Rank	School	Program Earnings	Cohort Size	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS
#1	North Carolina State University At RaleighPublic	$60,715	26	$20,121	Excellent	$23,000	Manageable
#2	Purdue University-Main CampusPublic	$57,530	14	$19,500	Excellent	$29,448	Challenging
#3	University Of Wisconsin-MadisonPublic	$50,963	9	$20,484	Good	$28,364	High
#4	California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtPublic	$42,743	37	$18,000	Manageable	$18,257	High
#5	Ohio University-Main CampusPublic	$21,964	12	$21,056	High	$23,508	High

#1North Carolina State University At Raleigh

Raleigh, NC • Public

💰

$60,715Program Earnings

Cohort

$20,121

Student Debt

$23,000

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

7.2% burden

16.7% burden

#2Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN • Public

💰

$57,530Program Earnings

Cohort

$19,500

Student Debt

$29,448

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

7.6% burden

20.9% burden

#3University Of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI • Public

💰

$50,963Program Earnings

Cohort

$20,484

Student Debt

$28,364

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

9.9% burden

25.6% burden

#4California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA • Public

💰

$42,743Program Earnings

Cohort

$18,000

Student Debt

$18,257

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.2% burden

26.5% burden

#5Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH • Public

💰

$21,964Program Earnings

Cohort

$21,056

Student Debt

$23,508

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

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 →