We had a look at which are the cheapest Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees that can land you the some of the highest paying jobs in the United States. Most top-paying careers here are in the medical field, followed by management and engineering. The best news is that you can land them without paying a lot for your university diploma.
Successful careers are not exclusive to private schools or expensive degrees. There are plenty of affordable university degrees with reasonable tuition fees that make it possible for you to follow your post-graduation dream.
True, some higher education programmes can cost more than 30,000 USD per year in the United States, roughly equal to the US median wage. This puts a lot of pressure on parents who financially support college students, and even more on students who need to get below-average salary jobs to pay for their studies.
Fortunately, there are cheap degrees that cost under 6,000 USD per year, which represents 45% of the annual living costs without rent, according to Wise. Combined with hard work, these degrees can set you on the path toward some of the most successful careers in the US, with a median annual salary of over 100,000 USD.
We linked the top highest-paying jobs in America according to official data (US News & World Report and the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics) with some of the most affordable Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees we could find on Studyportals. Check them out!
1. Medicine
Medicine occupations hold first place among the top-paying jobs in the US, with a median annual salary of over 200,000 USD for most specialisations, such as surgeon, anaesthesiologist, gynaecologist, orthodontist, psychiatrist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, etc.
Graduating with a medical degree can cost over 60,000 USD per year. However, the good news is that you can become a licensed doctor and enjoy a career in this field with degrees that cost a lot less. Our examples range between 620 and 4,165 USD per year.
Cheap pre-med (undergraduate) degrees:
- Toxicology Bachelor’s at The City University of New York – 620 USD/year
- Biology or Chemistry Bachelor’s at University of Rio Grande – 3,930 USD/year
Cheap medical degrees:
- Nursing Master’s at the Colorado Mesa University – 750 USD/year
- Communication Disorders Master’s at West Texas A&M University – 1,440 USD/year
- Physician Assistant Studies Master’s at Carroll University – 1,500 USD/year
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s at West Chester University – 2,600 USD/year
- Kinesiology Master’s at Humboldt State University – 4,165 USD/year
Becoming a doctor in the US involves pre-medical studies, passing the MCAT exam, going through a residency programme, and finally, after years of study and training, obtaining a license and a board certification.
Working in healthcare isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows. It involves dedication, hard work, night shifts, missed holidays, as well as mental and physical exhaustion. You also need genuine empathy and patience to help people.
2. IT Manager
Information Technology managers enjoy a median annual salary of over 150,000 USD in the US, which is way above average salaries. You will need at least a Bachelor’s diploma in Information Technology/Systems or Computer Science and years of experience in this field. And while many have tuition fees of over 30,000 USD per year, we’ve found some that cost as low as 620 USD.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Computer Science and Information Security Bachelor’s at The City University of New York – 620 USD/year
- Online Computer Science Bachelor’s at University of the People – 1,215 USD/year
- Computer Science Bachelor’s at University of Rio Grande – 3,930 USD/year
- Computer Science or Computer Engineering Bachelor’s at Florida Polytechnic University – 3,150 USD/year
Cheap Master’s programmes
- Computer Science Master’s at Georgia Institute of Technology – 2,160 USD/year
- Computer Science Master’s at West Chester University – 2,600 USD/year
- Computer Science Master’s at Texas A&M San Antonio – 2,750 USD/year
- Computer Engineering Master’s at George Mason University – 2,825 USD/year
- Computer Information Systems Master’s at Southern University at New Orleans – 4,620 USD/year
To succeed as an IT Manager, you need to be passionate about computer hardware and software and stay up to date with the latest technologies and security threats.
3. Marketing Manager
Marketing managers earn a median annual salary of roughly 140,000 USD. You need at least a Bachelor’s in Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations (PR) or a related discipline to land this role. And, of course, years of experience in this field.
While some Marketing programmes cost over 40,000 USD per year, you can get a Bachelor’s in this field for as low as 5,745 USD.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Business Administration – Marketing Bachelor’s at San José State University – 5,745 USD/year
- Public Relations Bachelor’s at California State University Long Beach – 5,745
- Business Administration (Marketing) Bachelor’s at California State University Sacramento – 5,745 USD/year
- Marketing Bachelor’s at Brigham Young University – 6,120 USD/year (only slightly above our initial 6,000 budget)
Cheap Master’s programmes
- Online Digital Marketing Master’s at Contemporary Technology University – Free
- Public Relations and Advertising Master’s at Point Park University – 885 USD/year
- Marketing Master’s at Texas A&M University – 3,175 USD/year
4. Petroleum Engineer
135,000 USD per year is the median salary for petroleum engineers working in the US. A Bachelor’s diploma in Petroleum, Chemical, or Mechanical Engineering is enough to help you land this job. And the cheapest one we’ve found starts at 6,120 USD, slightly above your initial 6,000 budget.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s at Brigham Young University – 6,120 USD/year
Cheap Master’s programmes
- Mechanical Engineering Master’s at The University of Alabama at Birmingham – 1,145 USD/year
- Mechanical or Chemical Engineering Master’s at New Mexico State University – 3,585 USD/year
Although it sounds more like a hands-on occupation, you should know that petroleum engineers spend most of their time in an office, planning new ways to safely extract gas and oil.
