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    The Top College for Graduate Salaries in Every State | Invesloan.com

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    At some schools, investing in higher education pays off more than in others.

    Business Insider recently identified the 34 US colleges with the highest-paid graduates four years after completing their degrees across all US states, based on Department of Education data.

    To map earnings across state lines, we went a step further and used the same data to identify which colleges have the highest-earning graduates in every US state.

    The department’s College Scorecard outlines net college costs, student debt, completion rates, and earnings outcomes across US colleges and universities for the 13 million students receiving Title IV federal aid. (According to the department’s latest data, approximately 55% of undergraduate students in the 2019-2020 school year received some form of federal financial aid.)

    Using the College Scorecard’s median annual earnings data, which measures how much former federal-aid-receiving students earn four years after completing their degrees, we identified the colleges with the highest-earning graduates in each state.

    For this list, which features a range of schools from smaller specialized programs to large universities, we focused on public or private nonprofit four-year schools. We also included the location and the most popular majors at each school — as reported by Niche for each institution — which can often significantly affect graduates’ earnings.

    Like most college ranking methodologies, the list has caveats: The earnings data applies only to former federal-aid recipients, and specialized schools may be more likely to top some states because graduates in certain fields tend to earn more. Still, it helps map the big picture of college graduates’ earnings across the US.

    See which school had the top-earning federally aided graduates in your state.

    ALABAMA: University of Alabama in Huntsville


    Aerial perspective of the sleepy little big town city center of Huntsville Alabama deep south USA

    Huntsville, Alabama, is home to large aerospace and defense industries.

    ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Nursing, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and computer science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $81,000

    ALASKA: University of Alaska Anchorage


    Aerial View of the downtown Anchorage, Alaska Skyline during Summer

    The University of Alaska Anchorage has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Mechanic and repair technologies, nursing, psychology, business management, and administration

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $69,000

    ARIZONA: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott


    Prescott, Arizona, USA - December 20, 2023: Pedestrian Student Pathway at Famous Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Campus

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a small STEM university in Prescott, Arizona.

    AutumnSkyPhotography/Getty Images

    Top majors: Aeronautics, aviation technology, and aerospace engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $94,000

    ARKANSAS: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock


    Exterior view of the academic block at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) campus, where the College of Nursing is prominently housed. Little Rock, AR, USA on April 18, 2025

    The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    neiu20001/Getty Images

    Top majors: Medical laboratory technician, nursing, radiation therapy, and dental hygiene

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $77,000

    CALIFORNIA: California Institute of Technology in Pasadena


    Los Angeles, JUL 21: Exterior view of the Beckman Institute in Caltech on JUL 21, 2018 at Los Angeles, California

    Caltech has the highest-earning graduates in California.

    Kit Leong/Shutterstock

    Top majors: Computer science, mechanical engineering, and physics

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $153,000

    COLORADO: Colorado School of Mines in Golden


    Golden, Co, USA - July 12, 2013 Administration building on a college campus

    Popular majors at the Colorado School of Mines are heavily concentrated in engineering disciplines.

    Charles Knowles/Shutterstock

    Top majors: Mechanical engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $100,000

    CONNECTICUT: Yale University in New Haven


    Historical building and Yale university campus in downtown New Haven CT, USA

    Yale has some of the top-earning graduates in the US.

    f11photo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Economics, information science, liberal arts and humanities, history, political science and government, and cellular biology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $113,000

    DELAWARE: University of Delaware in Newark


    Newark, DE, USA September 21, DuPont Hall on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark houses the schools construction and civil engineering department

    The University of Delaware has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    Kirkikis/Getty Images

    Top majors: Finance, research and experimental psychology, marketing, and nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $78,000

    FLORIDA: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach


    Daytona Beach, FL, USA - April 07, 2012: Campus sign in foreground, with Lehman building in background, palm trees, bright sunny day, partial shot of building and sign, close shot on sign, no people

    The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University campus in Daytona Beach has the highest-earning graduates in Florida.

