To go to college or not to go to college—that's the question facing countless high school seniors as the 2025-2026 school year gets underway. Considering that the average annual cost of attending a public, in-state university has ballooned past $27,100 and nationwide student debt exceeds $1.8 trillion as of August 2025, many prospective undergrads are understandably leery about the price of a college education. In addition to that, the labor market has been upended by artificial intelligence, and it's little wonder that undergraduate enrollment rates continue to lag behind pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Luckily, not all college grads face these struggles. Plenty of state-funded public colleges feature high job placement rates—at a fraction of the cost of private institutions. Stacker used data from the Payscale Salary Survey to determine which public colleges had alumni that earned the most right after they received their diplomas. Payscale surveyed millions of graduates to determine their median salary in the first five years after graduation. Only graduates from four-year bachelor's degree programs are included in these numbers. University location, undergraduate enrollment size and median salary 10 years after graduation are included to give more context about each school and their long-term impact.
From state flagships to military academies, schools of every size on every coast are setting up their graduates to succeed. Click through to see if you recognize any on the list.
Beyond My Ken // Wikimedia Commons
1 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,100
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $107,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 15,210
Location: New York, NY
Nicolas Tan // Wikimedia Commons
2 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,200
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $106,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 23,817
Location: Fairfax, VA
Tomwsulcer // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,200
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $101,000
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,787
Location: Ewing, NJ
Nightrider84
4 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,200
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $98,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 774
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
UCSB Library // Flickr
5 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $121,500
Undergraduate enrollment: 21,574
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Pixabay
6 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $94,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,417
Location: Prairie View, TX
shidairyproduct // Flickr
7 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $103,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 41,359
Location: University Park, PA
Daderot // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,400
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $107,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 13,637
Location: Lowell, MA
Profreader // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,600
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $86,000
Undergraduate enrollment: 305
Location: Charleston, SC
Daderot // Wikipedia
10 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,700
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $102,700
Undergraduate enrollment: 19,324
Location: Storrs, CT
Mikejuinwind123 // Wikimedia Commons
11 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,700
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $121,800
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,331
Location: Irvine, CA
Tomwsulcer // Wikimedia Commons
12 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $111,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 36,168
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
DASonnenfeld // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $57,900
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $89,800
Undergraduate enrollment: 154
Location: Syracuse, NY
Joe Mabel // Wikimedia Commons
14 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $58,200
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $104,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,112
Location: Bothell, WA
Melissa // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $58,200
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $90,700
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,420
Location: Erie, PA
Enrico Blasutto // Wikimedia Commons
16 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $58,500
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $97,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,162
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Profreader // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $58,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $107,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,773
Location: Charleston, SC
Yb20061462 // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $58,900
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $111,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 13,632
Location: Vestal, NY
Ken L. // Flickr
19 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $59,000
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $115,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 50,735
Location: College Station, TX
BSC News
20 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $61,100
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $102,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,976
Location: Bismarck, ND
Eugene Zelenko // Wikimedia Commons
21 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $61,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $112,400
Undergraduate enrollment: 26,432
Location: San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
22 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $61,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $126,800
Undergraduate enrollment: 28,127
Location: La Jolla, CA
Billy Hathorn // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $61,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $93,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,281
Location: Lubbock, TX
Wikimedia Commons
24 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $61,900
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $107,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,817
Location: Butte, MT
Wikimedia Commons
25 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $62,000
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $107,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 28,983
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Patrickneil // Wikimedia Commons
26 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $62,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $119,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 16,331
Location: Charlottesville, VA
TDBurleigh // Wikimedia Commons
27 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $62,500
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $121,500
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,569
Location: Socorro, NM
Nsaum75 // Wikimedia Commons
28 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $62,600
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $96,700
Undergraduate enrollment: 628
Location: Galveston, TX
Joapsk8 // Wikimedia Commons
29 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $62,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $102,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 12,000
Location: Mayaguez, PR
Romoer Jed Medina // Flickr
30 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $62,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $121,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 8,211
Location: Newark, NJ
Indefiarch // Wikimedia Commons
31 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $63,500
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $118,000
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,426
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Mgiradi // Wikimedia Commons
32 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $63,900
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $121,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,713
Location: Lexington, VA
MTU Photo // Wikimedia Commons
33 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $64,600
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $110,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,811
Location: Houghton, MI
SDSMT // Flickr
34 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $65,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $113,700
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,435
Location: Rapid City, SD
PO3 Diana Honings
35 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $66,400
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $110,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 986
Location: New London, CT
Billy Hathorn // Wikimedia Commons
36 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $66,700
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $119,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,014
Location: Castine, ME
Adavidb // Wikimedia Commons
37 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $66,700
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $116,400
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,906
Location: Rolla, MO
WhisperToMe // Wikimedia Commons
38 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $66,900
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $97,200
Undergraduate enrollment: not available
Location: Houston, TX
Jim.henderson // Wikimedia Commons
39 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $67,100
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $102,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 246
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Liz Novak // Flickr
40 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $67,200
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $114,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,677
Location: Buzzards Bay, MA
Bill Williams // Flickr
41 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $67,500
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $129,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,107
Location: Vallejo, CA
M.O. Stevens // Wikimedia Commons
42 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $67,500
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $96,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 764
Location: Portland, OR
K. Oliver // Flickr
43 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $68,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $132,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 29,310
Location: Berkeley, CA
Tintazul // Wikimedia Commons
44 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $70,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $131,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 15,489
Location: Atlanta, GA
Jim.henderson // Wikimedia Commons
45 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $73,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $140,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,635
Location: Throggs Neck, NY
Mike Kaplan // Wikimedia Commons
46 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $74,000
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $137,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,237
Location: USAF Academy, CO
Ken L. // Flickr
47 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $74,100
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $139,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,610
Location: Golden, CO
_KARO720 // Flickr
48 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $78,600
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $149,800
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,528
Location: Annapolis, MD
U.S. Army // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $79,300
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $141,900
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,389
Location: West Point, NY
Master Sgt. Michel Sauret // U.S. Army
50 / 50Median salary for alumni 0–5 years from graduation: $80,800
Median salary for alumni 10+ years from graduation: $136,600
Undergraduate enrollment: 904
Location: Kings Point, NY
