Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
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.
Colgate University graduates demonstrate steady earnings growth over their early career trajectory, with median income rising from $64,949 six years after enrollment to $74,696 at eight years and reaching $85,139 at the ten-year mark. This represents 31.1% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement points, indicating consistent career advancement and income progression throughout the early-to-mid career period.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $15,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Student debt levels at Colgate University remain well-controlled relative to peer institutions, with a median debt of $15,000 compared to the peer median of $24,181, representing $9,181 less borrowing than typical comparable schools. Debt distribution ranges from $8,000 at the 25th percentile to $18,859 at the 75th percentile, indicating that most students borrow modest amounts relative to their future earning potential.
Colgate University's return index ranks at the 90.8th percentile with top-tier performance, reflecting strong long-term earnings relative to educational investment despite modestly below-average performance on earnings beyond expectations. Graduates earn a median of $85,139 ten years after enrollment, placing Colgate in the 96th percentile nationally for absolute earnings outcomes and among the top 5% of institutions we track.
Approximately 20.5% of Colgate graduates continue to graduate or professional study, reflecting balanced preparation for both immediate workforce entr...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Applied Economics drives Colgate's strongest earnings outcomes with graduates earning $103,456, representing the institution's largest program with 133 graduates and demonstrating both scale and performance. American Government and Politics produces $85,816 earnings among 79 graduates, while International Relations generates $80,020 outcomes from 41 students, illustrating consistent strength across social sciences and policy-focused disciplines.
Environmental Science delivers $70,524 earnings despite smaller cohort size, while Computer Science produces $66,171 outcomes, showing solid performance across diverse academic areas. The contrast between high-earning economics and politics programs versus more modest outcomes in sciences like Biology ($36,509) reflects typical liberal arts career patterns where business-oriented fields outperform life sciences in immediate post-graduation earnings.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution at Colgate spans from $56,075 at the 25th percentile to $139,443 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.5:1 ratio that reflects significant variation in career outcomes and program choices. Low-income graduates earn $67,300, demonstrating that students from lower-income backgrounds achieve solid earnings outcomes despite the institution's limited Pell share.
