Federal data
Highest earning education programs in the United States
U.S. education programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington | Public, 4-year | $57,410 | 53 |
| 2 | Monmouth University | West Long Branch | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $55,579 | 80 |
| 3 | University of Hawaii-West Oahu | Kapolei | Public, 4-year | $52,079 | 47 |
| 4 | University of Minnesota | Minneapolis | Public, 4-year | $48,339 | 53 |
| 5 | Nelson University | Waxahachie | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $47,921 | 56 |
| 6 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public, 4-year | $46,239 | 30 |
| 7 | Springfield College | Springfield | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $45,906 | 32 |
| 8 | Flagler College | Saint Augustine | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $45,447 | 35 |
| 9 | Michigan State University | East Lansing | Public, 4-year | $44,705 | 37 |
| 10 | University of Washington | Seattle | Public, 4-year | $44,201 | 117 |
| 11 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale | Public, 4-year | $44,071 | 350 |
| 12 | Western Oregon University | Monmouth | Public, 4-year | $43,879 | 64 |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Milwaukee | Public, 4-year | $43,867 | 249 |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | Green Bay | Public, 4-year | $42,768 | 84 |
| 15 | Midland University | Fremont | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $42,394 | 53 |
| 16 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver | Public, 4-year | $42,320 | 43 |
| 17 | Western Governors University | Salt Lake City | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $41,421 | 2,516 |
| 18 | Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven | Public, 4-year | $41,129 | 82 |
| 19 | Fairmont State University | Fairmont | Public, 4-year | $40,931 | 49 |
| 20 | Empire State University | Saratoga Springs | Public, 4-year | $39,046 | 56 |
| 21 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton | Public, 4-year | $38,928 | 95 |
| 22 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers | Public, 4-year | $38,392 | 47 |
| 23 | John Carroll University | University Heights | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $37,978 | 47 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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