A new report shows some undergraduate degrees pay off more than others — literally. Using data from the U.S. Census, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce's "What's It Worth: The Economic Value of College Majors" report, issued May 24, looked at 171 different majors and found that the difference in earning potential between one field of study and another can be more than 300%. TIME took a look at the 10 highest- and the 10 lowest-earning majors
Median earnings per year: $80,000
While metallurgy may be unfamiliar to some, the concept is familiar. Metallurgical engineers learn how to design metal parts, study the properties of metals and solve problems in manufacturing. For example, some in this field might work with a mining engineer to coordinate the extraction process and extract the metal from the ore once it has been mined.
