Students in search of the ideal college often consider a host of criteria: geographic location, average class size, academic reputation, school spirit, cost of tuition. What they often overlook is the data indicating the likelihood that they will earn a high salary soon after graduation and later on in their career.
“Payscale,” a salary comparison site, analyzed more than 2,000 institutions granting bachelor degrees and identified ten colleges that produced students with the highest salaries, both five and ten years into their careers.
The college that ranked number one is a small, liberal arts school in California with a total enrollment of 844 students, shattering the myth that liberal arts graduates can’t earn big money. Graduates of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont report an early career salary of $85,600 and a mid-career salary of $157,400.
Two “tech” schools also earned impressive rankings. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) came in second, with students earning $83,600 early on and $150,400 at mid-career. California Institute of Technology tied for fourth place (with Stanford University), reporting salaries at $83,400 early on and $143,100 at mid-career.
Two military academies ranked in the top ten, with the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 3rd place and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 8th place. Their graduates reported early and mid-career salaries, respectively, of $78,600 and $149,000, and $79,300 and $141,900.
Other schools that rounded out the top ten list are Harvard University and Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (tied for 6th place), Princeton University in 9th place, and SUNY Maritime College in 10th place.
Ranking colleges by the income of graduates produces a very different list than that generated by “U.S News and World Report” where many criteria are taken into account, including student retention rate, faculty salaries and degrees, academic reputation, financial resources, admissions selectivity, and alumni giving.
The “Best National Universities” list by U.S. News would also include Princeton, Harvard, M.I.T. and Stanford in its top ten list. But its list would be rounded out with Columbia University, University of Chicago, Yale University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University tied for tenth place.
When choosing a college based on rankings, students should seriously consider the criteria that are determining the numbers!
Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.
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