by our College Data Analytics Team
[Ethnic Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their ethnic studies graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their ethnic studies graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send ethnic studies graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
San Francisco State University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools in the United States. Set in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Early-career ethnic studies graduates from San Francisco State University make a median of around $66,934 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in ethnic studies will find them at Northeastern Illinois University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution. Students who complete the ethnic studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $64,859.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools. Set in the town of Durant, Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. Early-career ethnic studies graduates from Southeastern Oklahoma State University make a median of around $62,250 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Cuny Graduate School And University Center one of the highest-paying schools for ethnic studies. Cuny Graduate School And University Center is a public school located in the city of New York. Early-career ethnic studies graduates from Cuny Graduate School And University Center make a median of around $51,133 per year.
A rank of #5 makes University Of California Los Angeles one of the highest-paying schools for ethnic studies. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of about $45,247 a year early in their careers.
Looking for a different degree level? Compare highest-paid Ethnic Studies rankings across degree levels:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries ethnic studies 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.