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:
Below are the schools whose international education graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in international education, no school beat Teachers College At Columbia University this year. Teachers College At Columbia University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. International Education graduates of Teachers College At Columbia University earn a median of about $78,185 a year early in their careers.
American University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in international education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career international education graduates from American University make a median of around $76,913 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at George Washington University earned it the #3 place for international education. Located 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.
Students chasing top earnings in international education will find them at Loyola University Chicago, which ranked #4. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. International Education graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of about $56,373 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in international education will find them at Sit Graduate Institute, which ranked #5. Set 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.
Looking for a different degree level? Compare highest-paid International Education rankings across degree levels:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries international 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 · 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.