Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Austin Peay graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early careers. Median earnings increase from $38,779 six years after enrollment to $41,659 at eight years and $44,301 at ten years, representing 14.2% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement points.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings fall below the peer average for similar institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $20,547 in debt with typical earnings.
Austin Peay graduates carry median debt of $20,547, slightly above the peer median of $21,105 but within typical ranges for public universities. Student debt ranges from $5,500 at the 25th percentile to $25,738 at the 75th percentile, showing controlled borrowing patterns with most students avoiding excessive debt loads.
Austin Peay State University ranks at the 33.7th percentile for return on investment, earning a below average tier designation that reflects challenges competing with selective institutions on raw earnings metrics. However, graduates earn $3,013 beyond expectations relative to their backgrounds, placing Austin Peay in the 67.4th percentile for value-added performance.
Approximately 27.2% of Austin Peay graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with high confidence. This rat...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Austin Peay's strongest earnings outcomes concentrate in healthcare and technical specializations. Blood Bank Technology Specialist leads institutional performance with $67,158 median earnings and ranks #10 nationally, demonstrating exceptional program quality.
Computer Systems Analysis produces $65,084 earnings with #3 national ranking, while Adult Health Nurse/Nursing generates $63,880 for the university's largest high-earning cohort of 148 graduates. Applied Engineering Technologies delivers $62,089 earnings with strong state positioning.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Austin Peay's earnings distribution spans from $26,869 at the 25th percentile to $64,102 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.4:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $34,800, demonstrating the university's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility for disadvantaged students.
