$135,980
Highest median pay on the list
Software developer
College Planning About a minute No email required BLS pay data
What degree should I get? Degree Match quiz
Tell us what kind of work you like. Get one degree, the job it leads to, and what that job pays, from federal labor data.
Degree Match · federal pay data
Which degree fits the work you want?
Five quick questions. See the degree, the job it leads to, what that job pays and how fast it’s growing, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
ExampleLikes caring for patients, prefers a clinic → Nursing, bachelor’s, registered nurse.
Under a minute · No name, email or phone · Pay figures from the BLS
Degree MatchQuestion 1 of 5
Which kind of work sounds most like you?
Why we ask: The match starts from the work you’d want to do all day.
Review the methodology behind this result
Results are shown before email capture or partner handoff. The estimate uses source-backed rules and public data so you can evaluate the result before taking the next step.
The quiz above matches you to one of 16 degrees by the work you like, where you want to do it, and what matters most to you. Each result shows the job the degree leads to and what that job pays nationally, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Source · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
24.2%
Fastest projected growth
Medical and health services manager, 2025 to 2035
180,800
Most openings a year
Registered nurse
Start from the work, not the major
Most people pick a major by name and find out about the job later. This quiz runs the other way. It asks what you like doing and where, then shows the degree that leads to that kind of work and what the work pays.
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Pick the work you like
Tech problems, patient care, helping people, organizing projects, numbers, law, teaching, persuading or building. -
Pick where you want to do it
A desk, a clinic, the community, a classroom or a job site. -
Pick what matters most
Pay, job growth, helping people, or work you can do at a computer. -
Tell us what you already have
The degree level shown is one step past what you have, so a bachelor’s holder sees a master’s, not a second bachelor’s. Trades show the training BLS lists instead: an apprenticeship or a program at a technical school.
Every degree in the quiz, by median pay
Median pay is the midpoint for everyone in the job nationally, from new hires to veterans. Growth and openings are the BLS projections for 2025 to 2035. Source · BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
| Degree | Job it leads to | Median pay | Growth to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Software developer | $135,980 | 10.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Cyber Security | Information security analyst | $129,180 | 21% | Bachelor's degree |
| Healthcare Administration | Medical and health services manager | $123,860 | 24.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Information Technology | Computer systems analyst | $105,850 | 7.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Project Management | Project management specialist | $102,320 | 6.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Nursing | Registered nurse | $97,550 | 5.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Accounting | Accountant or auditor | $83,680 | 5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Marketing | Market research analyst or marketing specialist | $78,760 | 7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Human Resources Management | Human resources specialist | $75,940 | 6.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Criminal Justice | Probation officer or correctional treatment specialist | $66,270 | 3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Education | Elementary school teacher | $63,970 | -0.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrician | Electrician | $63,190 | 9.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Paralegal | Paralegal or legal assistant | $62,890 | -0.3% | Associate's degree |
| HVAC | HVAC mechanic or installer | $61,010 | 10.9% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Social Work | Child, family and school social worker | $59,550 | 4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Counseling | Substance abuse and mental health counselor | $59,350 | 18.4% | Master's degree |
Degree Computer Science
Job it leads to Software developer
Median pay $135,980
Growth to 2035 10.2%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Cyber Security
Job it leads to Information security analyst
Median pay $129,180
Growth to 2035 21%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Healthcare Administration
Job it leads to Medical and health services manager
Median pay $123,860
Growth to 2035 24.2%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Information Technology
Job it leads to Computer systems analyst
Median pay $105,850
Growth to 2035 7.9%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Project Management
Job it leads to Project management specialist
Median pay $102,320
Growth to 2035 6.7%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Nursing
Job it leads to Registered nurse
Median pay $97,550
Growth to 2035 5.6%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Accounting
Job it leads to Accountant or auditor
Median pay $83,680
Growth to 2035 5%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Marketing
Job it leads to Market research analyst or marketing specialist
Median pay $78,760
Growth to 2035 7%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Human Resources Management
Job it leads to Human resources specialist
Median pay $75,940
Growth to 2035 6.4%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Criminal Justice
Job it leads to Probation officer or correctional treatment specialist
Median pay $66,270
Growth to 2035 3%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Education
Job it leads to Elementary school teacher
Median pay $63,970
Growth to 2035 -0.4%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Electrician
Job it leads to Electrician
Median pay $63,190
Growth to 2035 9.2%
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Degree Paralegal
Job it leads to Paralegal or legal assistant
Median pay $62,890
Growth to 2035 -0.3%
Typical entry education Associate's degree
Degree HVAC
Job it leads to HVAC mechanic or installer
Median pay $61,010
Growth to 2035 10.9%
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award
Degree Social Work
Job it leads to Child, family and school social worker
Median pay $59,550
Growth to 2035 4.4%
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Degree Counseling
Job it leads to Substance abuse and mental health counselor
Median pay $59,350
Growth to 2035 18.4%
Typical entry education Master's degree
Program names match what schools offer
Each degree in the quiz is a program name partner schools use on their request forms. When you choose to see programs, the school form opens with your field already picked, so you skip the screen that asks it. Matching you with schools is free and is not an aid application.
Then check what aid could pay
Choosing a degree is half the decision. The other half is what it costs after grants. The aid check estimates your Pell Grant, state grant, Work-Study and federal loans for the award year you would start.
See what aid could pay for that degree
Pell, your state grant, Work-Study and federal loans, stacked for your award year. No name or email needed.
Start the aid check