1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Marshall University](/school/marshall-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Marshall University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/marshall-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/marshall-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/marshall-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/marshall-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/marshall-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Marshall University graduates earn? The reported median is $54,141 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$3,160 per year. Return is the weakest of the four pillars for Marshall University, at the 35th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after graduating, federally aided completers earn $54,141, at the 30th percentile nationally. That is $3,160 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $451 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. The gap sits at the 53rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,224. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,675. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $891. The earnings scenarios show a range tied to different program clusters at Marshall University. The downside earnings scenario is $41,195 and the upside is $71,656. At the upper end, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management graduates earn a median of $79,371 four years after completion, from 14 degrees awarded. Nursing follows at $77,609 with 92 degrees awarded, and Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at $75,952 from 10 degrees awarded. An estimated 30.0% 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** $54,141 **Rank for difference from expectations** 53rd percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Marshall University reported median** $54,141 **Peer schools comparable schools · $3,160 above Marshall University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $451 above Marshall University** $54,592 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 $41,195 to $71,656, around the reported median of $54,141. Compare the lower scenario with [Marshall University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/marshall-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** $41,195 **Median · reported** $54,141 **Higher estimate** $71,656 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 Marshall 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). Marshall University graduates’ reported earnings are $451 below that expectation, the 53rd 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 Marshall 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.** +$2,224 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$2,675 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$451 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Marshall University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Marshall University are concentrated in technical and health fields. The largest program by degrees awarded is Liberal Arts and General Studies, with 171 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #155. Graduates earn $43,714 four years after completion. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management leads in earnings at $79,371, though it awards only 14 degrees a year. Nursing combines scale and pay, with 92 degrees awarded and median earnings of $77,609; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #289 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. At the more moderate end, Psychology awards 88 degrees and posts median earnings of $45,309, ranking #290 nationally. The earnings picture across programs is mixed: the fields that pay best are not the ones producing the most graduates. Business and Health Professions are the two largest program families, accounting for 19.1% and 18.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Marshall University has 17 nationally ranked programs. The best-ranked program is Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, which [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) #16 nationally and #1 in West Virginia. It awarded 85 degrees, and graduates earned a median of $42,925 four years after completion. The largest program, Liberal Arts and General Studies, awarded 171 degrees. Azimuth ranks it #155 nationally and #2 in West Virginia, with median earnings of $43,714 four years after completion. Nursing is the highest-earning among the larger programs, with 92 degrees awarded and median earnings of $77,609. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management** $79,371 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $77,609 **Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions** $75,952 **Engineering, General** $72,922 **Accounting and Related Services** $70,425 **Business/Managerial Economics** $70,073 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $69,565 **Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions** $67,667 [Explore Marshall University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/marshall-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $41,195, a typical outcome of $54,141, and an upside of $71,656. The spread between the low and high ends shows the variation by field. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management sits at the high end with $79,371 four years after completion. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, the lowest-earning large program, stands at $42,925. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $54,141 at Marshall University. That figure is $3,160 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places those earnings in the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawing on an earnings cohort of 2,021 completers. Graduates earn about $451 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between actual pay and what the model predicts for similar students. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $41,195 on the downside to $71,656 on the upside, with the typical scenario at the median. An estimated 30.0% 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/).