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These Colleges, Majors Give Grads Highest Earning Power

With the cost of a college education rising rapidly, what schools and majors offer the best chance of recouping your investment?
Image: A student in line for his diploma wears a cap decorated with the cost of his education during graduation ceremonies at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho
A student in line for his diploma wears a cap decorated with the cost of his education during graduation ceremonies at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, on May 16.Orlin Wagner / AP
By Taylor Popielarz

With the cost of a college education rising rapidly, what schools and majors offer the best chance of recouping your investment?

The answer, according to the 2015 College Salary Report published Wednesday by PayScale.com, is State University of New York Maritime College in the Bronx, where bachelor degree graduates bring down a mid-career median salary of $134,000.

The report looked at more than 1,500 schools and breaks down – by degree level and major – which programs prove to be the most lucrative for graduates.

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According to the report, the four schools producing the highest-earning alumni with bachelor degrees are:

  1. SUNY Maritime College – median mid-career salary of $134,000;
  2. Harvey Mudd College - $133,000;
  3. (T) Harvard University - $126,000; (T) U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis - $126,000;

Having trouble choosing your major? The report says engineers fare best in terms of mid-career median salaries – 13 of the top 15 majors are in the engineering field and nearly all engineering-related majors rank in the top 50.

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If you’re thinking of going to law school, look at Emory University’s School of Law in Atlanta – its alumni beat out Harvard, UCLA and Georgetown with a median mid-career salary of $201,000.

Taylor Popielarz