The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has the highest graduate earnings of any US four-year college: its former students earn a median $143,372 a year 10 years after they started, according to DataPorium's college data, which come from the federal College Scorecard release of June 10, 2026 [1][2][5]. Samuel Merritt University ($143,238) and Harvey Mudd College ($138,687) follow [1]. The median US college reports $40,813, so MIT's figure is 3.5 times higher [2]. Among public universities, Georgia Tech leads at $102,772 with an average net price of $12,116 a year [4].
Which colleges have the highest graduate earnings?
The table ranks four-year colleges that mainly award bachelor's degrees and have at least 500 undergraduates by median earnings 10 years after entry. It adds the average yearly net price, the median federal loan debt of students who completed, and the completion rate [1].
| Rank | College | State | Earnings 10 years after entry | Net price per year | Median debt | Completion rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | $143,372 | $20,111 | $14,768 | 96.4% |
| 2 | Samuel Merritt University | California | $143,238 | n/a | $20,825 | n/a |
| 3 | Harvey Mudd College | California | $138,687 | $35,924 | $25,000 | 91.9% |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology | California | $128,566 | $16,075 | n/a | 94.4% |
| 5 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Massachusetts | $125,557 | $39,545 | $25,000 | 62.0% |
| 6 | Stanford University | California | $124,080 | $13,807 | $12,000 | 91.9% |
| 7 | Babson College | Massachusetts | $123,938 | $40,514 | $20,000 | 93.1% |
| 8 | Bentley University | Massachusetts | $120,959 | $37,930 | $25,023 | 86.8% |
| 9 | Roseman University of Health Sciences | Nevada | $120,163 | n/a | $25,000 | n/a |
| 10 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pennsylvania | $114,862 | $31,944 | $21,750 | 94.1% |
| 11 | University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | $111,371 | $28,699 | $15,715 | 96.5% |
| 12 | Princeton University | New Jersey | $110,066 | $6,128 | $10,320 | 97.6% |
| 13 | Santa Clara University | California | $109,183 | $50,062 | $19,162 | 87.9% |
| 14 | Stevens Institute of Technology | New Jersey | $108,772 | $41,346 | $27,000 | 86.9% |
| 15 | Lehigh University | Pennsylvania | $105,584 | $36,931 | $21,960 | 87.9% |
| 16 | Claremont McKenna College | California | $104,736 | $28,849 | $13,500 | 91.4% |
| 17 | Cornell University | New York | $104,043 | $28,690 | $14,000 | 95.4% |
| 18 | Boston College | Massachusetts | $103,937 | $41,704 | $19,000 | 90.8% |
| 19 | Georgetown University | District of Columbia | $103,494 | $40,815 | $15,500 | 94.8% |
| 20 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Massachusetts | $103,470 | $43,071 | $27,000 | 89.7% |
| 21 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia | $102,772 | $12,116 | $21,672 | 94.0% |
| 22 | West Coast University-Texas | Texas | $102,672 | $53,020 | $32,946 | 31.3% |
| 23 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | California | $102,672 | $32,879 | $32,946 | 60.0% |
| 24 | West Coast University-Ontario | California | $102,672 | $49,590 | $32,946 | 38.9% |
| 25 | West Coast University-Miami | Florida | $102,672 | $32,539 | $32,946 | 33.3% |
Source: DataPorium Education, College Scorecard data released June 10, 2026; net price for the 2024-25 school year [1][5]. "n/a" means the measure is not reported or is withheld for privacy.
Twenty of the 25 colleges are private nonprofits, four are campuses of the for-profit West Coast University, and one, Georgia Tech, is public [1]. California has eight colleges on the list and Massachusetts six [1]. The four West Coast University campuses show identical earnings, debt and repayment figures in the data, so they share ranks 22 to 25 on the same numbers [1].
How were the colleges ranked?
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which DataPorium loads for every college operating now; the newest release is dated June 10, 2026 [5]. The measures:
- Earnings 10 years after entry: the median yearly earnings of former students who work and are not enrolled in school, measured 10 years after they started at the college. The figure includes students who did not finish [1].
- Net price: the average yearly cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students who receive aid, for the 2024-25 school year [1][2].
- Median debt: the median federal student loan debt of students who completed [1].
- Completion rate: the share of first-time, full-time students who finished within 150% of the normal time, six years for a four-year degree [1].
Selection rules: four-year colleges whose most common award is the bachelor's degree, with at least 500 undergraduates, ranked by earnings 10 years after entry. Colleges that mainly award associate degrees or certificates are left out. Earnings are medians, so half of the former students earn more and half less, and they reflect the fields students chose: colleges focused on engineering, business or health care rank high.
Which high-earning colleges cost the least?
