Graduates of Appalachian State University earn median 4-year earnings of $54,010, placing Appalachian State University in the 13.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,224 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 25.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Appalachian State University #1067 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 309 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,720, ranked #217 nationally in its major. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness reports 274 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,594, ranked #77 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 250 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $64,932, ranked #196 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 229 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,057, ranked #150 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Appalachian State University earn median 4-year earnings of $54,010, placing Appalachian State University in the 13.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,224 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 25.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Appalachian State University #1067 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 309 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,720, ranked #217 nationally in its major. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness reports 274 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,594, ranked #77 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 250 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $64,932, ranked #196 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 229 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,057, ranked #150 nationally in its major.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $20,231 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Appalachian State University earn median 4-year earnings of $54,010, placing Appalachian State University in the 13.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,224 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 25.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Appalachian State University #1067 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 309 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,720, ranked #217 nationally in its major. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness reports 274 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,594, ranked #77 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 250 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $64,932, ranked #196 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 229 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,057, ranked #150 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Appalachian State University's program mix is anchored in Business, with meaningful enrollment across education, health, and social-science fields — a portfolio that reflects the university's regional identity as a comprehensive public institution in western North Carolina. The three largest program families by graduate share are Business (20%), Education (9%), and Social Sciences (6%), a distribution that skews toward applied professional fields rather than pure STEM or liberal-arts concentrations. Across 59 programs serving roughly 4,331 graduates annually, 49 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a broad footprint that gives students a wide range of credentialed pathways. The highest aggregate-return program at Appalachian State University is Business Administration, which combines substantial cohort scale with competitive four-year earnings, making it the single largest contributor to the university's overall earnings profile. Among the most-enrolled programs, Psychology, General program graduates 309 students annually with median earnings of $47,720 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #153 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Kinesiology and Business Administration are also among the largest programs by graduate count, with median four-year earnings of $55,594 and $64,932 respectively, reflecting the university's depth in applied and professional fields. The strongest early-career earnings at Appalachian State University are concentrated in a small cluster of technical and applied programs. Digital Marketing leads on earnings, with graduates earning median four-year earnings of $69,439, and Azimuth ranks it #61 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication follow, with median four-year earnings of $64,932 and $55,671 respectively — programs that feed directly into regional and national labor markets where demand remains steady. For context on how these fields align with broader workforce trends, the framework provides useful background.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Appalachian State University earn median 4-year earnings of $54,010, placing Appalachian State University in the 13.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,224 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 25.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Appalachian State University #1067 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 309 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,720, ranked #217 nationally in its major. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness reports 274 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,594, ranked #77 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 250 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $64,932, ranked #196 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 229 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,057, ranked #150 nationally in its major.
