Where you're at: Job Seeker Toolkit >> Articles >> Most lucrative college degrees in 2006 Most lucrative college degrees in 2006 By David Ellis, CNNMoney.com staff writer If the offers that are already starting to roll in are any indicator, the class of 2006 will probably be thinking more about their first paycheck than their freshly minted diploma by the time graduation arrives. So far this academic year, college seniors in most majors are experiencing an increase in starting-salary offers, according to a quarterly survey published by the National Association of Colleges & Employers' (NACE). "By and large, the average salary increases employers offered tonew college graduates were respectable, and some were standouts,"Marilyn Mackes, executive director of NACE said in a statement. Topping the list of highest-paid majors were chemical engineers whofetched $55,900 on average, followed by electrical engineeringdegrees at $52,899. Despite taking a 0.3 percent dip compared tothe 2004-2005 academic year, mechanical engineers took third placewith an average salary of $50,672. The survey, which polled 83 different private and public schoolsacross the country, revealed that computer science graduates mightnot get as much as they did in previous years, as offers fell slightly to $50,046. Accounting and economics or finance experienced the biggestgrowth, claiming the fifth and sixth spots, and rounding out the list, inorder, were civil engineering, management and marketing. Liberal arts majors, which includes social science majors such ashistory and english, finished last with a starting salary of $30,828, butexperienced an increase of 6.1 percent compared to last year. NACE's newest survey, which only includes majors that havereceived 50 offers or more, also noted that employers planned to hire14.5 percent more college grads this year, compared to the 2004-2005 academic year. Terri LaMarco, the associate director of the University of Michigan'scareer center, said that NACE's forecast matches up with what sheis seeing on campus so far this year. Copyright 2006, The ECU Career Center |