5. Financial Manager
Financial managers enjoy a median annual salary of 134,000 USD. If you aspire to this role, you can get it with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and at least 5 years of work experience. The cheapest programmes we’ve found start at 1,275 USD, which is roughly the same as one month’s living costs in the US.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Finance Bachelor’s at University of Hawaii at Manoa – 2,800 USD/year
- Cheap Master’s programmes
- Finance Master’s at Northern Illinois University – 1,275 USD/year
- Online Finance and Economics Master’s at West Texas A&M University – 1,440 USD/year
As a manager in this field, you’ll have crucial responsibilities and oversee the company’s financial health and stability. You will face a lot of pressure, as other managers and chief executives will make decisions based on your advice and reports.
6. Lawyer
Lawyers earn a median salary of over 125,000 USD per year. To become certified, you need to pass the LSAT and bar exam, in addition to having a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Online History Bachelor’s at Oregon State University – 665 USD/year
- Communication Studies Bachelor’s at Northern Illinois University – 775 USD/year
- Political Science Bachelor’s at University of Rio Grande – 3,930 USD/year
- Cheap Master’s programmes
- Divinity and Juris Doctor Master’s at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary – 5,460 USD/year
Working in the legal field is far from easy. To succeed, you need to be ambitious, articulate, and resistant to stress, especially during trials. You should also feel comfortable walking on a thin line between ethics and your client’s best interest.
7. Sales Manager
In the US, sales managers earn a median salary of over 130,000 USD per year. A Bachelor’s degree in a business-related field is often preferred by employers, but you can get away without having one as long as your CV and work experience are impressive. You can start working on that experience from your student days with a part-time job which will also bring you extra money and independence.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Communication Studies Bachelor’s at Northern Illinois University – 770 USD/year
- Business Administration (Marketing) Bachelor’s at California State University Sacramento – 5,745 USD/year
Cheap Master’s programmes
- Blended/Online Communication Bachelor’s at West Texas A&M University – 1,440 USD/year
Everyone knows that communication is essential in sales, but as a manager, you also need to be a people person and enjoy training and motivating team members.
8. Business Operations Manager
The median annual salary for business operations managers is 103,000 USD. Employers will expect at least a Bachelor’s in Business Administration or Operations Management, and you can complete one for only 1,215 USD per year.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Online Business Administration Bachelor’s at University of the People – 1,215 USD/year
- Business Administration Bachelor’s at IGlobal University – 5,400 USD/year
- Business Administration Bachelor’s at California State University Sacramento – 5,745 USD/year
- Business Administration Bachelor’s at San José State University – 5,745 USD/year
Cheap Master’s programmes
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) at West Chester University – 2,600 USD/year
- MBA at Texas A&M San Antonio – 2,750 USD/year
- MBA at Humboldt State University – 4,165 USD/year
To find success, you need to enjoy the corporate environment and all the perks and quirks that come with it. You should demonstrate a lot of clarity and insight and find new ways to improve the organisation’s workflow and efficiency.
9. Political Scientist
Political scientists enjoy a median salary of 125,000 USD per year in the US. To become a political scientist in the US, you need at least a Master’s degree in Political Science, Public Administration or a similar discipline. The cheapest Master’s we’ve found start at only 2,600 USD.
Cheap Bachelor’s programmes
- Political Science Bachelor’s at University of Rio Grande – 3,930 USD/year
- Cheap Master’s programmes
- Public Administration Master’s at New Mexico State University – 3,585 USD/year
- Public Administration Master’s at West Chester University – 2,600 USD/year
- Political Science Master’s at Jackson State University – 6,520 USD/year (slightly above our initial 6,000 budget)
To enjoy a rewarding career in this field, you also need to have a passion for politics, social sciences, and human behaviour. Understanding opinion surveys and extracting relevant insights are also key.
