by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. 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 3 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.
Our analysis ranked University Of South Carolina Columbia the top school for general education graduate earnings in South Carolina. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a public institution. Students who complete the general education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,023.
Clemson University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general education schools. Clemson University is a public school located in the suburb of Clemson. General Education graduates of Clemson University earn a median of about $50,364 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Anderson University Sc one of the highest-paying schools for general education. Set in the city of Anderson, Anderson University Sc is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general education graduates from Anderson University Sc make a median of around $47,453 per year.
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 · 3 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.