Top Ranked Programs
Gustavus Adolphus College's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, a signature that reflects the institution's liberal arts identity and emphasis on social inquiry. The largest programs by enrollment are Psychology, General with 66 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $53,277, followed by Biology, General with 52 graduates earning $54,202, Business/Commerce, General with 43 graduates earning $79,260, Kinesiology with 39 graduates, and Communication and Media Studies with 36 graduates. Across 33 total programs, 0 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 671 students annually. The institution's highest-earning programs cluster in quantitative and applied fields. Nursing leads with median 4-year earnings of $86,114 from 29 graduates, followed by Business/Commerce, General earning $79,260 from 43 graduates, Communication and Media Studies earning $69,423, Political Science earning $62,218, and Kinesiology earning $57,870. The earnings spread across the institution's ranked programs reflects both the breadth of Social Sciences and the presence of stronger-paying fields in business, natural sciences, and professional preparation. Several of Gustavus Adolphus College's programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect labor-market outcomes in their fields. Others, particularly within Social Sciences, represent grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to graduate or professional school. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national wage trends and sector demand.