1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Abilene Christian University](/school/abilene-christian-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Abilene Christian University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/abilene-christian-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/abilene-christian-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/abilene-christian-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/abilene-christian-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/abilene-christian-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Abilene Christian University graduates earn? The reported median is $59,305 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$8,945 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar for Abilene Christian University at the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion is $59,305, at the 48th percentile. That figure sits $8,945 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $7,697 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 26th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,703. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,400. The STEM component among those measured factors adds $1,045. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $49,830 on the downside to $87,672 on the upside. That range is the spread of earnings across all programs at Abilene Christian University. At the upper end, Accounting graduates earn a median of $93,032 four years after completion, from 19 degrees awarded. Computer Science follows at $91,894, and the largest program with published earnings, Nursing, reports $89,079. An estimated 28.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $59,305 **Rank for difference from expectations** 26th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Abilene Christian University reported median** $59,305 **Peer schools comparable schools · $8,945 above Abilene Christian University** $68,250 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $7,697 above Abilene Christian University** $67,002 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $49,830 to $87,672, around the reported median of $59,305. Compare the lower scenario with [Abilene Christian University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/abilene-christian-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $49,830 **Median · reported** $59,305 **Higher estimate** $87,672 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Abilene Christian University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Abilene Christian University graduates’ reported earnings are $7,697 below that expectation, the 26th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Abilene Christian University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,703 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$11,400 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$7,697 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Abilene Christian University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Abilene Christian University span business, health and STEM fields. Accounting graduates report a median of $93,032 four years after completion, from 19 degrees awarded. Computer Science follows at $91,894, with 15 degrees awarded. The largest program with published earnings, Nursing, awards 48 degrees a year and posts median earnings of $89,079. Psychology, tied in size at 48 degrees, sits at the more moderate end with median earnings of $51,705. Across all fields, 16.3% of degrees awarded are in STEM. The spread between a program like Accounting and one like Psychology shows how much field of study shapes the earnings picture here. Business accounts for 19.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Health Professions second at 12.4%. The university has 16 programs with published four-year earnings. Nursing is the largest program with published earnings, at 48 degrees a year, and graduates earn a median of $89,079. Psychology awards the same number of degrees, with median earnings of $51,705. The highest-earning program is Accounting, at $93,032 from 19 degrees a year. Computer Science follows at $91,894, from a smaller cohort of 15 degrees. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Accounting and Related Services** $93,032 **Computer Science** $91,894 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $89,079 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $83,525 **Communication Disorders Sciences and Services** $70,864 **Marketing** $65,244 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $63,259 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** $62,645 [Explore Abilene Christian University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/abilene-christian-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $49,830, a typical outcome of $59,305, and an upside of $87,672. The spread reflects the variation by field: Accounting reaches $93,032 at the high end, while Psychology, the lowest-earning among the largest programs with published earnings, stands at $51,705. Four years after graduating, federally aided completers from Abilene Christian University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,305. The earnings cohort for this measure numbers 765 completers. Graduates earn about $7,697 less than the model expects for similar students. That gap places the university at the 26th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a typical outcome of $59,305. The downside earnings scenario is $49,830 and the upside reaches $87,672. An estimated 28.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).