10 years after entry
Colleges with the Highest Post-Graduation Earnings
Median income, federal IPEDS data, ten years after first enrollment.
Calculate your oddsWhich colleges have the highest post-graduation earnings?
By median earnings 10 years after entry (federal data tracked via tax records), Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates earn a median of $143,372. Earnings rankings reflect a mix of school quality, student selectivity, and major distribution. Engineering- and tech-heavy schools concentrate at the top.
Ranked by Median Earnings (10 years after entry)
| # | School | 10yr median | 6yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts | $143,372 | $131,633 |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, California | $138,687 | $115,107 |
| 3 | Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CA | $138,687 | $115,107 |
| 4 | California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California | $128,566 | $132,140 |
| 5 | California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA | $128,566 | $132,140 |
| 6 | Stanford UniversityStanford, California | $124,080 | $102,887 |
| 7 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania | $114,862 | $105,360 |
| 8 | University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania | $111,371 | $90,555 |
| 9 | Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey | $110,066 | $87,815 |
| 10 | Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania | $105,584 | $88,810 |
| 11 | Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA | $105,584 | $88,810 |
| 12 | Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California | $104,736 | $87,603 |
| 13 | Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA | $104,736 | $87,603 |
| 14 | Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York | $104,043 | $87,830 |
| 15 | Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, Massachusetts | $103,937 | $85,717 |
| 16 | Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA | $103,937 | $85,717 |
| 17 | Georgetown UniversityWashington, D.C. | $103,494 | $83,222 |
| 18 | American UniversityWashington, D.C. | $103,494 | $83,222 |
| 19 | Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, Georgia | $102,772 | $89,432 |
| 20 | Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA | $102,772 | $89,432 |
| 21 | Columbia UniversityNew York, New York | $102,491 | $88,535 |
| 22 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, Massachusetts | $101,817 | $99,572 |
| 23 | Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut | $100,533 | $81,765 |
| 24 | Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA | $100,423 | $84,905 |
| 25 | University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana | $99,980 | $86,210 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Last verified May 2026.
How earnings data is calculated
College Scorecard earnings come from federal tax records of students who received Title IV financial aid (about two-thirds of all undergraduates). It tracks earned income 6 and 10 years after a student first enrolled, regardless of whether they graduated. The data is the most reliable post-college earnings dataset available for U.S. universities, but has known caveats.
Why these rankings can mislead
The earnings ranking conflates three things: school quality, student selectivity, and major distribution. A school full of students who'd be high earners regardless (because of admit selection) will rank high even if the school added little. Engineering and tech-focused schools (MIT, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd) appear at the top largely because their students concentrate in computer science, electrical engineering, and finance, where starting salaries are highest.
For a more useful comparison, look at earnings by major within a school, not the school average. The Scorecard publishes this granular breakdown for most schools, and the ranking changes substantially when you control for major.
FAQ
Does college choice actually affect earnings?
Research is mixed. Studies controlling for student characteristics (Dale & Krueger; Chetty et al.) find that for most students, attending a more selective school adds modestly to earnings, and for some demographics has no effect at all. The school you attend matters less than your major, your grades, and your professional network. The Scorecard rankings reflect raw earnings, not value-added.
Why isn't Harvard #1?
Harvard's student body distributes across more majors than tech-focused schools, including humanities and social sciences with lower median earnings. Tech-heavy schools (MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon) typically rank above Harvard in raw earnings because of their major distribution, not because Harvard graduates earn less in comparable fields.
How is the median calculated?
The median is calculated across all students who received federal financial aid and were first enrolled at the school 10 years prior, including non-completers. Earnings are reported by IRS tax filings. Students who don't file (e.g., living abroad, not employed in the U.S.) aren't counted, which can skew downward at schools with high international or non-employment rates.