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Colleges Where Graduates Earn Over $100K Within 6 Years

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GradeToGrad Editorial Team

March 25, 2026

Caltech ($132K), MIT ($131K), Harvey Mudd ($115K) — the highest-earning colleges. Not all are expensive.

The Highest-Earning Colleges

Based on actual federal earnings data, not self-reported surveys.

Top 15 by Median Earnings (6 Years After Enrollment)

RankSchoolStateEarningsTuition
1Samuel Merritt UniversityCA$143,353N/A
2CaltechCA$132,140$63,255
3MITMA$131,633$60,156
4U of Health Sciences STLMO$116,360$31,920
5Harvey Mudd CollegeCA$115,107$66,255
6Albany College of PharmacyNY$112,685$40,375
7American U of Health SciencesCA$111,064$24,575
8SUNY Downstate HealthNY$110,661N/A
9LA County College of NursingCA$106,781N/A
10Olin College of EngineeringMA$105,483$64,458
11Carnegie MellonPA$105,360$63,829
12StanfordCA$102,887$62,484
13Helene Fuld College of NursingNY$101,039$24,648
14OHSUOR$99,818N/A
15HarvardMA$99,572$59,076

What the Data Reveals

Health sciences schools dominate. 5 of the top 15 are health-focused institutions.

You do not need Ivy League prices. U of Health Sciences STL ($31,920) and American U of Health Sciences ($24,575) make the list at half the cost.

Nursing schools appear twice. LA County Nursing and Helene Fuld both produce $100K+ earners.

Best Value on This List

SchoolEarningsTuitionGap
American U of Health Sciences$111,064$24,575+$86K
Helene Fuld Nursing$101,039$24,648+$76K
U of Health Sciences STL$116,360$31,920+$84K

The Pattern

High earnings at 6 years reflects the career you enter, not just the school name. Healthcare and STEM produce the highest early-career earnings. Access these through:

Next Steps

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