by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a general education degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 79 schools on the early-career earnings of their general education graduates.
What’s on this page:
The general education program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we built our Highest Paid General Education Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose general education degrees pay off the most.
Learn more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid General Education Graduates list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
If you want to know which schools send general education graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in general education, no school beat Bellevue University this year. Located in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,730.
Students chasing top earnings in general education will find them at University Of Massachusetts Amherst, which ranked #2. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public school located in the city of Amherst. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $65,277.
A rank of #3 makes City University Of Seattle one of the highest-paying schools for general education. City University Of Seattle is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle. General Education graduates of City University Of Seattle earn a median of about $62,337 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Campbell University earned it the #4 place for general education. Located in the town of Buies Creek, Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,373.
Vanguard University Of Southern California produces some of the highest-paid graduates in general education, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Costa Mesa, Vanguard University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general education degree recipients from Vanguard University Of Southern California typically earn about $60,138 annually.
University Of Houston Clear Lake ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston Clear Lake is a public institution. After graduating, general education degree recipients from University Of Houston Clear Lake typically earn about $58,497 annually.
Laramie County Community College earned the #7 position for general education graduate earnings this year. Located in the rural area of Cheyenne, Laramie County Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,554.
The University Of Texas At Arlington ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public school located in the city of Arlington. Early-career general education graduates from The University Of Texas At Arlington make a median of around $57,410 per year.
Oregon State University placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for general education. Set in the city of Corvallis, Oregon State University is a public institution. General Education graduates of Oregon State University earn a median of about $56,237 a year early in their careers.
University Of Hawaii West Oahu ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. University Of Hawaii West Oahu is a public school located in the suburb of Kapolei. After graduating, general education degree recipients from University Of Hawaii West Oahu typically earn about $57,924 annually.
Brown University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for general education. Brown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. General Education graduates of Brown University earn a median of about $79,577 a year early in their careers.
Southwestern University came in at #12 for general education graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Georgetown, Southwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general education degree recipients from Southwestern University typically earn about $50,984 annually.
The Community College Of Baltimore County earned the #13 position for general education graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Baltimore, The Community College Of Baltimore County is a public institution. After graduating, general education degree recipients from The Community College Of Baltimore County typically earn about $44,708 annually.
Bay Path College landed the #14 spot for general education salaries this year. Bay Path College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Longmeadow. Early-career general education graduates from Bay Path College make a median of around $49,257 per year.
Chapman University landed the #15 spot for general education salaries this year. Set in the city of Orange, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Education graduates of Chapman University earn a median of about $65,859 a year early in their careers.
Michigan State University earned the #16 position for general education graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. General Education graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of about $52,112 a year early in their careers.
Denison University came in at #17 for general education graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Granville, Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $47,475.
Southern New Hampshire University earned the #18 position for general education graduate earnings this year. Southern New Hampshire University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Manchester. Early-career general education graduates from Southern New Hampshire University make a median of around $47,290 per year.
Highland Community College Highland placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for general education. Located in the rural area of Highland, Highland Community College Highland is a public institution. General Education graduates of Highland Community College Highland earn a median of about $42,440 a year early in their careers.
Southwestern Assemblies Of God University placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for general education. Set in the suburb of Waxahachie, Southwestern Assemblies Of God University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,333.
Delgado Community College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. Set in the city of New Orleans, Delgado Community College is a public institution. Early-career general education graduates from Delgado Community College make a median of around $41,490 per year.
Springfield College ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. Springfield College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Springfield. After graduating, general education degree recipients from Springfield College typically earn about $45,906 annually.
Tulsa Community College earned the #23 position for general education graduate earnings this year. Tulsa Community College is a public school located in the city of Tulsa. After graduating, general education degree recipients from Tulsa Community College typically earn about $41,189 annually.
Flagler College St Augustine earned the #24 position for general education graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Saint Augustine, Flagler College St Augustine is a private not-for-profit institution. General Education graduates of Flagler College St Augustine earn a median of about $46,571 a year early in their careers.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee landed the #25 spot for general education salaries this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a public institution. After graduating, general education degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee typically earn about $47,785 annually.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid general education ranking:
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries general education 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 · 79 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.