The average salary for 2013 college graduates with bachelor’s degrees rose to $44,928, up 5.3 percent from the class of 2012’s average salary of $42,666, according to results from a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

“The sizable gains in several disciplines — particularly in health sciences and business — have helped to drive up the average starting salary for the Class of 2013,” said Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

Starting salaries rose across the board, from just under 2 percent to nearly 10 percent.

Health sciences garnered the highest increase among the disciplines at 9.4 percent, bringing the average starting salary for these graduates to $49,713. Grads with degrees in humanities and social sciences saw the smallest gain, 1.9 percent to $37,058.

The average 2013 starting salaries, ranked by salary increase, are:

1. Health sciences: +9.4 percent to $49,713
2. Business: +7.1 percent to $54,234
3. Education: +5.1 percent to $40,480
4. Computer science: +4.3 percent to $59,977
5. Engineering: +4.0 percent to $62,535
6. Communications: +3.8 percent to $43,145
7. Math and sciences: +3.1 percent to $42,724
8. Humanities & Social Sciences: +1.9 percent to $37,058

The report is produced using data retrieved in March 2013 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau and a master data set developed by Job Search Intelligence.