by our College Data Analytics Team
[Human Resource Management](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/human-resource-management/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a human resource management degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where human resource management graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose human resource management graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked University Of San Francisco the top school for human resource management graduate earnings in the United States. Set in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the human resource management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $157,232.
Students chasing top earnings in human resource management will find them at Pace University New York, which ranked #2. Pace University New York is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students who complete the human resource management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $136,022.
Strong graduate earnings at Cornell University earned it the #3 place for human resource management. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career human resource management graduates from Cornell University make a median of around $150,497 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in human resource management will find them at Emmanuel College Massachusetts, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Boston, Emmanuel College Massachusetts is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career human resource management graduates from Emmanuel College Massachusetts make a median of around $116,766 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Vanderbilt University earned it the #5 place for human resource management. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Early-career human resource management graduates from Vanderbilt University make a median of around $131,905 per year.
Pepperdine University came in at #6 for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from Pepperdine University typically earn about $113,702 annually.
Drexel University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying human resource management schools. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career human resource management graduates from Drexel University make a median of around $111,933 per year.
Catholic University Of America ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying human resource management schools. Catholic University Of America is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Early-career human resource management graduates from Catholic University Of America make a median of around $111,261 per year.
University Of South Carolina Columbia landed the #9 spot for human resource management salaries this year. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a public institution. Early-career human resource management graduates from University Of South Carolina Columbia make a median of around $122,353 per year.
Georgetown University placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for human resource management. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the human resource management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $126,185.
Michigan State University earned the #11 position for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from Michigan State University typically earn about $119,367 annually.
Villanova University came in at #12 for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from Villanova University typically earn about $120,016 annually.
Seton Hall University earned the #13 position for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Orange. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from Seton Hall University typically earn about $104,372 annually.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for human resource management. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign typically earn about $124,896 annually.
Northern Kentucky University earned the #15 position for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Northern Kentucky University is a public school located in the suburb of Highland Heights. Early-career human resource management graduates from Northern Kentucky University make a median of around $97,238 per year.
Texas A And M University College Station landed the #16 spot for human resource management salaries this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a public school located in the city of College Station. Students who complete the human resource management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $101,842.
Fielding Graduate University placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for human resource management. Fielding Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Santa Barbara. Human Resource Management graduates of Fielding Graduate University earn a median of about $100,734 a year early in their careers.
New York University came in at #18 for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career human resource management graduates from New York University make a median of around $120,223 per year.
The University Of Texas At Arlington landed the #19 spot for human resource management salaries this year. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public institution. Students who complete the human resource management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $99,635.
Cuny Bernard M Baruch College landed the #20 spot for human resource management salaries this year. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Bernard M Baruch College is a public institution. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from Cuny Bernard M Baruch College typically earn about $97,483 annually.
George Mason University came in at #21 for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a public institution. Early-career human resource management graduates from George Mason University make a median of around $122,821 per year.
Golden Gate University San Francisco earned the #22 position for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Golden Gate University San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. Early-career human resource management graduates from Golden Gate University San Francisco make a median of around $129,323 per year.
University Of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot for human resource management salaries this year. University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Early-career human resource management graduates from University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $81,178 per year.
Utah State University came in at #24 for human resource management graduate earnings this year. Utah State University is a public school located in the city of Logan. After graduating, human resource management degree recipients from Utah State University typically earn about $106,456 annually.
West Virginia University ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying human resource management schools. Set in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a public institution. Human Resource Management graduates of West Virginia University earn a median of about $109,007 a year early in their careers.
These schools also send human resource management graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
Explore the highest-paying human resource management schools at other degree levels:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries human resource management graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.