Graduates of Oakland University earn median 4-year earnings of $68,708, placing Oakland University in the 72.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,843 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Oakland University #317 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 520 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,667, ranked #184 nationally in its major. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other reports 246 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $54,767, ranked #17 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 198 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $45,141, ranked #265 nationally in its major. Human Resources Management and Services reports 183 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $70,347, ranked #20 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Oakland University earn median 4-year earnings of $68,708, placing Oakland University in the 72.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,843 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Oakland University #317 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 520 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,667, ranked #184 nationally in its major. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other reports 246 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $54,767, ranked #17 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 198 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $45,141, ranked #265 nationally in its major. Human Resources Management and Services reports 183 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $70,347, ranked #20 nationally in its major.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Oakland University earn median 4-year earnings of $68,708, placing Oakland University in the 72.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,843 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Oakland University #317 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 520 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,667, ranked #184 nationally in its major. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other reports 246 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $54,767, ranked #17 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 198 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $45,141, ranked #265 nationally in its major. Human Resources Management and Services reports 183 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $70,347, ranked #20 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Oakland University's program mix is anchored in health professions, business, and applied sciences — a portfolio shaped by the university's role as a regional public institution serving southeastern Michigan's workforce needs. Business accounts for 17% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 11% and Education at 4%. The concentration in health fields reflects strong local employer demand from hospital systems and clinical networks across the Detroit metro area. Nursing is the largest program with 520 graduates, followed by Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (246 graduates) and Psychology, General (198 graduates). The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in health and applied-business fields. Azimuth ranks Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering #45 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $99,967. Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #55 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 173 graduates earning $97,444. Artificial Intelligence also delivers strong early-career pay — Azimuth ranks the program #90 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $90,737. Among the most popular programs, Azimuth ranks Nursing #131 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $81,667, per the program-ranking methodology. The health-heavy program mix means a meaningful share of Oakland University graduates enter local-labor career pathways — nursing, clinical support, and allied health roles where hiring is tied to regional hospital and health-system demand rather than national labor-market mobility. Programs like Human Resources Management and Services and Artificial Intelligence serve different segments of the student body, with Human Resources Management and Services graduating 183 students and Artificial Intelligence graduating 176 students annually. The provides broader context for how the institution's dominant health and business program families align with national hiring trends. Across 58 programs serving roughly 3,573 students annually, 37 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a solid share that reflects the university's breadth across applied and professional fields.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Oakland University earn median 4-year earnings of $68,708, placing Oakland University in the 72.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,843 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Oakland University #317 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 520 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,667, ranked #184 nationally in its major. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other reports 246 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $54,767, ranked #17 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 198 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $45,141, ranked #265 nationally in its major. Human Resources Management and Services reports 183 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $70,347, ranked #20 nationally in its major.
