Computer science freshman David Esteban would not say he has the greatest passion for his major, even though he said he likes playing video games in his free time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf money didn\u2019t matter, I would probably be an art or a film major, because that\u2019s what I really like,\u201d Esteban said.<\/p>\n
Prospective earnings after graduation carried significant weight when Esteban, who is on a military scholarship, chose his field.<\/p>\n
Trading passion for future financial stability when choosing a major may pay off, according to a 2026 study<\/a> by the HEA Group, a higher education research and policy organization. The study reveals major income disparity across majors four years after graduation.<\/p>\n With an average salary of $155,168, UT computer science graduates who receive federal aid are among the highest paid. Computer science out-earns East Asian languages literatures and linguistics, the lowest paid major listed, by about $116,713. Radio-television-film majors make, on average, $52,860.<\/p>\n Science programs out-earn the arts overall, with graduates from the College of Pharmacy making on average $91,472 more than College of Fine Arts graduates. The College of Natural Sciences, which includes computer science majors, ranks fifth at $85,429.<\/p>\n Even though UT computer science graduates earn less than their peers at prominent private institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they make more than their Texas A&M counterparts.<\/p>\n This data was collected by the Department of Education following reforms to federal aid programs. Under a new accountability earnings test<\/a> released July 1, only undergraduate programs whose graduates earn more than the typical high school graduate will remain eligible for federal student loans.<\/p>\n