1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Davidson College](/school/davidson-college/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Davidson College Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/davidson-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/davidson-college/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/davidson-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/davidson-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/davidson-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Davidson College graduates earn? The reported median is $72,718 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $16,803 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar for Davidson College in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $72,718. That is $16,803 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median sits in the 80th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show how much the field of study can shift the outcome. The typical earnings scenario is $72,718, with a downside of $48,799 and an upside of $87,077. These are earnings scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The range from the downside to the upside is wide, reflecting the mix of programs at Davidson College. An estimated 42.8% 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, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $72,718 Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Davidson College reported median** $72,718 **Peer schools comparable schools · $16,803 below Davidson College** $55,915 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 Davidson College students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 96.0% **Completed within six years** 89.5% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 85.5% Source: Davidson College Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention; B4–B11 six-year completion. Retention and completion follow different entering cohorts. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $48,799 to $87,077, around the reported median of $72,718. Compare the lower scenario with [Davidson College borrowing and monthly payments](/school/davidson-college/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** $48,799 **Median · reported** $72,718 **Higher estimate** $87,077 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 Davidson College 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 Davidson College. 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 Davidson College caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## Which fields at Davidson College report the highest earnings? Social Sciences accounts for 30.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Biological Sciences at 11.2% and Psychology at 11.0%. The college lacks nationally ranked programs in the current Azimuth snapshot, so program-level earnings comparisons are absent. [Explore Davidson College program cohorts and field ranks](/school/davidson-college/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $48,799 to a typical outcome of $72,718 and an upside of $87,077. The spread between the downside and upside scenarios shows how much earnings can vary by field. Four years after graduating, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $72,718. That is $16,803 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places the figure in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort is 249 completers. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a range: a typical scenario of $72,718, a downside scenario of $48,799, and an upside scenario of $87,077. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. An estimated 42.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The four-year earnings measure captures only those working and not enrolled, so graduates in further study are not reflected in the median. ## 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/).