Colleges That Bring the Highest Paycheck 2011

by Paul Toscano
Tuesday, December 21, 2010

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More from CNBC.com  • Colleges That Bring the Highest Paychecks • States With the Highest Student Debt • CNBC Special Report: College Debt Crisis

Location, prestige, academic reputation and tuition are major factors for students in the college selection process, but post-graduate salary is something rarely taken into consideration.

Although salaries depend heavily on a graduate's field of work, companies are willing to pay a premium for students hailing from the nation's top universities. But which undergraduate institutions offer the most valuable educations?

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Recently, PayScale.com released a report on the highest salary potential among the nation's top colleges, and from this data, colleges and universities can be ranked by the mid-career median salaries of its graduates. For schools with the same mid-career median salaries, starting median salary determines their relative rank.

©Harvey Mudd College

1. Harvey Mudd College

Mid-career median salary: $126,000 
Starting median salary: $68,900 

Location: Claremont, Calif. 
2010-2011 tuition: $40,390 
College rank: 18 (Liberal Arts) 
Acceptance rate: 34% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 757

©Princeton University

2. Princeton University

Mid-career median salary: $123,000 
Starting median salary: $58,900 

Location: Princeton, N.J. 
2010-2011 tuition: $36,640 
College rank: 2 (National) 
Acceptance rate: 10% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 5,113

©Dartmouth College

3. Dartmouth College

Mid-career median salary: $123,000 
Starting median salary: $54,100 

Location: Hanover, N.H. 
2010-2011 tuition: $40,437 
College rank: 9 (National) 
Acceptance rate: 13% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 4,196

©Steve Dunwell/Getty Images

4. Harvard University

Mid-career median salary: $121,000 
Starting median salary: $57,300 

Location: Cambridge, Mass. 
2010-2011 tuition: $38,416 
College rank: 1 (National) 
Acceptance rate: 7% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 6,655

©CalTech

5. California Institute of Technology (CalTech)

Mid-career median salary: $120,000 
Starting median salary: $69,900 

Location: Pasadena, Calif. 
2010-2011 tuition: $36,282 
College rank: 7 (National) 
Acceptance rate: 15% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 951

©Massachusetts Institute of Technology

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Mid-career median salary: $119,000 
Starting median salary: $68,300 

Location: Cambridge, Mass. 
2010-2011 tuition: $39,212 
College rank: 7 (National) 
Acceptance rate: 11% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 4,232

©Stanford University

7. Stanford University

Mid-career median salary: $119,000 
Starting median salary: $60,200 

Location: Stanford, Calif. 
2010-2011 tuition: $39,201 
College rank: 5 (National) 
Acceptance rate: 8% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 6,602

©Colgate University

8. Colgate University

Mid-career median salary: $119,000 
Starting median salary: $48,700 

Location: Hamilton, N.Y. 
2010-2011 tuition: $41,870 
College rank: 21 (Liberal Arts) 
Acceptance rate: 32% 
Total undergrad enrollment: 2,825

Click here to see the full list of Colleges That Bring the Highest Paycheck 2011

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