A "best value" ranking here has one transparent rule: the highest earnings 10 years after entry among the same colleges with an average net price of $20,000 a year or less. The last column divides earnings by the yearly net price, a simple ratio of one year of pay to one year of cost [1].
| Rank | College | Earnings 10 years after entry | Net price per year | Earnings per $1 of net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Institute of Technology | $128,566 | $16,075 | $8.0 |
| 2 | Stanford University | $124,080 | $13,807 | $9.0 |
| 3 | Princeton University | $110,066 | $6,128 | $18.0 |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology | $102,772 | $12,116 | $8.5 |
| 5 | Harvard University | $101,817 | $19,066 | $5.3 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | $92,446 | $13,481 | $6.9 |
| 7 | University of Chicago | $91,885 | $14,860 | $6.2 |
| 8 | Vanderbilt University | $91,565 | $15,846 | $5.8 |
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $90,768 | $16,665 | $5.4 |
| 10 | United States Merchant Marine Academy | $90,610 | $6,174 | $14.7 |
Source: DataPorium Education, College Scorecard data released June 10, 2026 [1]. 720 colleges meet the net price rule.
Princeton has the highest ratio in the group: an average net price of $6,128 against earnings of $110,066, or $18.0 of yearly earnings per dollar of yearly net price [3]. MIT misses the $20,000 cutoff by $111, with a net price of $20,111 [2]. Net price is an average across aided students of all family incomes; at MIT it ranges from below zero for families earning under $30,000 to $48,479 for families earning over $110,000 [2].
Which public universities have the highest graduate earnings?
Public colleges are ranked by the same rule, four-year colleges that mainly award bachelor's degrees with at least 500 undergraduates [1].
| Rank | Public college | State | Earnings 10 years after entry | Net price per year | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia | $102,772 | $12,116 | $21,672 |
| 2 | Oregon Health & Science University | Oregon | $101,028 | n/a | $16,625 |
| 3 | Colorado School of Mines | Colorado | $97,335 | $28,690 | $23,000 |
| 4 | SUNY Maritime College | New York | $95,951 | $22,367 | $23,250 |
| 5 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy | California | $94,784 | $20,555 | $24,965 |
| 6 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | Texas | $92,961 | n/a | $13,396 |
| 7 | University of California-Berkeley | California | $92,446 | $13,481 | $13,000 |
| 8 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Texas | $92,348 | n/a | $12,268 |
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | California | $90,768 | $16,665 | $18,500 |
| 10 | United States Merchant Marine Academy | New York | $90,610 | $6,174 | $8,833 |
Source: DataPorium Education, College Scorecard data released June 10, 2026 [1].
The public list is dominated by engineering, maritime and health science schools. Three maritime academies (SUNY Maritime, Cal Poly Maritime and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) and three health science centers in Oregon and Texas make the top 10 [1]. Berkeley, with 33,068 undergraduates, is the largest college on the list, and its former students earn $92,446 with a median debt of $13,000 [6].
What stands out in the data?
Debt is small next to earnings at the top
At every college in the top 25 with both figures, median debt is below a third of earnings 10 years after entry [1]. Princeton has the lowest ratio, with median debt of $10,320, or 9% of earnings; the West Coast University campuses have the highest, at $32,946, or 32% [1][3].
Completion rates vary widely
Princeton (97.6%), the University of Pennsylvania (96.5%) and MIT (96.4%) graduate almost all of their first-time, full-time students on time, while three West Coast University campuses report completion rates between 31.3% and 38.9% [1][2][3]. A high earnings figure does not mean most entrants finish.
Earnings rise between year 6 and year 10
MIT's former students earn a median $131,633 six years after entry and $143,372 after 10 [2]. Georgia Tech's rise from $89,432 to $102,772 over the same span, and Berkeley's from $74,919 to $92,446 [4][6].
MIT's former students earn a median $143,372 ten years after entry, the highest of any US four-year college in the June 2026 College Scorecard data.
Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest graduate earnings?
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where former students earn a median $143,372 a year 10 years after they started, in College Scorecard data released June 10, 2026 [2][5].
Which public university has the highest earnings after graduation?
Georgia Tech, at $102,772 ten years after entry, with an average net price of $12,116 a year [4]. Oregon Health & Science University ($101,028) is second [1].
What does earnings 10 years after entry mean?
It is the median yearly pay of former students who work and are not enrolled, 10 years after they first enrolled, including those who did not graduate [1].
What is the median earnings for all US colleges?
The median US college reports earnings of $40,813 ten years after entry, an average net price of $17,138 and median debt of $13,271 [2].
Sources & References
- [1] DataPorium Education (US colleges ranked by earnings, net price and debt)
- [2] DataPorium Massachusetts Institute of Technology (costs, earnings and programs)
- [3] DataPorium Princeton University (costs, earnings and programs)
- [4] DataPorium Georgia Institute of Technology (costs, earnings and programs)
- [5] U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard data (last updated June 10, 2026; accessed October 13, 2026)
- [6] DataPorium University of California-Berkeley (costs, earnings and programs)
