From zero to hero: 10 degrees that lead to financial success

You have debt, your parents invested their life savings in you, and you’ve got dreams to achieve. Whether you’re at uni or at work, you’re asking, “How to get rich fast?” 

There’s no one-size-fits-all quick answer to this, but there are certain steps that can help you turn that question “How to get rich fast” into this statement: “I got rich fast.”

First, it’s important to understand why you want to do this — and whether you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Paying off debt is a good reason to accelerate your journey to becoming rich.

The cost of an undergraduate degree can go up to US$41,920 — and it gets more expensive if you’re pursuing a specialised subject like law, medicine, or engineering. 

As a student living in the US, upGradAbroad predicts you to spend up anywhere from US$13,540 to  US$52,800 annually on accommodation, food, transport, utility bills, and academic materials. 

That’s on top of the country’s inflation rate of around 3% for 2024. 

If you’re overwhelmed by what you just read, that’s normal. You might even be well aware of this as someone who’s planning to, already is, or have studied in one of the most popular study abroad destinations. 

Regardless of which point of your journey you’re in, knowing which degrees are better at answering the question “how to get rich fast?” is important.

And it’s a much safer, reputable, and fulfilling way to financial independence than dubious get-rich-quick schemes, such as:

• Pyramid scheme: Someone will try to recruit you as an investor with promises of unrealistic returns from imaginary investments.
• Ponzi scheme: By investing, you’re promised high returns with little or no risk. Your money is then used to pay off old investors, so it looks like the scheme is working.
• Fake investment opportunities:  Usually aggressively sold to you with seemingly genuine documents, you’re asked to invest in foreign currency, commodities, or even fake businesses.
• Multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes.

Now that you know what to avoid, you can focus on what actually works in the journey of how to get rich fast: working hard and working smart.

Whether you’re planning to, already are, or have graduated, it’s important to know what are the best degrees to help you answer the question “how to get rich fast?” so you can make the right decisions.

Before we move on to the best degrees for you to succeed quickly, however, let’s debunk the elephant in the room. 

What is the fastest way to get rich as an international student?

Many successful millionaires were at the right place and time in their lives. It involved:

• learning the scale on which millionaires operate
• having the patience to overcome many failures
• practising good financial habits
• being passionate about testing out new ideas

Learning to look at the journeys of successful people can be a crucial factor in mastering how to get rich fast. Going to the same university and choosing the same degree they did can put you at the right place and right time too.

That said, pursuing a degree solely for the purpose of getting rich fast may not be the best approach, as financial success is influenced by many factors beyond just one’s degree. 

Life, in the form of love, family and personal setbacks, can get in the way and are hard to avoid.

There are, however, specific degrees that lead to a higher earning potential and despite the usual challenges that are in store, fast-track your journey on how to get rich fast.

For this article, we’ll use data from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) and determine the best degrees you should pursue for quick financial success.

How to get rich fast: 10 best degrees for quick success

1. Business Administration and Management

This is one of the most versatile and flexible fields to study, giving you access to many roles in many industries. If one role isn’t working, you can move to another — and this is possible thanks to 715,100 new jobs that are to be created from 2021 to 2031.

The median annual wage was US$79,050 in 2023 — higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of US$48,060.

Naturally, it’s no surprise that many choose to pursue a Master of Business Administration when it’s proven time and time again that you get quite the salary bump and even more out of it.

2. Law

Lawyers, especially those specialising in corporate law, intellectual property, or litigation, charge by the hour — which means the sky’s the limit for those willing to put in the hard work to bill more.

In the US, overall employment in law is expected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, which will create 833,100 new jobs over the decade. 

The median annual wage was US$145,760 per year in 2023.

3. Air traffic control

To become an air traffic controller, you need an associate or bachelor’s degree from an Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) programme in the US, or similar authority in your home country.

In 2023, air traffic controllers made an annual median salary of US$137,380. There are about 2,400 openings for air traffic controllers projected each year from 2021 to 2031.

4. Computer science 

The demand for skilled computer scientists is higher than ever — especially in an age where tech companies are constantly innovating new offerings and services. 

