1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [East Carolina University](/school/east-carolina-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # East Carolina University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/east-carolina-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/east-carolina-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/east-carolina-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/east-carolina-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/east-carolina-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do East Carolina University graduates earn? The reported median is $60,888 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$4,722 per year. Mobility is the stronger Azimuth pillar for East Carolina University, while its return evidence sits nearer the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the return pillar is in the 52nd percentile. Graduates earn about $3,154 less than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations measure—the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students—falls in the 43rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $11,788. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $14,942. Federally aided completers working and not enrolled have median earnings of $60,888 four years after completion, in the 54th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size, is $65,610; the university’s median is $4,722 below it. The range of modeled earnings is wide enough that field choice warrants close attention. The downside earnings scenario is $47,580 four years after completion, compared with an upside scenario of $83,444; both are estimated from the program mix rather than observed graduate groups. At the higher end, Computer Science shows median earnings of $98,406 four years after completion, Computer and Information Sciences shows $90,197, and Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians shows $87,848. Those field-level figures help explain the spread between the earnings scenarios. The reported four-year earnings should be read alongside an estimated 27.7% of graduates who continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because the earnings measure covers federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, those pursuing graduate study are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $60,888 **Rank for difference from expectations** 43rd percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **East Carolina University reported median** $60,888 **Peer schools comparable schools · $4,722 above East Carolina University** $65,610 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $3,154 above East Carolina University** $64,042 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 $47,580 to $83,444, around the reported median of $60,888. Compare the lower scenario with [East Carolina University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/east-carolina-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** $47,580 **Median · reported** $60,888 **Higher estimate** $83,444 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 East Carolina 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). East Carolina University graduates’ reported earnings are $3,154 below that expectation, the 43rd 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 East Carolina 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.** +$11,788 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$14,942 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$3,154 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at East Carolina University report the highest earnings? East Carolina University separates into higher-earning engineering and health fields alongside a more moderate psychology option. Four years after completion, Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians records median earnings of $87,848 across 123 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Engineering posts $84,847 with 87 degrees awarded and holds an Azimuth rank of #12 nationally in its field. Nursing has median earnings of $82,250 four years after completion, with 374 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #205 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. At a more moderate earnings level, Psychology records $50,270 across 236 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national field rank of #190. The contrast shows that earnings vary substantially by field. The program lineup includes several fields with strong national standing. Azimuth assigns 42 bachelor’s fields national ranks. Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians awarded 123 degrees, and its completers had median earnings of $87,848 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #2 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians awarded 201 degrees and had median earnings of $81,852 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Engineering awarded 87 degrees, with median earnings of $84,847 four years after completion, and ranks #12 nationally in its field in Azimuth. Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences adds 122 degrees awarded and $61,791 in median earnings four years after completion. It holds an Azimuth rank of #17 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $98,406 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $90,197 **Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other** $87,848 **Engineering, General** $84,847 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $82,250 **Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians** $81,852 **Accounting and Related Services** $79,351 **Management Information Systems and Services** $79,238 [Explore East Carolina University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/east-carolina-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis The program mix yields earnings scenarios of $47,580 on the downside, $60,888 as typical, and $83,444 on the upside. Computer Science anchors the upper end at $98,406 four years after completion. Among the largest programs, Psychology is at $50,270. The spread shows how much earnings can vary by field. At East Carolina University, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $60,888 four years after completion. Azimuth places this earnings measure in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 5,995 completers. Graduates earn about $3,154 less than the model expects for similar students. The typical earnings scenario is $60,888, with a downside scenario of $47,580 and an upside scenario of $83,444, all based on program mix rather than observed groups. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The central earnings figure and broad modeled range make field choice important. ## 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/).