Engineering Majors Had A Higher Starting Salary Than Any Other College Graduate In 2013

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REUTERS/Keith Bedford

Recent college graduates who studied engineering will on average make more than any of their peers, according to a new study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

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NACE - which Forbes describes as a non-profit group that "links college placement offices with employers" - compiled data from an independant compensation management firm, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Census Bureau. Their study found that engineering majors in the Class of 2013 had the highest average starting salary at $62,564, while humanities and social sciences majors saw the biggest salary growth from 2012.

However, this was only good news for those students who could secure jobs. According to Forbes, only 29.3% of 2013 graduates had landed jobs prior to graduation.

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From NACE, here are the average starting salaries for the Class of 2013:

  1. Engineering - $62,564
  2. Computer Science - $59,084
  3. Business - $55,144
  4. Communications - $44,552
  5. Math & Sciences - $42,956
  6. Education - $40,590
  7. Humanities & Social Sciences - $38,045