Michigan State University Career Outcomes & Earnings

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Michigan State University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $74,093, at the 82nd percentile. That is $8,483 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Graduates earn about $9,065 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that gap at the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $13,131.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,066. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,383.

Azimuth places the university in the 87th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The range between the downside and upside scenarios spans from $53,627 to $99,328, reflecting the variation in earnings across the university's program clusters. Computer and Information Sciences graduates see the highest median at $116,905, while Computer Engineering completers earn a median of $104,627.

Among the largest programs, Business Administration and Management awards 425 degrees and shows median earnings of $91,187, a figure that coincides with the university's strong showing in business-related fields.

An estimated 31.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees.

Michigan State University fields with published four-year earnings number 82, and Azimuth ranks 73 of them nationally. The highest-earning program, Computer and Information Sciences, shows a median of $116,905 four years after completion, alongside 290 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #26.

Several large programs sit in a more moderate earnings band. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, the biggest by degrees awarded at 552, reports median earnings of $69,300 and an Azimuth national rank of #17.

Biology awarded 521 degrees and reaches $64,018, ranking #78 nationally. Psychology, with 476 degrees awarded, shows median earnings of $56,040 and an Azimuth national rank of #77.

Azimuth ranks 73 bachelor's programs at Michigan State University, with earnings data published for 82 fields. The university's strongest national placements include Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management at #3, Soil Sciences at #3, and Engineering-Related Fields at #4.

The largest program by degrees awarded is Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, with 552 degrees awarded and a national rank of #17. Graduates earn a median of $69,300 four years after completion.

Business Administration and Management follows with 425 degrees awarded, a national rank of #33, and median earnings of $91,187. The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, where the median reaches $116,905 four years after completion, alongside 290 degrees awarded.