Highest Median Earnings 2026

This page ranks colleges by reported median earnings, then adds cost and graduation context so the earnings view is not isolated.

Earnings FirstThe table starts with schools reporting higher median earnings.
Cost CheckHigh earnings should be compared with net price and debt.
Next StepOpen a college profile or use the comparison tools before making a budget decision.
Interactive Table

Search inside the table, click any column heading to sort, and open individual college profiles for more detail.

RankUniversityLocationTypeTotal CostNet PriceMedian EarningsGraduation RateValue Score
1Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MAPrivate Nonprofit$82,730$20,111$143,37296.4%
2Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CAPrivate Nonprofit$90,165$35,924$138,68791.9%
3University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. LouisSaint Louis, MOPrivate Nonprofit$54,802$31,817$137,04761.7%
4Albany College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesAlbany, NYPrivate Nonprofit$54,899$29,882$131,42667.5%
5Franklin W Olin College of EngineeringNeedham, MAPrivate Nonprofit$86,474$25,171$129,45596.4%
6California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CAPrivate Nonprofit$86,886$16,075$128,56694.4%
7Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesBoston, MAPrivate Nonprofit$65,022$39,545$125,55762%
8Stanford UniversityStanford, CAPrivate Nonprofit$87,833$13,807$124,08091.9%
9Babson CollegeWellesley, MAPrivate Nonprofit$80,192$40,514$123,93893.1%
10Bentley UniversityWaltham, MAPrivate Nonprofit$79,548$37,930$120,95986.8%
11Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PAPrivate Nonprofit$83,654$31,944$114,86294.1%
12GnomonNorth Hollywood, CAPrivate For Profit$54,947$51,949$114,785100%
13University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PAPrivate Nonprofit$89,028$28,699$111,37196.5%
14Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJPrivate Nonprofit$84,040$6,128$110,06697.6%
15Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CAPrivate Nonprofit$82,026$50,062$109,18387.9%
16Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJPrivate Nonprofit$79,790$41,346$108,77286.9%
17Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PAPrivate Nonprofit$80,856$36,931$105,58487.9%
18Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CAPrivate Nonprofit$86,500$28,849$104,73691.4%
19Cornell UniversityIthaca, NYPrivate Nonprofit$88,140$28,690$104,04395.4%
20Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MAPrivate Nonprofit$89,493$41,704$103,93790.8%
21Georgetown UniversityWashington, DCPrivate Nonprofit$88,741$40,815$103,49494.8%
22Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MAPrivate Nonprofit$78,679$43,071$103,47089.7%
23Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GAPublic$28,167$12,116$102,77294%
24West Coast University-TexasRichardson, TXPrivate For Profit$55,938$53,020$102,67231.3%
25Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NYPrivate Nonprofit$89,472$21,590$102,49196.1%
26Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NYPrivate Nonprofit$82,404$36,228$102,05183.6%
27Harvard UniversityCambridge, MAPrivate Nonprofit$85,540$19,066$101,81797.6%
28Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, INPrivate Nonprofit$77,890$42,513$101,25378.2%
29Yale UniversityNew Haven, CTPrivate Nonprofit$88,300$23,777$100,53395.7%
30Villanova UniversityVillanova, PAPrivate Nonprofit$84,793$43,756$100,42391.9%
31University of Notre DameNotre Dame, INPrivate Nonprofit$83,271$26,780$99,98095.2%
32Duke UniversityDurham, NCPrivate Nonprofit$87,072$29,612$97,80096.8%
33Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NHPrivate Nonprofit$87,793$29,519$97,43495.5%
34Colorado School of MinesGolden, COPublic$40,560$28,690$97,33581.7%
35SUNY Maritime CollegeThroggs Neck, NYPublic$29,786$22,367$95,95164.4%
36Kettering UniversityFlint, MIPrivate Nonprofit$61,250$34,660$94,82370.8%
37Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, VAPrivate Nonprofit$87,000$23,781$94,81093.9%
38Cal Poly Maritime AcademyVallejo, CAPublic$29,853$20,555$94,78459.7%
39Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PAPrivate Nonprofit$83,756$40,766$93,80786.3%
40Brown UniversityProvidence, RIPrivate Nonprofit$87,648$25,184$93,48795.7%
41Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaNew York, NYPrivate Nonprofit$85,945$43,195$92,75190.3%
42Northeastern UniversityBoston, MAPrivate Nonprofit$84,641$30,915$92,53890.5%
43University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CAPrivate Nonprofit$90,300$32,740$92,49891.8%
44University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CAPublic$45,619$13,481$92,44692.8%
45Chamberlain University-IllinoisAddison, ILPrivate For Profit$40,826$31,837$92,40541.7%
46University of ChicagoChicago, ILPrivate Nonprofit$90,360$14,860$91,88595.9%
47Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TNPrivate Nonprofit$89,590$15,846$91,56593.5%
48Lafayette CollegeEaston, PAPrivate Nonprofit$83,133$34,433$91,41087.6%
49George Washington UniversityWashington, DCPrivate Nonprofit$83,856$36,586$90,87384%
50Trinity CollegeHartford, CTPrivate Nonprofit$87,840$34,832$90,77983.8%
