: Decolonial and anti-racist approaches

Public Health & Epidemiology 9

ANAS 263: Current and Emerging Issues in Public Health BIOL 246: Epidemiology BIOL 371: Cardiovascular Physiology and Epidemiology CLCS 110: Interactions among Public Health, Political Instability and Environmental Degradation POLI 378: Strategic Thinking in Global Health

Biotechnology & Genetics 9

BIOL 238: Molecular Genetics BIOL 244: Genetics and Genomics BIOL 248: Evolutionary Genetics BIOL 323: Epigenetics BIOL 382: Special Topics in Cell and Molecular Biology

Software Engineering 8

CMPU 100: Programming with Data CMPU 102: Data Structures and Algorithms CMPU 241: Analysis of Algorithms CMPU 331: Compilers CMPU 334: Operating Systems

Data Science & Analytics 8

CMPU 144: Foundations of Data Science ESCI 220: Cartography: Spatial Data Visualization with GIS ECON 389: Time Series Econometrics GEOG 220: Cartography: Spatial Data Visualization with GIS MATH 144: Foundations of Data Science

Mental Health & Clinical Psychology 7

ASIA 311: Trauma, Memory, and Justice: Quests of Modern East Asia HIST 311: Trauma, Memory and Justice: Quests of Modern East Asia PSYC 262: Principles of Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology PSYC 269: Research Methods in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology PSYC 362: Seminar in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology

Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Research 7

BIOC 326: Biophysical Chemistry CHEM 244: Organic Chemistry: Structure and Properties CHEM 245: Organic Chemistry: Reactions and Mechanisms CHEM 327: Inorganic Chemistry: Molecular Structure CHEM 328: Inorganic Chemistry: Reactivity and Properties

Mathematics & Pure Research 7

MATH 228: Ordinary Differential Equations and Applications MATH 261: Introduction to Number Theory MATH 321: Real Analysis MATH 324: Complex Analysis MATH 328: Nonlinear Differential Equations & Application

Environmental Engineering 6

ESCI 265: Resource Extraction: History, Economy & Sustainability of Fossil Fuels ENST 107: Global Change and Sustainability ENST 230: Research Methods: Studying Sustainability at Vassar ENST 265: Resource Extraction: History, Economy & Sustainability of Fossil Fuels GEOG 230: Research Methods: Studying Sustainability at Vassar

Neuroscience & Brain Research 6

ANTH 323: Is the Human Brain Special? BIOL 316: Seminar in Neurobiology CMPU 319: Modeling Minds, Brains, and Behavior COGS 319: Modeling Minds, Brains, and Behavior NEUR 105: Introduction to Neuroscience and Behavior

Physics & Astrophysics 5

ASTR 105: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology ASTR 220: Stellar Astrophysics ASTR 320: Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium PHYS 320: Quantum Mechanics I PHYS 330: Advanced Experimental Physics

AI / Machine Learning 4

CMPU 365: Artificial Intelligence CMPU 366: Natural Language Processing MATH 342: Statistical Machine Learning PHIL 284: Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence: Minds and Values

Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering 4

CHEM 350: Thermodynamics and Chemical Kinetics PHYS 245: Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics RUSS 152: The Russian Modernists: Decadence, Revolution, & The Avant-Garde (in English) RUSS 252: The Russian Modernists: Decadence, Revolution, and the Avant-Garde

Real Estate & Development 4

ANTH 217: Land Use History: Vassar Preserve ENST 217: Land Use History: Vassar Preserve GEOG 248: Housing Crises and Activism URBS 248: Housing Crises and Activism

Bioinformatics & Computational Biology 3

BIOL 244: Genetics and Genomics BIOL 353: Bioinformatics CMPU 353: Bioinformatics

Pre-Law / Legal Studies 3

POLI 239: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties in the United States POLI 243: Constitutional Law POLI 246: Civil Rights

Investment Banking & Finance 2

ECON 225: Financial Markets and Investments ECON 275: Money and Banking

Nonprofit & Social Impact 2

EDUC 251: Community Organizing and Schools LALS 251: Community Organizing and Schools

Fashion & Luxury Industry 2

DRAM 208: Draping and Pattern-Development for Stage Production DRAM 209: Introduction to Costume Design for the Stage

Space Industry & NewSpace 2

ESCI 226: Remote Sensing of Environmental Change GEOG 226: Remote Sensing of Environmental Change

Robotics & Autonomous Systems 1

COGS 320: Autonomous Robotics Design Competition

Quantum Computing 1

PHYS 320: Quantum Mechanics I

Biomedical Engineering 1

BIOL 373: Biomechanics

Chemical & Materials Engineering 1

ESCI 383: The Geology of Ceramics

Management Consulting & Strategy 1

ECON 215: The Science of Strategy

Accounting & Audit 1

ECON 120: Principles of Accounting

Actuarial Science & Insurance 1

MATH 241: Probability

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation 1

BIOL 373: Biomechanics

Food Science & AgTech 1

PHED 210: Nutrition and Exercise

Highest & Lowest ROI Majors at Vassar College

Highest-Earning Majors

Computer Science

$101,250/yr

Mathematics & Statistics

$83,700/yr

Physical Sciences

$64,800/yr

Lowest-Earning Majors

Visual & Performing Arts

$45,900/yr

English Language & Literature

$48,600/yr

Psychology

$48,600/yr

Popular Majors at Vassar College

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

Social Sciences

22.6%

Biological Sciences

13.8%

Visual/Performing Arts

10.3%

Foreign Languages

6.8%

Psychology

6.0%

Best Majors at Vassar College →

Vassar College Majors FAQs

What are the most popular majors at Vassar College?

Vassar College's most popular majors by share of degrees awarded are: Social Sciences (22.6%), Biological Sciences (13.8%), Visual/Performing Arts (10.3%). The full ranking by graduate salary is in the table above.

Which major at Vassar College pays the most?

The highest-earning major at Vassar College is Computer Science, with a median 4-year-out salary of $101,250 — well above the school-wide median of $71,366.

Are some majors at Vassar College harder to get into than others?

Yes. Vassar College's overall acceptance rate is 17.7%, 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 Vassar College?

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 Vassar College.