For those looking to graduate college and find a high paying field, engineering is likely the career path, but no engineering school has higher-paid alumni than Claremont, Calif.'s Harvey Mudd College, according to new data from PayScale.
According to the data, a career in petroleum engineering will have a potential starting salary of $103,000 and a potential mid-career salary of $160,000. Three engineering schools occupied the top five schools with the highest-paid alumni, with Harvey Mudd College topping California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Steven's Institute of Technology.
| Methodology Annual pay for bachelor’s graduates without higher degrees. Typical starting graduates have two years of experience; mid-career graduates have 15 years. See full methodology. |
About 58 percent of Harvey Mudd graduates leave the school and find a high job meaning with an average starting salary of $73,300.
Two military schools appeared in the top with the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis ranking second, despite having a higher average starting salary. The Naval Academy, graduates started with an average salary of $77,100, but their average mid-career salary was about $10,000 lower Harvey Mudd's.
Also in the top 10 was United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, with an average starting salary of $74,000 and average mid-career salary of $120,000.
Stanford, Brown and Harvard Universities all tied for eight to round out the top ten, with their average mid-career salaries all being $119,000.
1. Harvey Mudd College - Engineering/Liberal Arts
Avg. Starting Salary: $73,300
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $143,000
2. U.S. Naval Academy - Military/Liberal Arts
Avg. Starting Salary: $77,100
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $131,000
3. Steven's Institute of Technology - Engineering/Research
Avg. Starting Salary: $64,900
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $124,000
3. California Institute of Technology - Engineering/Research
Avg. Starting Salary: $68,400
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $124,000
5. Babson College - Business
Avg. Starting Salary: $59,000
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $123,000
6. Princeton University - Research/Ivy League
Avg. Starting Salary: $56,100
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $121,000
7. U.S. Military Academy at West Point - Military/Liberal Arts
Avg. Starting Salary: $74,000
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $120,000
8. Brown University - Research/Ivy League
Avg. Starting Salary: $52,300
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $119,000
8. Harvard University - Research/Ivy League
Avg. Starting Salary: $55,300
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $119,000
8. Stanford University - Research
Avg. Starting Salary: $61,300
Avg. Mid-Career Salary: $119,000
