The 2018 College Salary Report Is Here

With the cost of college higher than it’s ever been, it’s crucial to understand the monetary value of a degree. If you’ve ever wondered which colleges have the highest and quickest pay-off, our College Salary Report — just released today! — is a great place to start.

If you’re college-bound, use PayScale’s College Salary Report to research potential colleges by salary earnings. If you’re an alumni, check out how others from your school are faring after graduation to determine if you could be earning more than your peers. In this year’s college rankings, we discovered a few key trends that are worth noting.

Nursing and Healthcare Careers Shine at Community Colleges

Community colleges are a great and affordable option for anyone looking to make a big impact with the least amount of student debt. In this year’s rankings, we found that community colleges with a focus in healthcare or nursing dominated our list of schools with the most financially rewarding associate degrees. A few of the 2-year schools that earned top spots include:

• Helene Fuld College of Nursing, Mid-Career Salary: $90,500 per year
• Pacific Union College, Mid-Career Salary: $89,800 per year
• Cochran School of Nursing, Mid-Career Salary: $84,800 per year

Tech Schools Create the Highest-Earning Alumni

Even with high costs, four-year universities continue to be a common choice for college-bound students. What has changed in recent years is the popularity of technology-focused schools, which have began to dominate our college rankings. Students who attend technology schools major in concentrations like computer programming, robotics and engineering to name a few. This year, plenty of tech schools took the top spot on our bachelor’s degree list, including:

• Harvey Mudd College, Mid-Career Salary: $157,400 per year
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mid-Career Salary: $150,400 per year
• California Institute of Technology, Mid-Career Salary: $143,100

Tell Us What You Think!

Did you attend one of these top colleges? We want to hear from you! Comment below or join the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #CollegeSalaryReport.