The Best 4-Year College In Every State

Fun Fact: There are over two thousand four-year colleges and universities in the United States. To suggest that a prospective college student has a lot of options when it comes to picking the college of his or her dreams is a massive understatement, which is why if you are said prospective student, doing plenty of research on the best four-year colleges is crucially important. The institution where you decide to attend college will not only be the place you’re going to live for the next four years, but also the place where you’re going to spend a lot of money over the next four years. With that in mind, it makes sense to attend a school that will set you up for financial success.

In PayScale’s latest 2017 College Salary Report, we’ve calculated the best four-year college — ranked by the median mid-career salary of their graduates — in every state so you can take the guesswork out of your college search.

Alabama

Best 4 Year College: Auburn University
Mid-Career Salary: $99,500
City: Auburn

Alaska

Best 4 Year College: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Mid-Career Salary: $97,000
City: Fairbanks

Arizona

Best 4 Year College: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Mid-Career Salary: $113,200
City: Prescott

Arkansas

Best 4 Year College: Hendrix College
Mid-Career Salary: $94,000
City: Conway

California

Best 4 Year College: Harvey Mudd College
Mid-Career Salary: $155,800
City: Claremont

Colorado

Best 4 Year College: United States Air Force Academy
Mid-Career Salary: $138,300
City: USAF Academy

Connecticut

Best 4 Year College: Yale University
Mid-Career Salary: $132,100
City: New Haven

Delaware

Best 4 Year College: University of Delaware
Mid-Career Salary: $102,700
City: Newark

Florida

Best 4 Year College: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Mid-Career Salary: $101,100
City: Daytona Beach

Georgia

Best 4 Year College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Mid-Career Salary: $128,700
City: Atlanta

Hawaii

Best 4 Year College: Hawaii Pacific University
Mid-Career Salary: $88,800
City: Honolulu

Idaho

Best 4 Year College: University of Idaho
Mid-Career Salary: $91,700
City: Moscow

Illinois

Best 4 Year College: University of Chicago
Mid-Career Salary: $117,000
City: Chicago

Indiana

Best 4 Year College: University of Notre Dame
Mid-Career Salary: $127,099
City: Notre Dame

Iowa

Best 4 Year College: Drake University
Mid-Career Salary: $97,800
City: Des Moines

Kansas

Best 4 Year College: University of Kansas
Mid-Career Salary: $95,200
City: Lawrence

Kentucky

Best 4 Year College: University of Kentucky
Mid-Career Salary: $91,700
City: Lexington

Louisiana

Best 4 Year College: Tulane University
Mid-Career Salary: $108,700
City: New Orleans

Maine

Best 4 Year College: Bates College
Mid-Career Salary: $125,000
City: Lewiston

Maryland

Best 4 Year College: United States Naval Academy
Mid-Career Salary: $143,800
City: Annapolis

Massachusetts

Best 4 Year College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mid-Career Salary: $147,000
City: Cambridge

Michigan

Best 4 Year College: Kettering University
Mid-Career Salary: $117,000
City: Flint

Minnesota

Best 4 Year College: Carleton College
Mid-Career Salary: $113,800
City: Northfield

Mississippi

Best 4 Year College: Mississippi State University
Mid-Career Salary: $98,100
City: Starkville

Missouri

Best 4 Year College: Washington University in St. Louis
Mid-Career Salary: $113,400
City: St. Louis

Montana

Best 4 Year College: Montana Tech of the University of Montana
Mid-Career Salary: $102,600
City: Butte

Nebraska

Best 4 Year College: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Mid-Career Salary: $91,500
City: Lincoln

Nevada

Best 4 Year College: University of Nevada – Reno
Mid-Career Salary: $90,700
City: Reno

New Hampshire

Best 4 Year College: Dartmouth College
Mid-Career Salary: $140,300
City: Hanover

New Jersey

Best 4 Year College: Princeton University
Mid-Career Salary: $147,800
City: Princeton

New Mexico

Best 4 Year College: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Mid-Career Salary: $116,200
City: Socorro

New York

Best 4 Year College: SUNY Maritime College
Mid-Career Salary:
City: Bronx

North Carolina

Best 4 Year College: Duke University
Mid-Career Salary: $134,400
City: Durham

North Dakota

Best 4 Year College: North Dakota State University
Mid-Career Salary: $93,100
City: Fargo

Ohio

Best 4 Year College: Case Western Reserve University
Mid-Career Salary: $111,100
City: Cleveland

Oklahoma

Best 4 Year College: University of Tulsa
Mid-Career Salary: $99,700
City: Tulsa

Oregon

Best 4 Year College: Reed College
Mid-Career Salary: $103,900
City: Portland

Pennsylvania

Best 4 Year College: University of Pennsylvania
Mid-Career Salary: $134,800
City: Philadelphia

Rhode Island

Best 4 Year College: Brown University
Mid-Career Salary: $132,000
City: Providence

South Carolina

Best 4 Year College: Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Mid-Career Salary: $108,200
City: Charleston

South Dakota

Best 4 Year College: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Mid-Career Salary: $109,900
City: Rapid City

Tennessee

Best 4 Year College: Vanderbilt University
Mid-Career Salary: $116,000
City: Nashville

Texas

Best 4 Year College: Rice University
Mid-Career Salary: $130,200
City: Houston

Utah

Best 4 Year College: Brigham Young University
Mid-Career Salary: $106,600
City: Provo

Vermont

Best 4 Year College: Middlebury College
Mid-Career Salary: $113,200
City: Middlebury

Virginia

Best 4 Year College: Washington and Lee University
Mid-Career Salary: $131,700
City: Lexington

Washington

Best 4 Year College: University of Washington
Mid-Career Salary: $108,800
City: Seattle

West Virginia

Best 4 Year College: West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Mid-Career Salary: $100,600
City: Beckley

Wisconsin

Best 4 Year College: Milwaukee School of Engineering
Mid-Career Salary: $106,900
City: Milwaukee

Wyoming

Best 4 Year College: University of Wyoming
Mid-Career Salary: $92,000
City: Laramie

Tell Us What You Think!

Is your alma mater included in our list? We want to hear from you! Comment below or join the discussion on Twitter!