Overall employment in computer science is expected to grow 15% from 2021 to 2031. This increase should bring about 682,800 new jobs over the decade, much higher than other jobs on our list. 

The median annual wage for this field was US$145,080 in 2023.

5. Finance 

For those of you who have a knack for balancing budgets and crunching numbers, a degree in finance holds a fair bit of promise. As financial analysts guide, you can guide businesses and individuals to make smart financial decisions.

The best part? BLS recorded the median pay for this role to be US$99,890 in 2023. 

Overall employment in business and finance is expected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031. This increase should bring about 715,100 new jobs over the decade, much higher than other jobs on our list.

6. Dentistry 

Pursuing a specialised medical career can be tough, but the reward is worth the effort. 

To become a dentist, for example, you’ll need to complete a five-year degree in dentistry approved by the General Dental Council, followed by one to two years of postgraduate dental training.

The median annual wage for this role is US$170,910 in 2023. 

Overall employment in healthcare is expected to grow by 13% from 2021 to 2031, which should bring about two million new jobs over the decade. 

7. Supply chain management 

A degree in supply chain management is ideal for someone who enjoys coordinating large-scale projects and understands the need for rigorous quality control parameters. 

You could also contribute to making supply chains more sustainable and play your part in combating climate change. 

Overall employment in logistics is expected to grow by 28% from 2021 to 2031. The median annual wage for logisticians (a term for someone working in supply chain management) was US$79,400 in 2023.

8. Management information systems

Big data has been the biggest talking point within the tech space in recent years. 

Taking on jobs such as an information technology project manager, business systems analyst, or even a specialised software developer are opportunities rife with potential.

BLS predicts that employment for computer and information systems managers will grow by 16% from 2021 to 2031. The median annual wage for computer and information systems managers was US$169,510 in 2024.

9. Engineering 

With its various fields, engineering is a great degree to consider.

If you’re interested in designing and overseeing the construction of infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, and buildings, look no further than civil engineering. 

Civil engineers have a crucial role in helping society push itself forward, and naturally, they get paid well for it. They earn around US$60,700 per year in 2024 and have an expected employment growth of 7% from 2021 to 2031. 

Pursuing an engineering degree doesn’t have to be expensive too — check out our list of most affordable countries to study engineering here.

10. Cybersecurity

As jobs in computer science and management information systems continue to flourish, it’s not surprising to see strong demand for cybersecurity professionals.

Take working as an information security analyst, for example. As a specialist, you’ll stay updated with the latest security trends, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures. 

Employment of information security analysts is expected to grow by 35% from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average for all occupations listed on BLS. 

The median annual wage for information security analysts was US$120,360 in 2023.

US states where STEM jobs are paid the most

Now, you might have noticed that most of the degrees we just listed are from the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, otherwise known as STEM.

That’s not to say that you won’t find financial success in other fields — success in itself is subjective, though it has been proven that jobs in STEM pay better.

Biotechnology firm CYTENA, using data from Glassdoor, conducted a study on the average salaries for over 75 jobs within STEM in each US state to determine which state paid the most.

California ranks first with an average salary of US$124,937, based on the average wage of all jobs included in the study. The highest-paying positions are all in healthcare: anesthesiologist at US$330,000 per year, cardiologist at US$310,000 yearly, and orthopedic surgeon at US$269,000 yearly.

Washington comes in with a close second with an average salary for STEM jobs of US$123,954. Again, the highest-paying jobs within the state are in healthcare. Anesthesiologists earn US$314,500 per year; neurologists earn US$284,500 per year; and orthopedic surgeons earn US$275,500 per year.

New York comes in third, with an average annual salary of US$114,437. Neurologists, anesthesiologists, and cardiologists have the biggest paychecks, with US$285,500, US$275,000, and US$264,000, respectively.

Down the list, you have:

4. Nevada, average salary of US$111,767.
5. Maryland, average salary of US$110,226.
6. Massachusetts, average salary of US$109,807.
7. Idaho, average salary of US$109,216.
8. Hawaii, average salary of US$108,667.
9. Colorado, average salary of US$108,362.
10. Connecticut, average salary of US$107,625.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on August 15, 2024.