Heading back to school to earn a graduate degree can be a great way to advance your career, but all degrees don’t offer the same return. In addition to being very time-consuming, most higher education programs these days come with a hefty price tag, so it’s important conduct a thorough amount of research to make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.
Fortune recently teamed up with PayScale to find the best and worst choices for graduate degrees in 2016, and some of the results might be a bit surprising.
5 Best Graduate Degrees for 2016
PayScale analysts used many different factors to find this year’s top graduate degrees, including long-term growth outlook for the job, median pay, job satisfaction, and stress.
Master’s Degree in Biostatistics
Professionals with a master’s degree in biostatistics can expect a 23% job growth by 2024 and a median salary of $105,900 per year. Jobs in this realm come with an extraordinarily high satisfaction rate of 85% and a relatively low stress level of 57%.
Master’s Degree in Statistics
Those who earn a master’s degree in statistics receive a median annual salary of $113,700 and can expect 16.4% job growth through 2024. Positions requiring this degree are met with a 75% satisfaction rate and a 57% stress level.
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Choosing to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science is certainly a lot of work, but those with these credentials can feel secure with 12% job growth through 2024 and a median salary of $147,400 per year. The field comes with a 77% satisfaction rate and a low 45% stress level.
Ph.D. in Economics
Investing the time and energy to earn a Ph.D. in economics comes with the reward of a $125,800 median annual salary and an 11.3% job growth rate through 2024. An impressive 88% of professionals working in this area report being highly satisfied with their jobs, realizing a stress level of 59%.
Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics
Students who choose to earn a master’s degree in applied mathematics can anticipate 12.7% job growth by 2024 and a median salary of $124,900 per year. In total, 71% of professionals in this sphere are highly satisfied with their jobs, and stress levels are estimated at a low 49%.
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