Rank	School	Program Earnings	Cohort Size	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS
#1	Drexel UniversityPrivate	$87,416	33	$25,325	Excellent	$40,932	Manageable
#2	James Madison UniversityPublic	$61,496	80	$20,093	Excellent	$37,285	Challenging
#3	Winona State UniversityPublic	$48,808	17	$21,500	Good	$19,316	Challenging
#4	Amherst CollegePrivate	$37,208	20	$13,740	Manageable	$47,598	High
#5	Pennsylvania Western UniversityPublic	$37,208	16	$23,725	Challenging	$17,794	High

#1Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA • Private nonprofit

💰

$87,416Program Earnings

Cohort

$25,325

Student Debt

$40,932

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

5.4% burden

15.3% burden

#2James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA • Public

💰

$61,496Program Earnings

Cohort

$20,093

Student Debt

$37,285

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

7.1% burden

22.2% burden

📊29% pursue grad school

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#3Winona State University

Winona, MN • Public

💰

$48,808Program Earnings

Cohort

$21,500

Student Debt

$19,316

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

11.2% burden

22.8% burden

Amherst, MA • Private nonprofit

💰

$37,208Program Earnings

Cohort

$13,740

Student Debt

$47,598

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.9% burden

64.3% burden

#5Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA • Public

💰

$37,208Program Earnings

Cohort

$23,725

Student Debt

$17,794

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

22.2% burden

41.4% burden

How These Rankings Work

Our program rankings answer: "Which schools have the best outcomes for graduates of this specific major?"

Unlike traditional rankings that measure overall school quality, these rankings focus on program-level outcomes. A school that's #200 overall might have a top-10 nursing program — and that matters if you're studying nursing.

Methodology

• Data Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
• Metric: Median earnings 4 years after graduation for this specific field
• Ranking: Schools sorted by program earnings (highest to lowest)
• Minimum threshold: Only programs with 5+ graduates included

Important Caveats

• "Best" = highest earnings — not necessarily the best fit for every student
• Earnings reflect graduates from ~6-8 years ago; programs may have changed
• Programs with small cohorts (5-30 graduates) have higher variance
• Schools in high-cost areas may show higher earnings that reflect location, not program quality

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →