With the expense of college no small matter, choosing the right school can make all the difference in paying off those often-crippling student loans.
PayScale has ranked hundreds of universities and other institutions of higher learning by the median pay its graduates earn at the midpoint of their careers. Of course, high pay doesn't always equate with job satisfaction. That's reflected in the fact that one of highest ranked the colleges in terms of earnings has only about one-third of its graduates finding a high level of meaning in their jobs.
That job meaning quotient is a measure of how many respondents said their occupations make the world a better place. PayScale looked at institutions that offer two-year, four-year and graduate degrees. We looked at the highest ranked four-year colleges offering bachelor's degrees among the more than 1,000 colleges and universities studied in the PayScale report and ranked them by mid-career pay. Data was collected from employees who completed PayScale's survey.
For those looking for bargains, it's worth noting that five of the colleges on this list are public institutions.
Check out the top 13 colleges whose grads earn the most:
13. (tie) Washington and Lee University
Early Career Median Pay: $54,700
Mid-Career Median Pay: $120,000
% High Job Meaning: 58%
13. (tie) U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
Early Career Median Pay: $78,500
Mid-Career Median Pay: $120,000
% High Job Meaning: 61%
13. (tie) Stevens Institute of Technology
Early Career Median Pay: $66,800
Mid-Career Median Pay: $120,000
% High Job Meaning: 47%
13. (tie) University of Pennsylvania
Early Career Median Pay: $60,300
Mid-Career Median Pay: $120,000
% High Job Meaning: 55%
University of Pennsylvania grads are high earners and the school is also home to the top-rated undergraduate Insurance & Risk Management program.
9. Babson College
Early Career Median Pay: $60,700
Mid-Career Median Pay: $121,000
% High Job Meaning: 30%
8. Princeton University
Early Career Median Pay: $61,300
Mid-Career Median Pay: $122,000
% High Job Meaning: 58%
7. Stanford University
Early Career Median Pay: $65,900
Mid-Career Median Pay: $123,000
% High Job Meaning: 62%
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Early Career Median Pay: $74,900
Mid-Career Median Pay: $124,000
% High Job Meaning: 55%
5. California Institute of Technology
Early Career Median Pay: $72,600
Mid-Career Median Pay: $125,000
% High Job Meaning: 66%
4. (tie) U.S. Naval Academy
Early Career Median Pay: $78,200
Mid-Career Median Pay: $126,000
% High Job Meaning: 55%
4. (tie) Harvard University
Early Career Median Pay: $61,400
Mid-Career Median Pay: $126,000
% High Job Meaning: 65%
2. Harvey Mudd College
Early Career Median Pay: $78,200
Mid-Career Median Pay: $133,000
% High Job Meaning: 63%
1. State University of New York – Maritime College
Early Career Median Pay: $65,200
Mid-Career Median Pay: $134,000
% High Job Meaning: 65%
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