Colleges That Bring the Highest Paycheck 2011

Location, prestige, academic reputation and tuition are major factors for students in the college selection process, but post-graduate salary is something rarely taken into consideration.

Although salaries depend heavily on a graduate's field of work, companies are willing to pay a premium for students hailing from the nation's top universities. But which undergraduate institutions offer the most valuable educations?
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Recently, PayScale.com released a report on the highest salary potential among the nation's top colleges, and from this data, colleges and universities can be ranked by the mid-career median salaries of its graduates. For schools with the same mid-career median salaries, starting median salary determines their relative rank.
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1. Colgate University
Mid-career median salary: $119,000
Starting median salary: $48,700
Location: Hamilton, N.Y.
2010-2011 tuition: $41,870
College rank: 21 (Liberal Arts)
Acceptance rate: 32%
Total undergrad enrollment: 2,825
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2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Mid-career median salary: $119,000
Starting median salary: $68,300
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
2010-2011 tuition: $39,212
College rank: 7 (National)
Acceptance rate: 11%
Total undergrad enrollment: 4,232
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3. Princeton University
Mid-career median salary: $123,000
Starting median salary: $58,900
Location: Princeton, N.J.
2010-2011 tuition: $36,640
College rank: 2 (National)
Acceptance rate: 10%
Total undergrad enrollment: 5,113

4. Harvard University
Mid-career median salary: $121,000
Starting median salary: $57,300
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
2010-2011 tuition: $38,416
College rank: 1 (National)
Acceptance rate: 7%
Total undergrad enrollment: 6,655
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5. Harvey Mudd College
Mid-career median salary: $126,000
Starting median salary: $68,900
Location: Claremont, Calif.
2010-2011 tuition: $40,390
College rank: 18 (Liberal Arts)
Acceptance rate: 34%
Total undergrad enrollment: 757
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6. Dartmouth College
Mid-career median salary: $123,000
Starting median salary: $54,100
Location: Hanover, N.H.
2010-2011 tuition: $40,437
College rank: 9 (National)
Acceptance rate: 13%
Total undergrad enrollment: 4,196
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7. California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
Mid-career median salary: $120,000
Starting median salary: $69,900
Location: Pasadena, Calif.
2010-2011 tuition: $36,282
College rank: 7 (National)
Acceptance rate: 15%
Total undergrad enrollment: 951
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8. Stanford University
Mid-career median salary: $119,000
Starting median salary: $60,200
Location: Stanford, Calif.
2010-2011 tuition: $39,201
College rank: 5 (National)
Acceptance rate: 8%
Total undergrad enrollment: 6,602