    Jerry Ballard/Getty Images

    Top majors: Aeronautics and aviation technology, aerospace engineering, and mechanical engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $94,000

    GEORGIA: Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta


    Atlanta, GA - September 12, 2025: Bobby Dodd Stadium is the football stadium located on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

    Georgia Tech has the highest-earning graduates in Georgia.

    CRobertson/Getty Images

    Top majors: Information science, mechanical engineering, business, and industrial engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $119,000

    HAWAII: University of Hawaii at Manoa


    Honolulu, Hawaii, USA - Nov 23, 2019: The entrance to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

    The University of Hawaii at Manoa has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    hapabapa/Getty Images

    Top majors: Psychology, marketing, nursing, finance, kinesiology, and exercise science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $62,000

    IDAHO: Boise State University in Boise


    Boise, Idaho, USA November 24, 2017: Unique blue football turf and Boise Idaho skyline

    Boise State University has the highest-earning graduates in Idaho.

    knowlesgallery/Getty Images

    Top majors: Business, liberal arts and humanities, nursing, communications, health professions, and psychology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $65,000

    ILLINOIS: University of Chicago


    Chicago, USA - September 1, 2022: Footpath on the University of Chicago campus, in front of Saieh Hall, home of its renowned economics department.

    The University of Chicago has the ninth-highest-earning graduates in the US.

    peterspiro/Getty Images

    Top majors: Economics, computer science, mathematics, and biology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $128,000

    INDIANA: University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame


    The University of Notre Dame Campus with Golden Dome, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and Washington Hall.

    The University of Notre Dame has the highest-earning graduates in Indiana.

    Aaron Yoder/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Finance, economics, political science and government, information science, mathematics, neuroscience, and neurobiology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $101,000

    IOWA: Allen College in Waterloo


    Waterloo is a City in Iowa on the Cedar River

    Allen College is a small nursing-focused college in Waterloo, Iowa.

    Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $74,000

    KANSAS: Baker University in Baldwin City


    Baldwin City, Kansas - April 13, 2025: Beautiful Historic Baker University Campus in Douglas County KS

    Baker University has the highest-earning graduates in Kansas.

    Matthew Fowler/Getty Images

    Top majors: Business and nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $70,000

    KENTUCKY: Thomas More University in Crestview Hills


    The John A. Roebling Bridge was built in 1866 to connect Covington, Kentucky to Cincinnati , Ohio. It spans the Ohio River.

    Thomas More University is about 10 miles south of Cincinnati across the Ohio River.

    aceshot/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Business, liberal arts and humanities, nursing, and psychology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $70,000

    LOUISIANA: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans


    High camera view of LSU health clinic.

    The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    Rebecka Johnson/Getty Images

    Top majors: Nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $81,000

    MAINE: Maine Maritime Academy in Castine


    Castine: beautiful houses in victorian style and boats at the pier in Castine, Maine, USA. In the 1630s the French built a fort here. In 1779 the British Royal Navy sent a detachment of troops here and overtook the harbor town.

    The Maine Maritime Academy (not pictured) is a small public college in Castine, Maine.

    travelview/Getty Images

    Top majors: Engineering, marine science, engineering technician, and international business

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $113,000

    MARYLAND: Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore


    Baltimore, Maryland - October 02, 2019: Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

    Johns Hopkins University has some of the highest-earning graduates in the US.

    Mindaugas Dulinskas/Getty Images

    Top majors: Information science, cellular biology, public health, neuroscience, and neurobiology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $117,000

    MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge


    Aerial view of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    MIT has the highest-earning graduates out of all schools in the US.

    Wangkun Jia/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Computer science, mathematics, and mechanical engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $162,000

    MICHIGAN: Kettering University in Flint


    FLINT, MICHIGAN-JUNE, 2015: Entrance to Kettering University, one of the USA's premier engineering schools.

    Kettering University is known for its STEM program and has the highest-earning graduates in Michigan.

    James R. Martin/Shutterstock

    Top majors: Mechanical engineering and computer science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $100,000

    MINNESOTA: University of St. Thomas in St. Paul


    St Paul, MN, USA - June 07, 2025: An aerial view of the illuminated skyscrapers in St. Paul city center, bathed in the warm hues of sunset

    The University of St. Thomas (not pictured) has the highest-earning graduates in Minnesota.

