Best Private Universities by Salary Potential
Want the intimate experience of a private college along with a high-paying career? Check out private colleges with highest-paid alumni.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Princeton University | School Type:Engineering, Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$93,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$189,400 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:51% |
| Rank:1 | School Name:_50px.png) Massachusetts Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$106,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$189,400 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:66% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Harvey Mudd College | School Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$110,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$179,600 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:79% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Stanford University | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$98,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$177,500 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:52% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: Babson College | School Type:Business, Private School | Early Career Pay:$88,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$175,200 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: Colgate University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Party School, Private School, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$84,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$173,800 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:26% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Dartmouth College | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$89,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$173,300 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:35% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Santa Clara University | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$87,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$173,100 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: University of Pennsylvania | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$89,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$171,800 | % High Meaning:37% | % STEM Degrees:25% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: Harvard University | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$91,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$171,400 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Williams College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$81,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$169,200 | % High Meaning:38% | % STEM Degrees:36% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: Stevens Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$90,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$168,700 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:71% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:_50px.png) California Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$105,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$168,600 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:98% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Yale University | School Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$89,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$168,300 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:27% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Lehigh University | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$85,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$168,200 | % High Meaning:41% | % STEM Degrees:45% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Claremont McKenna College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$86,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$167,000 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: Georgetown University | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$81,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$163,400 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Washington and Lee University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$77,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$162,500 | % High Meaning:40% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:_50px.png) Carnegie Mellon University | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$96,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$162,100 | % High Meaning:41% | % STEM Degrees:68% |
| Rank:20 | School Name:_50px.png) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$90,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$161,500 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:99% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:_50px.png) Worcester Polytechnic Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$89,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$161,000 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:86% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: Webb Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$94,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$160,900 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:100% |
| Rank:23 | School Name: University of Notre Dame | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$83,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$160,200 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:30% |
| Rank:24 | School Name:_50px.png) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$86,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$159,100 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:79% |
| Rank:25 | School Name: Lafayette College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$82,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$158,700 | % High Meaning:39% | % STEM Degrees:50% |
Private colleges may have a higher price tag than government-funded public schools, but if you are willing to pay their hefty tuition, or if you can work out a financial aid package that makes a private school an affordable option, they can be a very smart choice. If you are considering a private school for your bachelor’s degree, Payscale’s College Salary Report ranks the best private colleges by alumni salaries. If you are go to a college that has a history of helping alumni settle into high-paying careers and planning on picking a major with high earning potential, a private school education can be a great investment.
Some of the most famous private schools in the country are the Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton and Yale, so it’s no surprise that they do so well in the Payscale College Salary Report. But it’s interesting to wonder why the Ivies, as well as other famous private schools like Stanford, Babson, Washington and Lee, Carnegie Mellon and Tufts, do so well despite not focusing on STEM subjects exclusively. We speculate that because private schools are generally smaller and have strong alumni networks, they give college students stronger networking opportunities that help them start their careers off strong.