Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
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.
Ferris State graduates demonstrate steady earnings growth over their early career development. Median earnings rise from $47,339 six years after enrollment to $52,215 at eight years and reach $54,735 at ten years, representing 15.6% growth from the six-year to ten-year mark.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $21,000 in debt with typical earnings.
Ferris State University graduates carry median debt levels of $21,000, essentially matching the peer median of $21,105 and indicating typical borrowing patterns for similar institutions. Debt levels range from $7,500 at the 25th percentile to $28,000 at the 75th percentile, showing reasonable variation in borrowing needs across students.
Ferris State University delivers above-average return on educational investment, ranking at the 70.2nd percentile nationally for return performance. Graduates earn $5,811 beyond expectations relative to similar students nationwide, placing the institution well above average at the 76.1st percentile for earnings uplift.
Approximately 26.4% of Ferris State graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with high confidence. This ra...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Ferris State's strongest earning programs drive overall institutional return performance through specialized technical preparation. Chemical Engineering Technology leads with $81,758 median earnings and exceptional value scores, followed closely by Construction Management at $81,593 and Aerospace Engineering Technology at $77,264.
These programs combine strong national rankings with substantial earnings premiums over typical graduates. Health programs like Adult Health Nursing ($72,757) provide solid middle-tier earnings with large enrollment numbers, while business programs show varied performance from Construction Management's excellence to more modest outcomes in general business administration.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution from $34,587 at the 25th percentile to $80,060 at the 75th percentile demonstrates meaningful variation in career outcomes based on program choice and individual career development. Low-income graduates earning $46,000 benefit from the institution's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility for students from lower-income backgrounds.
