Which Ivy Colleges’ Former Students Earn the Highest Salaries? — And No, It Isn’t Harvard

Despite the prestige of names like Yale and Harvard (those two ranked No. 6 and No. 7, respectively) the survey found that a different Ivy education can help bring in the bucks.

By Madeline Garfinkle Apr 12, 2023
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While Ivy League institutions don’t guarantee a pathway to success, a degree from Harvard or Yale certainly doesn’t hurt when applying for jobs after graduation. But a new report found these higher-learning institutions may not exactly lead to higher salaries.

CNBC ranked Ivy League schools by the highest average salary of former federal aid students, 10 years after starting classes. The report includes data from students who attended the school, regardless of whether they graduated.

After analyzing the median salaries, CNBC found that the University of Pennsylvania ranked No. 1 for the highest average salary among former students at $103,246 — it’s also the only institution on the list with a median salary of six figures. Second was Princeton with an average median salary of $95,689, followed by Dartmouth ($91,627) and Cornell ($91,176).

Penn also has the most billionaire graduates of any college.

While Yale and Harvard may have some of the most widespread name recognition, they came in No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, with median salaries for Yale at $88,655 and $84,918 for Harvard.

Related: Here’s the No. 1 Dream College for High School Students Today (It Has a Giant Price Tag, But It’s Not in the Ivy League)

Here’s the Top 8:

1. University of Pennsylvania

2. Princeton University

3. Dartmouth College

4. Cornell University

5. Columbia University

6. Yale University

7. Harvard University

8. Brown

While Ivy League institutions don’t guarantee a pathway to success, a degree from Harvard or Yale certainly doesn’t hurt when applying for jobs after graduation. But a new report found these higher-learning institutions may not exactly lead to higher salaries.

CNBC ranked Ivy League schools by the highest average salary of former federal aid students, 10 years after starting classes. The report includes data from students who attended the school, regardless of whether they graduated.

After analyzing the median salaries, CNBC found that the University of Pennsylvania ranked No. 1 for the highest average salary among former students at $103,246 — it’s also the only institution on the list with a median salary of six figures. Second was Princeton with an average median salary of $95,689, followed by Dartmouth ($91,627) and Cornell ($91,176).

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Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University.

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