1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Colgate University](/school/colgate-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Colgate University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/colgate-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/colgate-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/colgate-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/colgate-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/colgate-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Colgate University graduates earn? The reported median is $77,917 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $9,667 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,917. That is $9,667 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings alone sit in the 86th percentile nationally. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $53,384 on the downside to $130,426 on the upside. At the higher end, Computer Science graduates earn $161,980 four years after completion, from 49 degrees awarded a year. Economics follows at $128,887, with 143 degrees awarded. Political Science graduates earn $83,188, from 87 degrees awarded. An estimated 42.5% 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, a sizable share of graduates may be building additional credentials outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $77,917 Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Colgate University reported median** $77,917 **Peer schools comparable schools · $9,667 below Colgate University** $68,250 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 many Colgate University first-year students return? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 92.0% Source: Colgate University Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $53,384 to $130,426, around the reported median of $77,917. Compare the lower scenario with [Colgate University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/colgate-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** $53,384 **Median · reported** $77,917 **Higher estimate** $130,426 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 Colgate 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). That comparison is not reported for Colgate University. 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 Colgate University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## Which fields at Colgate University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning program at Colgate University is Computer Science, where graduates earn a median of $161,980 four years after completion, with 49 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #24 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The largest program, Economics, awards 143 degrees a year and posts a median of $128,887. That places it #17 nationally. International Relations and National Security Studies graduates earn $77,199 from 47 degrees awarded. Natural Resources Conservation and Research is smaller still, at 37 degrees a year and $70,760, though Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally and #1 in New York within its field. The Social Sciences family accounts for 35.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Biological Sciences next at 11.0%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 7 of the university's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The largest program is Economics, at 143 degrees awarded and median earnings of $128,887 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #17 within its field. The highest-earning program is Computer Science, with 49 degrees awarded, median earnings of $161,980 and a national rank of #24 in its field. Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics holds the strongest national rank at #6, with 26 degrees awarded and earnings of $81,802. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $161,980 **Economics** $128,887 **Political Science and Government** $83,188 **Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics** $81,802 **International Relations and National Security Studies** $77,199 **History** $75,784 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research** $70,760 **English Language and Literature, General** $60,702 [Explore Colgate University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/colgate-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show how much field of study can shift the outcome. The downside earnings scenario is $53,384, the typical scenario is $77,917, and the upside scenario reaches $130,426. Among the largest programs with published earnings, Computer Science graduates earn $161,980 at the high end, while Natural Resources Conservation and Research sits at $70,760 at the lower end. The spread between those two fields shows that earnings vary substantially by program. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Colgate University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,917, which places them in the 86th percentile. That figure is $9,667 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), drawn from an earnings cohort of 380 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $53,384 to an upside of $130,426, with a typical scenario of $77,917. These are estimates, not observed percentiles. An estimated 42.5% 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/).