by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a general education degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find where general education graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose general education graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned the #1 spot for highest-paid general education graduates in Illinois. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. After graduating, general education degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign typically earn about $66,451 annually.
North Park University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in general education, landing the #2 spot this year. North Park University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $66,298.
Quincy University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. Located in the town of Quincy, Quincy University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,624.
Mckendree University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. Mckendree University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lebanon. General Education graduates of Mckendree University earn a median of about $55,233 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in general education will find them at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #5. Northern Illinois University is a public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. General Education graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of about $50,338 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their general education graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 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.