    GummyBone/Getty Images

    Top majors: Finance, marketing, and business

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $82,000

    MISSISSIPPI: Millsaps College in Jackson


    Jackson, MS - May 3, 2021: Millsaps College, a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Millaps was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

    Millsaps College is a small liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi.

    CRobertson/Getty Images

    Top majors: Business, biology, accounting, neuroscience, neurobiology, and psychology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $67,000

    MISSOURI: University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis


    St Louis and the Mississippi River

    The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (not pictured) has the highest-earning graduates in Missouri.

    Perry Spring/Getty Images

    Top majors: Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $132,000

    MONTANA: University of Providence in Great Falls


    City lights of Great Falls, Montana over the Missouri River.

    The University of Providence (not pictured) has the highest-earning graduates in Montana.

    shanecotee/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Nursing and medical assistant

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $89,000

    NEBRASKA: University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha


    University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE, USA, May 6, 2023. The University of Nebraska Medical Center is a public academic health science center.

    The University of Nebraska Medical Center has the highest-earning graduates in Nebraska.

    JHVEPhoto/Getty Images

    Top majors: Nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $86,000

    NEVADA: Touro University Nevada in Henderson


    Aerial view of Southeastern Henderson Nevada, I 505 lies at the base of the hill

    Touro University Nevada (not pictured) in Henderson has the highest-earning graduates in Nevada.

    Derek_Neumann/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $122,000

    NEW HAMPSHIRE: Dartmouth College in Hanover


    Hanover, NH, USA August 1, 2025: Baker-Berry Library a landmark on the campus of Dartmouth College

    Dartmouth College has some of the highest-earning graduates in the US.

    arlutz73/Getty Images

    Top majors: Economics, political science and government, computer science, engineering, and environmental science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $112,000

    NEW JERSEY: Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken


    Hoboken NJ USA Oct 25 2025: Standing at the Hudson River end of Pier A in Hoboken and looking north, the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology can be seen on the bluff overlooking the river. Two new student residential towers (2022) are at the center, and the administration building (1961) is to the right of them.

    The Stevens Institute of Technology has some of the highest-earning graduates in the US.

    Steve Rosenbach/Getty Images

    Top majors: Computer science and mechanical engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $113,000

    NEW MEXICO: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro


    Many of the 27 radio telescopes arranged in close formation on railroad tracks on the Plains of San Augustin, near Socorro, New Mexico

    The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (not pictured) is located in Socorro, New Mexico.

    ejwhite/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $85,000

    NEW YORK: Columbia University in the City of New York


    Students on the Columbia University campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York

    Columbia has some of the highest-earning graduates in the US.

    hapabapa/Getty Images

    Top majors: Computer science, economics, political science and government, research and experimental psychology, and history

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $116,000

    NORTH CAROLINA: Duke University in Durham


    Durham, NC, USA - AUGUST 8: Duke University Chapel on August 8, 2019 at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

    Duke has some of the highest-earning graduates in the nation.

    BSPollard/Getty Images

    Top majors: Computer science, liberal arts and humanities, nursing, biology, economics, and public policy analysis

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $116,000

    NORTH DAKOTA: University of North Dakota in Grand Forks


    Aerial View of a large Public University in Grand Forks, North Dakota

    The University of North Dakota has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Aeronautics and aviation technology, psychology, medical laboratory technician, and nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $70,000

    OHIO: Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland


    Cleveland, Ohio, United States - 09/08/2017 Case Western Reserve University is a private research university. Founded in 1967 through the federation of two longstanding contiguous institutions

    Case Western Reserve University has the highest-earning graduates in Ohio.

    kim willems/Getty Images

    Top majors: Biology, computer science, bioengineering and biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and psychology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $94,000

    OKLAHOMA: University of Tulsa in Tulsa


    Aerial view of the University of Tulsa with the Tulsa Skyline in the background and beautiful blue skies

    Graduates from the University of Tulsa earn a median income of $79,000 four years after graduation.

