by our College Data Analytics Team
[International Education](/majors/education/international-education/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a international education degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their international education graduates.
What’s on this page:
The international education program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we built our Highest Paid International Education Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its international education graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid International Education Graduates list, to help you choose. 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.
Below are the schools whose international education graduates go on to earn the most.
Teachers College At Columbia University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid international education graduates in the United States. Located in the city of New York, Teachers College At Columbia University is a private not-for-profit institution. International Education graduates of Teachers College At Columbia University earn a median of about $78,185 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at American University earned it the #2 place for international education. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the international education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $76,913.
George Washington University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying international education schools. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the international education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,565.
Strong graduate earnings at Loyola University Chicago earned it the #4 place for international education. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the international education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,373.
Students chasing top earnings in international education will find them at Sit Graduate Institute, which ranked #5. Located in the rural area of Brattleboro, Sit Graduate Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the international education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,200.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their international 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.