 Top State Universities By Salary Potential
Top State Universities By Salary PotentialIf you're headed for a state university for your undergrad degree, check out our list of top state universities by salary potential first. Median salary numbers are reported by actual graduates from each school.   
Methodology
Annual pay for Bachelors graduates without higher degrees. Typical starting graduates have 3 years of experience; mid-career have 15.5 years. See full methodology for more.  
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Top State Universities By Salary Potential - Full List  
Top State Universities Starting Median Salary Mid-Career Median Salary  
University of California, Berkeley $59,900 $112,000  
University of Virginia (UVA) $52,700 $103,000  
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo $57,200 $101,000  
University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) $52,600 $101,000  
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) $51,100 $101,000  
University of California, Davis $52,300 $99,600  
University of Colorado - Boulder (UCB) $47,100 $97,600  
University of California, Irvine (UCI) $48,300 $96,700  
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) $52,900 $96,100  
Texas A&M University $49,700     $96,100  
Binghamton University $53,600    $95,900  
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) $57,100 $95,800  
San Jose State University (SJSU) $53,500 $95,600  
University of Maryland, College Park $52,000 $95,000  
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) $50,500 $95,000  
University of Texas (UT) - Austin $49,700 $93,900  
University of Michigan $52,700 $93,000  
Stony Brook University $49,500 $93,000  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany $44,500 $92,200  
Rutgers University $50,300     $91,800  
Purdue University $51,400      $90,500  
University of Connecticut (UConn) $48,000 $88,800  
University of Massachusetts (UMass) - Amherst $46,600 $88,200  
California State University (CSU), Chico $47,400 $88,100  
University of Florida (UF) $47,100  $87,900  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Madison $48,900 $87,800  
Louisiana State University (LSU) $46,900 $87,800  
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) $45,700 $87,000  
George Mason University $47,800     $86,900  
University of Massachusetts (UMass) - Lowell $45,400 $86,600  
San Francisco State University (SFSU) $47,300 $86,400  
University of Arizona $47,500        $86,100  
Clemson University $48,400           $86,000  
University of Georgia (UGA) $44,100 $86,000  
Pennsylvania State University (PSU) $49,900 $85,700  
University of Washington (UW) $48,800 $85,300  
Michigan State University (MSU) $46,300 $85,300  
University of Rhode Island (URI) $43,900 $85,300  
San Diego State University (SDSU) $46,200 $85,200  
Auburn University $45,400          $84,700  
Washington State University (WSU) $45,300 $84,700  
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) $45,100 $84,700  
Iowa State University $45,400         $84,600  
University of Delaware $45,900        $84,500  
University of Colorado - Denver $46,100 $84,400  
California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) $49,200 $84,300  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Farmingdale $47,300 $84,200  
University of Minnesota $46,200         $84,200  
Arizona State University (ASU) $47,400  $84,100  
University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) $44,700 $84,100  
Indiana University (IU), Bloomington $46,300 $84,000  
University of Iowa (UI) $44,700         $83,900  
Ohio State University (OSU) $44,900     $83,700  
North Carolina State University (NCSU) $47,200 $83,300  
Oregon State University (OSU) $45,100    $83,300  
University of Utah $45,400               $83,200  
University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) $46,500 $82,900  
University of Oklahoma $44,700           $82,900  
University of Arkansas $44,100           $82,800  
University of Vermont (UVM) $44,800      $82,700  
University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH) $43,100 $82,700  
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) $47,800 $82,400  
University of Idaho $44,900               $82,000  
University of Illinois at Chicago $47,500 $81,700  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo $46,200 $81,700  
University of Kansas $42,400            $81,600  
University of New Mexico (UNM) $41,600  $81,600  
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNCH) $42,900 $81,500  
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa $41,300 $81,400  
University of California, Riverside (UCR) $46,800 $81,300  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo $42,300 $81,300  
University of Missouri - Columbia $41,700 $81,000  
University of Nebraska $45,700          $80,900  
University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) $45,400 $80,800  
Northern Illinois University (NIU) $43,600 $80,800  
Oklahoma State University $42,800      $80,700  
University of North Dakota $44,000     $80,600  
California State University, Northridge (CSUN) $45,500 $80,400  
University of Houston (UH) $46,000      $79,900  
University of Mississippi $41,400       $79,700  
New Mexico State University $44,300     $79,500  
Lamar University $46,500                $79,400  
Mississippi State University (MSU) $44,500 $79,300  
Colorado State University (CSU) $44,800  $79,000  
Kansas State University (KSU) $43,300    $79,000  
University of Wyoming (UW) $44,500       $78,700  
Utah State University $43,800            $78,700  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Platteville $45,800 $78,500  
University of Oregon $42,200               $78,400  
University of Kentucky (UK) $42,800        $78,300  
University of New Hampshire (UNH) $41,800  $78,300  
University of Massachusetts (UMass) - Boston $45,600 $78,200  
West Virginia University (WVU) $43,100      $78,100  
University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) $47,000 $77,800  
