Best Research Universities by Salary Potential
Everyone wants to choose a degree that will afford them a successful career. Success means different things to different people, but a decent paycheck doesn’t hurt. Learn more about research universities with the highest-paid graduates.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name:_50px.png) Massachusetts Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$115,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$210,500 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:66% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Stanford University | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$108,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$199,000 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:48% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Harvard University | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$100,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$196,700 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Princeton University | School Type:Engineering, Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$99,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$193,200 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:53% |
| Rank:5 | School Name:_50px.png) California Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$116,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$190,200 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:98% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: University of Pennsylvania | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$96,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$188,200 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:27% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Yale University | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$96,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$188,000 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Dartmouth College | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$94,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$186,700 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:36% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: Lehigh University | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$91,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$181,000 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:43% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: Stevens Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$96,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$180,100 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:76% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Georgetown University | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$87,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$179,300 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:12 | School Name:_50px.png) Carnegie Mellon University | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$102,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$176,800 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:68% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:_50px.png) Worcester Polytechnic Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$94,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$176,100 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:84% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: University of California-Berkeley | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$93,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$175,300 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:44% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Duke University | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$94,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$174,600 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:16 | School Name:_50px.png) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$92,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$174,200 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:78% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | School Type:Engineering, Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$94,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$173,500 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:78% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Colorado School of Mines | School Type:Engineering, Research University, State School | Early Career Pay:$91,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$171,700 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:92% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: University of Notre Dame | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$88,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$171,300 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:32% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Brown University | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$90,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$171,100 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:43% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: Columbia University in the City of New York | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$95,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$171,000 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:30% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: Cornell University | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$93,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$169,700 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:44% |
| Rank:23 | School Name:_50px.png) University of California-San Diego | School Type:Engineering, Research University, State School | Early Career Pay:$85,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$164,900 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:51% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: Rice University | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$93,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$164,200 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:40% |
| Rank:25 | School Name: Tufts University | School Type:Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$86,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$163,600 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
