Colleges With Highest Salaries 10 Years Later
A local school beat out Penn on the U.S. Dept. of Education's new rankings.
Around this time of year, it seems like a new ranking of colleges is released every day. But a new one caught my eye. But first a recap of some of the studies we’ve seen recently:
- PayScale released its College Salary Report, showing which colleges lead to the highest mid-career salaries. (Penn led the way at $120,000 per year, followed by Swarthmore, Villanova and Drexel.)
- U.S. News & World Report published its national college rankings. (Penn, Drexel, Temple and Immaculata were the highest-rated in the region.)
- Money magazine published its report on which colleges are the best bet for the money. (Penn—shocker— was No. 1 in the Philly region, followed by Villanova, Swarthmore and La Salle.)
So when yet another college ranking came across my desk, I couldn’t help but feel a little worn down by the topic. Until I noticed that the College Scorecard came from the U.S. Department of Education in an effort to provide more detail regarding what kinds of salaries students can expect after graduation.
Below is a table with the top 15 Philadelphia-area colleges ranked by average salary 10 years after entering school. (The students surveyed received federal financial aid.)
| College | Salary After 10 Years | Average Annual Cost | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Sciences | $85,800 | $25,883 | 73% |
| University of Pennsylvania | $78,200 | $22,948 | 96% |
| Thomas Jefferson University | $78,000 | data not available | 72% |
| Villanova University | $73,700 | $33,371 | 89% |
| Drexel University | $61,100 | $33,742 | 67% |
| St. Joseph's University | $58,500 | $32,823 | 79% |
| Haverford College | $55,600 | $18,853 | 93% |
| Rutgers University-Camden | $54,800 | $14,324 | 60% |
| La Salle University | $53,200 | $23,787 | 65% |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | $52,000 | $23,673 | 64% |
| Widener University (Main Campus) | $51,700 | $27,387 | 56% |
| Ursinus College | $51,500 | $28,575 | 77% |
| Bryn Mawr College | $50,400 | $27,386 | 83% |
| Holy Family University | $49,900 | $15,323 | 58% |
| Swarthmore College | $49,400 | $24,166 | 93% |
Other big colleges to note:
- Philadelphia University: $48,700 after 10 years
- Temple University: $46,500
- West Chester University: $46,500
