1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Bradley University](/school/bradley-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Bradley University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/bradley-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/bradley-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/bradley-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bradley-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bradley-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Bradley University graduates earn? The reported median is $74,150 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $5,900 per year. Bradley University graduates earn a median of $74,150 four years after completion, a level in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,900. Graduates earn about $7,296 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 77th percentile. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 80th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,902. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $606. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,028. The combination of earnings above the peer median and higher-than-expected outcomes points to a return that is stronger than the university's overall composite rank of #587 would suggest. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $50,450 on the downside to $95,215 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Computer Science graduates earn $107,379 four years after completion, from 48 degrees awarded a year. Electrical Engineering follows at $100,391, and Mechanical Engineering at $95,896. An estimated 26.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings snapshot misses the eventual earnings of the roughly one-quarter of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $74,150 **Rank for difference from expectations** 77th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Bradley University reported median** $74,150 **Peer schools comparable schools · $5,900 below Bradley University** $68,250 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $7,296 below Bradley University** $66,854 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 $50,450 to $95,215, around the reported median of $74,150. Compare the lower scenario with [Bradley University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/bradley-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** $50,450 **Median · reported** $74,150 **Higher estimate** $95,215 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 Bradley 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). Bradley University graduates’ reported earnings are $7,296 above that expectation, the 77th 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 Bradley 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.** +$7,902 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$606 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$7,296 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Bradley University report the highest earnings? Bradley University's program-level earnings show a clear split between engineering and computing fields and the university's larger professional majors. Computer Science leads with a median of $107,379 four years after completion, alongside 48 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering follows at $100,391 with 25 degrees awarded, and Mechanical Engineering—the largest engineering program by degrees—reaches $95,896 on 56 degrees awarded. Among the largest programs, the pattern shifts. Nursing, the university's biggest major, awards 79 degrees and earns a median of $86,941. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication reports $58,515 on 65 degrees awarded. The contrast between the engineering cluster and the larger professional programs is the main story in Bradley's earnings data. Bradley University publishes earnings data for 22 bachelor's programs, and the five largest by degrees awarded show a wide spread in outcomes. Nursing leads with 79 degrees awarded and a median of $86,941 four years after completion. Mechanical Engineering, another large program, awarded 56 degrees and its completers reach $95,896. The highest-earning programs are concentrated in engineering and computing. Computer Science tops the list at $107,379 with 48 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering follows at $100,391, and Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering round out the top five, with medians of $89,362 and $88,690, respectively. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $107,379 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $100,391 **Mechanical Engineering** $95,896 **Industrial Engineering** $89,362 **Manufacturing Engineering** $88,690 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $86,941 **Civil Engineering** $83,801 **Accounting and Related Services** $80,877 [Explore Bradley University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/bradley-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings at Bradley University depend heavily on field of study, a spread captured in earnings scenarios built from the university's program mix. The downside scenario, reflecting lower-earning program clusters, is $50,450, while the typical scenario is $74,150 and the upside scenario reaches $95,215. Among the largest programs, Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $95,896 four years after completion, while Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication sits at $58,515. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of Bradley University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $74,150. That median falls at the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawn from a cohort of 1,235 completers. Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios range from $50,450 on the downside to $95,215 on the upside, with $74,150 as the typical outcome. Based on the program mix, an estimated 26.3% of graduates continue to graduate study. Graduates earn about $7,296 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between actual pay and the model's prediction for comparable students. That gap sits at the 77th percentile. ## 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/).