    Wirestock/Getty Images

    Top majors: Behavioral sciences, biology, mechanical engineering, kinesiology and exercise science, computer science, and nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $79,000

    OREGON: Oregon Health & Science University in Portland


    Portland, OR, USA - Dec 28, 2021: A Portland Aerial Tram car leaves the Lower Terminal at the OHSU South Waterfront campus in southwest Portland, Oregon, on a cold winter day after snowfall.

    Oregon Health & Science University has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    hapabapa/Getty Images

    Top majors: Nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $110,000

    PENNSYLVANIA: Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh


    Carnegie Mellon University

    Carnegie Mellon has the seventh-highest-earning graduates in the US.

    Althom/Getty Images

    Top majors: Computer science, electrical engineering, business, statistics, systems science and theory, and mechanical engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $133,000

    RHODE ISLAND: Brown University in Providence


    Brown University

    Brown graduates earn a median income of $95,000 four years after graduation.

    Wolterk/Getty Images

    Top majors: Computer science, economics, computational and applied mathematics, international relations, and biology

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $95,000

    SOUTH CAROLINA: Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston


    Charleston, SC, USA- February 28, 2020: Entrance to MUSC Clinical Science Building at MUSC in Charleston, SC.

    The Medical University of South Carolina is a nursing-focused school.

    JHVEPhoto/Getty Images

    Top majors: Nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $90,000

    SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City


    Aerial view of Rapid City, South Dakota. Rapid City is the county seat of Pennington County in South Dakota and the second most populous city in the state.

    The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (not pictured) has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

    Top majors: Engineering and information science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $88,000

    TENNESSEE: Vanderbilt University in Nashville


    Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt graduates earn a median income of $101,000 four years after graduation.

    SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Social science research methods, liberal arts and humanities, economics, computer science, mathematics, and political science and government

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $101,000

    TEXAS: University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth


    FORT WORTH, USA - APR 6, 2016: The University of North Texas Health Science Center in the city of Fort Worth

    The University of North Texas Health Science Center has some of the highest-earning graduates in the US.

    Philip Lange/Shutterstock

    Top majors: Health administration, medical and biomedical sciences, osteopathic medicine, and public health

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $119,000

    UTAH: Western Governors University in Salt Lake City


    Western Governors University

    Western Governors University is an online university in Salt Lake City.

    JHVEPhoto/Getty Images

    Top majors: Nursing, education, business, computer and information systems security, accounting, and computer science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $87,000

    VERMONT: Norwich University in Northfield


    Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont is America's oldest private military college.

    Norwich University has the highest-earning graduates in Vermont.

    ErikaMitchell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Intelligence, criminal justice and law enforcement administration, nursing, business, computer and information systems security, and international relations

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $76,000

    VIRGINIA: Washington and Lee University in Lexington


    Washington and Lee University

    Washington and Lee University has the highest-earning graduates in Virginia.

    Zach Zimet/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Top majors: Business, political science and government, accounting, research and experimental psychology, economics, and history

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $101,000

    WASHINGTON: City University of Seattle


    seattle skyline

    Graduates from the City University of Seattle have a median income of $84,000 four years after graduation.

    Jeffrey K Collins/Getty Images

    Top majors: Business, information science, security science and technology, and liberal arts and humanities

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $84,000

    WEST VIRGINIA: University of Charleston


    University of Charleston

    The University of Charleston has the highest-earning graduates in West Virginia.

    BSPollard/Getty Images

    Top majors: Business and nursing

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $69,000

    WISCONSIN: Milwaukee School of Engineering in Milwaukee


    Milwaukee School of Engineering

    The Milwaukee School of Engineering has the highest-earning graduates in Wisconsin.

    JHVEPhoto/Getty Images

    Top majors: Mechanical engineering, nursing, electrical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, bioengineering, and biomedical engineering

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $91,000

    WYOMING: University of Wyoming in Laramie


    Laramie, Wyoming, USA - August 28, 2018: College of Arts and Science Building located on the campus of the University of Wyoming.

    The University of Wyoming has the highest-earning graduates in the state.

    JillianCain/Getty Images

    Top majors: Psychology, nursing, criminal justice and safety studies, elementary education, marketing, and kinesiology and exercise science

    Median earnings four years after graduation: $62,000

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