Ranking

US Colleges with the Highest Graduate Earnings 2026

Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads this list with $143,372 in median earnings ten years after entry. Use the net-price column beside it to judge value, not earnings alone.

Ranked by median earnings ten years after enrolling — the schools where graduates make the most.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $6,128
Top earnings 10y: $143,372
Public / Private: 1 / 22

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A+

Cambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $143,372
Net price: $20,111
Earnings 10y: $143,372
Acceptance: 4.6%

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $138,687
Net price: $35,924
Earnings 10y: $138,687
Acceptance: 12.7%

University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis

Saint Louis, MO · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $137,047
Net price: $31,817
Earnings 10y: $137,047
Acceptance: 89.8%

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Albany, NY · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $131,426
Net price: $29,882
Earnings 10y: $131,426
Acceptance: 52.7%

Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

Needham, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $129,455
Net price: $25,171
Earnings 10y: $129,455
Acceptance: 25.2%

California Institute of Technology

A+

Pasadena, CA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $128,566
Net price: $16,075
Earnings 10y: $128,566
Acceptance: 2.6%

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Boston, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $125,557
Net price: $39,545
Earnings 10y: $125,557
Acceptance: 85.2%

Stanford University

A+

Stanford, CA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $124,080
Net price: $13,807
Earnings 10y: $124,080
Acceptance: 3.6%

Babson College

Wellesley, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $123,938
Net price: $40,514
Earnings 10y: $123,938
Acceptance: 17.1%

#10

Bentley University

Waltham, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $120,959
Net price: $37,930
Earnings 10y: $120,959
Acceptance: 45.1%

#11

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $114,862
Net price: $31,944
Earnings 10y: $114,862
Acceptance: 11.7%

#12

Gnomon

North Hollywood, CA · Private For-Profit

Earnings 10y: $114,785
Net price: $51,949
Earnings 10y: $114,785
Acceptance: 41.8%

#13

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $111,371
Net price: $28,699
Earnings 10y: $111,371
Acceptance: 5.4%

#14

Helene Fuld College of Nursing

New York, NY · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $111,027
Net price: $47,181
Earnings 10y: $111,027
Acceptance: 17%

#15

Princeton University

A+

Princeton, NJ · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $110,066
Net price: $6,128
Earnings 10y: $110,066
Acceptance: 4.6%

#16

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $109,183
Net price: $50,062
Earnings 10y: $109,183
Acceptance: 48%

#17

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $108,772
Net price: $41,346
Earnings 10y: $108,772
Acceptance: 47.6%

#18

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $105,584
Net price: $36,931
Earnings 10y: $105,584
Acceptance: 25.9%

#19

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $104,736
Net price: $28,849
Earnings 10y: $104,736
Acceptance: 9.6%

#20

St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens

Rego Park, NY · Private For-Profit

Earnings 10y: $104,403
Net price: $26,315
Earnings 10y: $104,403
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#21

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $104,043
Net price: $28,690
Earnings 10y: $104,043
Acceptance: 8.8%

#22

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $103,937
Net price: $41,704
Earnings 10y: $103,937
Acceptance: 16.4%

#23

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $103,494
Net price: $40,815
Earnings 10y: $103,494
Acceptance: 12.9%

#24

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA · Private Non-Profit

Earnings 10y: $103,470
Net price: $43,071
Earnings 10y: $103,470
Acceptance: 60.2%

#25

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

A+

Atlanta, GA · Public

Earnings 10y: $102,772
Net price: $12,116
Earnings 10y: $102,772
Acceptance: 14.1%

How we picked this list

This list starts with US colleges, removes schools without usable earnings data, then sorts by ten-year median earnings. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 11.61 (1 public, 22 private).

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA tops this ranking. Median earnings ten years on are $143,372.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by earnings 10y using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.