Here are the most lucrative California college degrees. 2nd place might surprise you

California adults with a bachelor’s degree earn about twice as much as those with a high school diploma, census figures show. But some fields of study are more lucrative than others.

The U.S. Department of Education last year began releasing data showing the earnings of graduates for degree programs at every college across the country. Based on tax data, the figures show earnings for the first year after graduation. They only include data from students that took federal financial aid, and they exclude some fields of study that don’t attract many students.

Computer science degrees in the Bay Area tend to pay a lot — no surprise there. The degree dominates the top of the list, with recent CalTech graduates leading the pack at more that $153,000 a year.

But what comes in a close second? Nursing degrees.

Nursing graduates at several California State University campuses earn at or near six figures a year after graduation. Many graduates of those programs have already started their nursing career and are upgrading their credentials from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree.

Other common, lucrative fields include business administration, accounting, economics and engineering.

The data come with some caveats. The Department of Education releases data showing earnings by “field of study.” In many cases, that correlates to an actual major. But in some cases, it may include a few closely related majors.

Of course, attending college isn’t just about making more money. Social work majors may earn less than many of their peers but have a great career doing something they enjoy while helping people. You can take that to the bank.