Colleges With The Highest Graduate Earnings
These colleges have the highest median earnings 10 years after students start, according to federal data. High earnings alone don't make a college worth it, so each school's overall grade is shown too.
| Rank | College | Grade | Overall Score | Median Earnings | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | 89 | $152,553 | 96% |
| 2 | Babson CollegeWellesley, MA · Private Non-Profit | B | 74 | $138,950 | 92% |
| 3 | Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $133,523 | 97% |
| 4 | Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA · Private Non-Profit | B | 80 | $127,532 | 90% |
| 5 | Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA · Private Non-Profit | C | 69 | $126,427 | 88% |
| 6 | Stanford UniversityStanford, CA · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $125,340 | 92% |
| 7 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | 81 | $125,257 | 94% |
| 8 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $121,957 | 97% |
| 9 | University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · Private Non-Profit | A | 86 | $121,687 | 97% |
| 10 | Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ · Private Non-Profit | C | 66 | $118,358 | 89% |
| 11 | Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $118,356 | 96% |
| 12 | Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA · Private Non-Profit | B | 73 | $117,193 | 87% |
| 13 | Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | 78 | $116,342 | 85% |
| 14 | Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | 72 | $115,382 | 93% |
| 15 | Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA · Public | A | 96 | $114,210 | 94% |
| 16 | Duke UniversityDurham, NC · Private Non-Profit | A | 89 | $113,937 | 96% |
| 17 | Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · Private Non-Profit | A | 88 | $113,531 | 95% |
| 18 | Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA · Private Non-Profit | C | 64 | $113,513 | 90% |
| 19 | University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Private Non-Profit | B | 84 | $113,124 | 95% |
| 20 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY · Private Non-Profit | C | 64 | $113,011 | 80% |
| 21 | Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · Private Non-Profit | B | 83 | $112,178 | 90% |
| 22 | Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · Private Non-Profit | A | 89 | $111,162 | 95% |
| 23 | Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · Private Non-Profit | B | 84 | $110,516 | 94% |
| 24 | Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | 70 | $109,954 | 85% |
| 25 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY · Private Non-Profit | A | 88 | $109,430 | 95% |
| 26 | Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, IN · Private Non-Profit | C | 63 | $107,683 | 74% |
| 27 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $104,590 | 93% |
| 28 | Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RI · Private Non-Profit | C | 64 | $104,456 | 81% |
| 29 | Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC · Private Non-Profit | A | 86 | $104,443 | 90% |
| 30 | West Coast University-OntarioOntario, CA · For-Profit | D | 52 | $104,344 | 56% |
| 31 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange CountyAnaheim, CA · For-Profit | D | 47 | $104,344 | 25% |
| 32 | West Coast University-TexasRichardson, TX · For-Profit | D | 43 | $104,344 | 0% |
| 33 | Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · Private Non-Profit | A | 87 | $104,255 | 96% |
| 34 | Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MA · Public | B | 80 | $104,098 | 73% |
| 35 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $103,872 | 95% |
| 36 | University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA · Private Non-Profit | B | 80 | $103,420 | 90% |
| 37 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesBoston, MA · Private Non-Profit | D | 54 | $103,156 | 61% |
| 38 | Trinity CollegeHartford, CT · Private Non-Profit | B | 78 | $103,089 | 83% |
| 39 | Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, VA · Private Non-Profit | A | 89 | $102,966 | 96% |
| 40 | Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | 81 | $102,336 | 85% |
| 41 | Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · Public | B | 79 | $102,077 | 82% |
| 42 | Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT · Private Non-Profit | C | 67 | $101,587 | 85% |
| 43 | SUNY Maritime CollegeThroggs Neck, NY · Public | B | 71 | $100,966 | 54% |
| 44 | College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA · Private Non-Profit | B | 77 | $100,485 | 86% |
| 45 | UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · Public | A | 94 | $100,212 | 94% |
| 46 | Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · Private Non-Profit | A | 87 | $99,974 | 96% |
| 47 | Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | 85 | $99,371 | 91% |
| 48 | Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · Private Non-Profit | A | 90 | $99,080 | 93% |
| 49 | Bates CollegeLewiston, ME · Private Non-Profit | A | 87 | $98,373 | 88% |
| 50 | Barnard CollegeNew York, NY · Private Non-Profit | B | 83 | $98,280 | 92% |
Source: The College Investor.
More College Lists
Best Colleges For Low-Income FamiliesBest Colleges For Middle-Income FamiliesBest Colleges For High-Income FamiliesColleges Most Likely To Give Merit AidColleges Where Students Graduate With The Least DebtLow-Cost Colleges That Pay Off For Middle-Income FamiliesLargest Colleges With Poor Return On InvestmentHow We Grade Colleges