1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Northeastern State University](/school/northeastern-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Northeastern State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/northeastern-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/northeastern-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/northeastern-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/northeastern-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/northeastern-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Northeastern State University graduates earn? The reported median is $50,752 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$6,549 per year. Return is the weakest pillar at Northeastern State University, with earnings that fall below the peer median for comparable institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $50,752, a figure in the 20th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, so the gap is $6,549 below that level. The return pillar is in the 34th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided graduates earn about $48 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That places the gap at the 54th 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 $3,610. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $128. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,658. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $42,720 to $72,246, with a typical scenario of $50,752. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. At the upper end, Nursing graduates earn $96,702 four years after completion, from 73 degrees awarded. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians follows at $69,276, and Computer Science at $67,854. The span between the downside scenario and the highest-earning program is wide. An estimated 29.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, so that estimate matters when reading the reported median: some graduates pursuing further study are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $50,752 **Rank for difference from expectations** 54th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Northeastern State University reported median** $50,752 **Peer schools comparable schools · $6,549 above Northeastern State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $48 above Northeastern State University** $50,800 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 $42,720 to $72,246, around the reported median of $50,752. Compare the lower scenario with [Northeastern State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/northeastern-state-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** $42,720 **Median · reported** $50,752 **Higher estimate** $72,246 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 Northeastern State 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). Northeastern State University graduates’ reported earnings are $48 below that expectation, the 54th 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 Northeastern State 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.** +$3,610 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$3,658 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$48 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Northeastern State University report the highest earnings? The largest programs at Northeastern State University sit in fields with moderate earnings, while the highest pay is concentrated in a smaller professional program. Research and Experimental Psychology awards the most degrees, 149 a year, with median earnings of $46,102 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #40 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Business Administration and Management and Teacher Education each award 97 degrees. Graduates in business earn $60,651, while those in teacher education earn $43,116. Azimuth ranks the business program #255 nationally and the teacher education program #193. Nursing is the highest-earning program, at $96,702 from 73 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #94 nationally. The earnings spread between the largest programs and the top earner is wide, and the fields that pay the most are not the ones with the most degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 17 of the university's bachelor's programs nationally, with earnings data available for 25 fields. The strongest national ranks sit in specialized programs, while the programs with the most degrees awarded show more modest earnings. Business accounts for 19.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Psychology at 11.7% and Health Professions at 11.1%. The largest single program is Research and Experimental Psychology, with 149 degrees awarded and median earnings of $46,102 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #40 nationally and #1 in Oklahoma. The best-paid program is Nursing, ranked #94 nationally and #2 in Oklahoma, where graduates earn $96,702 from 73 degrees awarded a year. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians holds the strongest national rank at #9, with 34 degrees awarded and earnings of $69,276. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the highest earnings and best national ranks sit in smaller, more specialized fields. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $96,702 **Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians** $69,276 **Computer Science** $67,854 **Accounting and Related Services** $65,781 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $60,651 **Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other** $57,549 **Management Information Systems and Services** $55,328 **Social Work** $54,943 [Explore Northeastern State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/northeastern-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a range from a downside of $42,720 to a typical outcome of $50,752 and an upside of $72,246. The spread reflects the variation by field. Nursing sits at the high end with $96,702 four years after completion, while Liberal Arts and General Studies, the lowest-earning among the largest programs, stands at $41,705. At Northeastern State University, the median earnings four years after completion is $50,752 for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled. That is $6,549 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places the figure in the 20th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort is 1,836 completers. Graduates earn about $48 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That result lands at the 54th percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical figure of $50,752, with a downside scenario of $42,720 and an upside scenario of $72,246. An estimated 29.5% 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/).