51California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CAPublic$32,265$16,665$90,76886.4%
52United States Merchant Marine AcademyKings Point, NYPublic$9,168$6,174$90,61082.4%
53College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MAPrivate Nonprofit$80,334$38,782$90,54387.3%
54Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RIPrivate Nonprofit$69,964$41,219$90,00879.8%
55Maine Maritime AcademyCastine, MEPublic$31,046$23,414$89,96458.2%
56University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CAPrivate Nonprofit$80,141$41,431$89,81270.1%
57Rice UniversityHouston, TXPrivate Nonprofit$79,788$13,370$89,71894.6%
58Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NYPrivate Nonprofit$79,022$30,305$89,69674.9%
59Northwestern UniversityEvanston, ILPrivate Nonprofit$91,250$29,167$89,36395.1%
60Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WIPrivate Nonprofit$62,648$22,453$89,07067.1%
61Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CTPrivate Nonprofit$76,074$48,095$88,79484.3%
62Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MAPrivate Nonprofit$84,860$17,716$88,66593.6%
63Union CollegeSchenectady, NYPrivate Nonprofit$84,561$34,561$88,60480.4%
64Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OHPrivate Nonprofit$85,851$41,190$87,98987.2%
65Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MDPrivate Nonprofit$85,947$18,809$87,55593.8%
66Providence CollegeProvidence, RIPrivate Nonprofit$80,466$48,523$87,05485.8%
67Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PAPrivate Nonprofit$67,954$29,689$86,88178.8%
68University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, VAPublic$39,926$21,565$86,86395.6%
69University of San DiegoSan Diego, CAPrivate Nonprofit$78,720$30,365$86,52283.7%
70Manhattan UniversityRiverdale, NYPrivate Nonprofit$64,348$27,256$86,31663.7%
71Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, MOPrivate Nonprofit$88,488$21,786$86,18294.3%
72Fordham UniversityBronx, NYPrivate Nonprofit$82,762$44,338$85,56981.9%
73Colgate UniversityHamilton, NYPrivate Nonprofit$87,070$28,786$85,13991.2%
74Capitol Technology UniversityLaurel, MDPrivate Nonprofit$42,471$22,102$85,03542.7%
75University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, CAPublic$38,701$12,470$84,94386.1%
76Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MAPrivate Nonprofit$86,290$25,496$84,80391.5%
77Dominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael, CAPrivate Nonprofit$71,751$35,333$84,71378.1%
78Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PAPrivate Nonprofit$76,835$38,509$84,64878.2%
79New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJPublic$32,859$16,504$84,27672.8%
80Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, FLPrivate Nonprofit$64,632$41,272$84,13166.6%
81The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, NYPrivate Nonprofit$64,190$13,269$83,84781.1%
82Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CTPrivate Nonprofit$72,215$40,675$83,75975.7%
83University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MIPublic$34,654$13,138$83,64893.2%
84Charles R Drew University of Medicine and ScienceLos Angeles, CAPrivate Nonprofit$39,834$35,558$83,43829.6%
85Boston UniversityBoston, MAPrivate Nonprofit$86,285$24,402$83,23888.7%
86Tufts UniversityMedford, MAPrivate Nonprofit$88,300$39,998$83,21493.5%
87Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MOPublic$29,231$16,298$82,95764.4%
88Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CAPrivate Nonprofit$93,512$58,098$82,93983.4%
89University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MDPublic$29,299$15,678$82,86088.6%
90University of PortlandPortland, ORPrivate Nonprofit$73,224$28,210$82,80479.8%
91Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, MEPrivate Nonprofit$85,100$14,398$82,73595.3%
92Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MAPrivate Nonprofit$61,096$34,170$82,72168.2%
93Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, MDPrivate Nonprofit$74,055$30,574$82,65279.2%
94Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, ILPrivate Nonprofit$68,164$18,425$82,59275.2%
95University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CAPublic$38,614$12,548$82,51192.6%
96New York UniversityNew York, NYPrivate Nonprofit$84,374$37,050$82,50987.6%
97Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MAPublic$31,367$21,582$82,39274.1%
98Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, VAPublic$36,951$24,953$81,69886.2%
99Davidson CollegeDavidson, NCPrivate Nonprofit$79,475$17,379$81,40091.1%
100University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, ILPublic$33,642$14,355$81,05485.1%

How to Use This Page

  • Use this page for outcome-focused research.
  • Sort by cost or value score to balance earnings with affordability.
  • Consider graduation rate before interpreting earnings.

Method Notes

Use the table as a starting point, then review each college profile for cost, net price, earnings, debt, graduation rate, and fit.

Figures are designed for comparison and may not match a student’s final bill. Residency, aid eligibility, housing, program fees, course load, and family income can change the real cost.