Top State Universities By Salary Potential
If 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.