North Dakota State University (NDSU) $45,100  $77,800  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego $38,000 $77,800  
University of Massachusetts (UMass) - Dartmouth $43,200 $77,700  
Montana State University - Bozeman $46,600      $77,500  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta $37,500 $76,700  
University of Louisiana (UL) at Lafayette $41,100 $76,300  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Plattsburgh $40,800 $76,200  
Wayne State University $42,800                    $76,100  
University of Hawaii $43,800                      $76,000  
University of Toledo $43,100                      $75,900  
Florida International University (FIU) $43,200    $75,500  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Whitewater $40,800 $75,500  
Western Washington University $42,700             $75,400  
Minnesota State University - Mankato $43,300      $74,700  
University of Tennessee $43,800                   $74,600  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Milwaukee $42,300  $74,600  
University of Arkansas - Monticello (UAM) $39,200 $74,500  
Penn State - Harrisburg $45,700                   $74,000  
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) $43,100 $74,000  
Georgia State University $41,800                   $74,000  
Western Michigan University (WMU) $42,300           $73,800  
South Dakota State University (SDSU) $41,100        $73,500  
Idaho State University $44,900                       $73,400  
Ohio University $42,200                              $73,400  
Illinois State University $42,000                    $73,400  
Cleveland State University $43,500                   $73,100  
Florida State University (FSU) $42,100               $73,000  
University of Alaska, Anchorage $45,900              $72,600  
Fitchburg State College $42,400                      $72,600  
University of Nebraska at Omaha $41,500              $72,600  
Southern Illinois University Carbondale $43,000       $72,500  
University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) $43,400          $72,100  
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) $42,700 $72,100  
University Of Maine $41,200                            $72,100  
Eastern Michigan University $40,300                     $72,100  
Bowling Green State University $39,800                  $72,100  
University of Montana $37,300                           $71,900  
University of Central Florida (UCF) $42,600             $71,700   
University of South Carolina $40,000                    $71,700  
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) $45,200          $71,600  
St. Cloud State University $41,800                      $71,400  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Parkside $40,700         $71,400  
California State University (CSU), Stanislaus $38,000    $71,400  
Humboldt State University $42,600                        $71,300  
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) $42,600                $71,100  
University of South Florida (USF) $41,100                $71,100  
Portland State University (PSU) $42,600                  $70,900  
Eastern Washington University $38,600                    $70,900  
University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) $42,500        $70,700  
 University of Akron $41,100                              $70,300  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam $38,000    $70,300  
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) $39,200         $70,100  
University of Memphis (U of M) $41,400                    $69,700  
Boise State University (BSU) $40,800                      $69,500  
Missouri State University (MSU) $36,100                   $69,500  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - La Crosse $42,200          $69,300  
Appalachian State University $40,400                      $69,100  
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) $42,000            $68,400  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Stout $43,600              $68,300  
East Carolina University (ECU) $40,200                    $67,500  
Utah Valley State College $42,400                         $67,100  
University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) $41,400         $67,100  
Western Carolina University $36,900                       $66,600  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Oshkosh $39,300            $66,400  
State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia $37,800   $66,200  
University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC) $38,900       $65,800  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Eau Claire $41,400         $64,800  
Ball State University (BSU) $39,100                       $64,500  
University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) $37,500 $64,400  
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Stevens Point $39,800      $64,000  
University of Southern Maine $39,400                      $63,600  
Arkansas State University (ASU) $38,700                   $63,300  
Kent State University $38,700                             $62,600  
Tarleton State University (TSU) $40,800                   $62,400    
University of Wisconsin (UW) - Green Bay $35,800          $60,600  
Morehead State University $34,800                         $60,600  
Austin Peay State University $37,700 $59,200  
Pittsburg State University $40,400 $58,200  
Southern Utah University $41,900 $56,500  
Montana State University - Billings $37,900 $50,600  
Black Hills State University $35,300 $43,900  
Methodology
This chart is based upon PayScale Salary Survey data for Bachelors graduates without higher degrees who are full-time employees in the United States. These results may not represent all attendees of these colleges. Salary is the sum of compensation from base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, commissions, and overtime, if applicable, but does not include equity (stock) compensation. See full methodology for more.