The median salary for the class of 2012 bachelor’s degree graduates was $42,569, up 4.5 percent from $40,735 for graduates in the previous year’s class, according to a report released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

“The overall median salary increase is the result of gains throughout most sectors,” said NACE Executive Director Marilyn Mackes. “Even in those sectors that showed decreases in median starting salaries, the dips were very slight.”

Graduates earning math and science degree received a median salary of $40,939, up 2.5 percent from the previous year. Computer sciences grads’ starting salaries rose to $56,383, up 2.4 percent.

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