Which college grads make the most money

Stuart Muller, director of custom consulting for higher education at Emsi Burning Glass, explained his team evaluated the overall quality of outcomes for each institution by "quantifying average wages across all alumni in our professional profiles data. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which produces annual wage estimates for nearly occupations.

Researchers used the national median wage by occupation, featuring only those institutions with more than 1, profiles in Emsi's database and excluding smaller arts colleges. In an email to Newsweek, Dr. Muller added: "By using the national average OEWS wage we are attempting to quantify outcomes based on the quality of the professional role that completers attain rather than the particulars of any salary they may earn—i.

Villanova University is a private, Catholic, coeducational, research higher education institute run by the Order of Saint Augustine in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university in New York and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the U.

Undergraduates in Columbia College and Columbia Engineering can choose from nearly areas of study. Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, founded in by Christian universalists who sought to open a nonsectarian institution of higher learning.

Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta and the second-oldest private institution of higher education in Georgia.

Founded in , Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois and is ranked among the world's most prestigious academic institutions.

Founded in , Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school's mission is to integrate "education, research and application to create and convey knowledge that serves our state and helps solve the world's great challenges. University of California, Irvine, is one of 10 campuses in the University of California school system.

In , the public university enrolled approximately 29, undergraduate students. UCI is known for its engineering and criminal justice programs. The public university is located in Butte, Montana, and is known for its engineering and nursing programs.

Located in Vallejo, California, the university is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast and aims to prepare students for careers fields like engineering, transportation, international relations, business and global logistics. The University of Virginia, is a public university located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson, the public university enrolls approximately 16, undergraduate students and is known for its law and business schools as well as for its strong athletics program.

The University of California, Santa Barbara, is a public university within the University of California school system.

During the school year, UCSB enrolled 25, undergraduate students. UCSB is known for its engineering, education and environmental studies programs.

Cal Poly Pomona enrolls approximately 24, undergraduate students and is known for its business and engineering programs. University of California, Davis, known for its food and agriculture program, is a part of the University of California school system. The public university enrolls approximately 30, undergraduate students. The three most popular majors at UC Davis are psychology, managerial economics and economics. The public university is known for its veterinary medicine program.

The public university enrolls roughly 1, undergraduate students and offers bachelor's of engineering, bachelor's of science, master's of science and associate's of applied science degrees. Located in Newark, Delaware, the University of Delaware is a public university. The school enrolls approximately 18, undergraduate students and is known for its chemical engineering program. University of California, Berkeley, is the flagship school of the University of California system.

Located in Berkeley, California, near San Francisco, the university enrolls some 30, undergraduate students. The school is home to the Haas School of Business. Beyond school selection, there are several steps students can take to maximize the value of their time in college while minimizing the costs.

Consider pursuing a degree in a high-paying field. Earning a degree in a STEM field can help students at any college prepare themselves for in-demand high-paying jobs. Students can keep costs low by keeping on pace with their requirements and graduating on time. Additional semesters of college can be expensive and in some cases, scholarship and grant aid does not apply for semesters beyond the standard four years.

But the most significant step students can take to ensure their college degree pays off is, simply, to complete their college degree. The economic benefits of earning a bachelor's degree are still significant , and if students study hard and play their cards right, college can pay off big time.

Like this story? Don't miss: Clayton Christensen Institute co-founder: This equation reveals how much you should borrow for college. Skip Navigation. Jennifer Liu. A student at Bates College. Click to expand We started by identifying the true net cost of each college for the typical American student — including tuition, fees, books, supplies and other expenses — after subtracting scholarships and grants. VIDEO The top 5 private US colleges that pay off the most.

Definitive Guide to College. Stanford University. Princeton University. Photo: Princeton University, Office of Communications. The University of Chicago. California Institute of Technology. They are usually regarded as the best eight universities in the United States and the world. They are extremely selective with their admissions process.

However, these universities are extremely expensive to attend. Despite the high price tag, students who graduate from Princeton University have the highest early career salary out of all Ivy League attendees in This is compared to the overall expected starting salaries of recent college graduates across the United States, which was less than 35, U.

Show source. Download for free You need to log in to download this statistic Register for free Already a member? Log in. Show detailed source information? Register for free Already a member? More information. Supplementary notes. Other statistics on the topic. Economy Minimum wages in the United States, by state Economy The global gender gap index If we learned anything from , is that the polls don't.

Thus, this report can help you determine how much income you could attain by the time you reach mid-career, based on which college or university you attend. We call this salary potential. Some fields might have higher earning potential, but less flexibility in terms of job choice.

Ultimately, the major you choose will also have a significant effect on your lifetime earning potential. We call this salary potential, and we use it to calculate our rankings which come from the alumni salary data of 3.

Choosing which college or university to attend, and which field you want to study can be a daunting decision. Where you choose to go to college, what type of degree you decide to pursue, and the major you choose to study can greatly impact your future salary potential.

There are many other personal factors to consider. However, understanding what your post-graduation earning power is likely to be is essential in order to make a sound financial decision when selecting a college and major.

Our data is routinely being updated. However, there are a number of factors that remain constant year after year.

How and where you choose to make that investment is an important decision. Two-year degrees are a more affordable and often overlooked option for college-bound students. In fact, many states are now offering two years of free community college. However, for students who are taking out loans entirely on their own, picking a college that has a high salary potential could cut your student loan payback time in half.

The majority of the highest earning two-year programs are schools with strong reputations and a specific focus in nursing and healthcare professions. There are around full-time students enrolled in the school. PCU is a small college, with a student teacher ratio of Students can earn a two-year degree in a number of healthcare, aviation, emergency services and more.

Bachelor Degrees remain a common choice for those seeking a degree. And even with support from scholarships, student loan debt is simply an expected hardship when getting a college degree these days. In terms of four-year degrees, a few universities stood out on top, but for their own unique reasons. The top of the list continues to be dominated by the Ivy League, elite technical universities, and military academies.