The Student Room Group

Which pays more Computer Science or Dentistry?

Hi, I was wondering which degree leads you to having a higher pay between Dentistry or Computer science?
History of Art at Oxford or Cambridge then going to work at Goldman Sachs as an analyst pays more than either.

Your degree subject is not necessarily the only or even main determiner of your income after graduating. Of note, STEM and non-STEM graduates have been found to have equivalent salaries in the long term, and CS had such bad graduate prospects for so long the government commissioned two inquiries into the matter.

If you're only aiming to do those degrees for money I would not suggest doing either, as chances are you will not make as much money as you think you will. Not all CS grads work at FAANG after graduating (most don't), and dentistry is a long degree with further training after graduating, and you aren't going to be making oodles of money as a newly qualified dentist working in someone else's practice anyway. Comfortable middle class income perhaps, but you aren't going to be driving a Bentley by any stretch of the imagination (and in fact unless you start up your own practice after becoming experienced, which becomes very successful that's probably unlikely anyway).
Original post by artful_lounger
History of Art at Oxford or Cambridge then going to work at Goldman Sachs as an analyst pays more than either.
Your degree subject is not necessarily the only or even main determiner of your income after graduating. Of note, STEM and non-STEM graduates have been found to have equivalent salaries in the long term, and CS had such bad graduate prospects for so long the government commissioned two inquiries into the matter.
If you're only aiming to do those degrees for money I would not suggest doing either, as chances are you will not make as much money as you think you will. Not all CS grads work at FAANG after graduating (most don't), and dentistry is a long degree with further training after graduating, and you aren't going to be making oodles of money as a newly qualified dentist working in someone else's practice anyway. Comfortable middle class income perhaps, but you aren't going to be driving a Bentley by any stretch of the imagination (and in fact unless you start up your own practice after becoming experienced, which becomes very successful that's probably unlikely anyway).

how do u go from history of art to an analyst at goldman sachs lol
Original post by rohans0078
how do u go from history of art to an analyst at goldman sachs lol

They don't care what degree you do. You just need to ideally be going to a target uni and have gotten relevant work experience/internships/summer schemes, and be prepared to do well in any psychometric tests/assessment centre exercises/the interview.

There are people at investment banks with degrees in classics, history, languages, etc etc. They don't only hire those who did finance or economics. It just is that people who went into those degrees are more likely to target jobs in that sector to start with so there's a selection bias - whereas those in many other subjects may choose other opportunities. The investment banks themselves are by all accounts agnostic to the students degree programme if they otherwise went to a target uni, have the experience, and do well in the interview etc.
Original post by rohans0078
how do u go from history of art to an analyst at goldman sachs lol

I worked in finance at one of the UK big four for over a decade. I never met anyone with a relevant degree.

I ended up being a credit underwriter despite having a 2:2 in an unrelated degree from a mid-ranked uni and no professional quals at all.

Most <21 year olds on TSR would think any one of those was a crippling disadvantage.

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