Graduate earnings vs. the high-school median, by state
At 99% of the 1,546 4-year colleges in this analysis, the median graduate earns more four years after finishing than the typical high-school graduate in the same state. The state median across colleges is 1.4 to 1.8 times that benchmark.
The premium is largest in Utah (1.8×), Montana (1.8×) and Connecticut (1.8×), and smallest in Washington (1.4×) and Colorado (1.4×).
What the numbers mean: college earnings are the median for graduates who received federal aid, were working and were not enrolled four years after completing (2024 dollars). The benchmark is the Scorecard's state median for working people with a high-school diploma only (also 2024 dollars). These are different groups measured in different ways, so read the ratio as a rough comparison, not as the exact gain from a degree.
States ranked by graduate earnings relative to the high-school median
| 1 | Utah | 1.8× | $71,142 | $38,556 | 12 |
| 2 | Montana | 1.8× | $59,951 | $32,577 | 10 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 1.8× | $68,309 | $37,707 | 20 |
| 4 | New York | 1.8× | $64,241 | $35,746 | 124 |
| 5 | California | 1.8× | $65,936 | $36,976 | 108 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 1.8× | $64,804 | $36,498 | 85 |
| 7 | Michigan | 1.7× | $60,573 | $34,809 | 41 |
| 8 | Maryland | 1.7× | $65,338 | $37,571 | 22 |
| 9 | New Jersey | 1.7× | $63,801 | $36,976 | 26 |
| 10 | Illinois | 1.7× | $62,082 | $36,082 | 50 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 1.7× | $69,290 | $40,428 | 10 |
| 12 | Alabama | 1.7× | $55,183 | $32,204 | 22 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 1.7× | $69,414 | $41,044 | 61 |
| 14 | Mississippi | 1.7× | $51,795 | $30,928 | 13 |
| 15 | Maine | 1.7× | $63,056 | $38,000 | 15 |
| 16 | Texas | 1.7× | $57,559 | $34,809 | 92 |
| 17 | South Dakota | 1.6× | $60,619 | $36,976 | 12 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 1.6× | $61,902 | $37,835 | 36 |
| 19 | Kansas | 1.6× | $56,857 | $34,887 | 21 |
| 20 | Ohio | 1.6× | $58,581 | $36,082 | 64 |
| 21 | Tennessee | 1.6× | $56,202 | $34,809 | 37 |
| 22 | North Dakota | 1.6× | $59,480 | $36,976 | 10 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 1.6× | $54,659 | $34,059 | 48 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 1.6× | $59,338 | $36,976 | 16 |
| 25 | Virginia | 1.6× | $58,747 | $36,613 | 40 |
| 26 | Georgia | 1.6× | $54,096 | $33,813 | 49 |
| 27 | Oregon | 1.6× | $59,131 | $36,976 | 19 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | 1.6× | $66,913 | $41,972 | 10 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 1.6× | $59,751 | $37,571 | 31 |
| 30 | Indiana | 1.6× | $58,030 | $36,492 | 39 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | 1.6× | $55,174 | $34,809 | 26 |
| 32 | Iowa | 1.6× | $58,837 | $37,130 | 27 |
| 33 | West Virginia | 1.6× | $53,513 | $34,020 | 18 |
| 34 | Louisiana | 1.6× | $53,639 | $34,350 | 22 |
| 35 | Arkansas | 1.6× | $50,422 | $32,489 | 15 |
| 36 | Florida | 1.5× | $53,180 | $34,350 | 65 |
| 37 | Missouri | 1.5× | $53,176 | $34,809 | 38 |
| 38 | Kentucky | 1.5× | $53,335 | $35,424 | 28 |
| 39 | Arizona | 1.5× | $54,762 | $36,492 | 13 |
| 40 | South Carolina | 1.5× | $51,233 | $34,809 | 30 |
| 41 | Colorado | 1.4× | $58,576 | $40,674 | 21 |
| 42 | Washington | 1.4× | $58,019 | $40,611 | 44 |
How the numbers are built
How the table is built: main campuses with at least 500 undergraduates and mostly complete data, 4-year level. A state appears only with at least 10 colleges. The state figure is the median of its colleges' earnings, divided by the state benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean a degree raises pay by this much?
No. Graduates who receive aid and work are not a random sample, and the benchmark covers a different group of workers. The ratio shows how earnings compare, not what a degree causes.
Why use a state benchmark?
Wages differ a lot between states. Comparing each college's graduates to high-school graduates in the same state removes part of that difference.
Does it matter which college I pick?
A lot. The ratio is a state median; individual colleges and majors are far above and below it. Open a college or major page for its own numbers.