Black Colleges Rank Low in Survey of Median Pay of Graduates

A new survey by PayScale Inc. determined the starting median salary and mid-career median salary of the graduates of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges. The survey did not include those graduates who went on to earn advanced degrees.

Harvey Mudd College in California ranked first for both the starting salary and mid-career salary with median pay of $68,900 for graduates entering the work force and $126,000 for graduates in the middle of their careers. Other liberal arts colleges ranking high in both categories included Bucknell University, Lafayette College, and Swarthmore College.

Two historically black liberal arts colleges were included in the PayScale survey. Both were ranked near the bottom. The average starting salary for Morehouse College graduates was $43,000. At mid-career, Morehouse bachelor’s degree holders had a median salary of $74,200. At Spelman College, the median starting salary was $38,800. For Spelman graduates in the middle of their careers, the median salary was $67,000.

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