Graduates of Portland State University earn median earnings of $62,060 four years after enrollment, placing Portland State University in the 52.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $4,850 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 75.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to OR's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $33,492 — the state median earnings of working adults in their late twenties and early thirties with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Portland State University, accounting for 21% of degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 6%. Business Administration combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #230 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 365 graduates earning median earnings of $49,063. The Business Administration program graduates 275 students with median earnings of $71,621, and Azimuth ranks Social Sciences #15 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 247 graduates earning median earnings of $52,562. General Studies and Digital Marketing round out the top programs, with median earnings of $50,949 and $61,499 respectively.
Graduates of Portland State University earn median earnings of $62,060 four years after enrollment, placing Portland State University in the 52.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $4,850 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 75.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to OR's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $33,492 — the state median earnings of working adults in their late twenties and early thirties with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Portland State University, accounting for 21% of degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 6%. Business Administration combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #230 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 365 graduates earning median earnings of $49,063. The Business Administration program graduates 275 students with median earnings of $71,621, and Azimuth ranks Social Sciences #15 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 247 graduates earning median earnings of $52,562. General Studies and Digital Marketing round out the top programs, with median earnings of $50,949 and $61,499 respectively.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Portland State University earn median earnings of $62,060 four years after enrollment, placing Portland State University in the 52.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $4,850 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 75.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to OR's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $33,492 — the state median earnings of working adults in their late twenties and early thirties with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Portland State University, accounting for 21% of degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 6%. Business Administration combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #230 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 365 graduates earning median earnings of $49,063. The Business Administration program graduates 275 students with median earnings of $71,621, and Azimuth ranks Social Sciences #15 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 247 graduates earning median earnings of $52,562. General Studies and Digital Marketing round out the top programs, with median earnings of $50,949 and $61,499 respectively.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Portland State University's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional depth in social sciences, health, and liberal arts — a portfolio shaped by the university's urban public mission in Portland. Business accounts for 21% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 6%. Across 60 programs serving roughly 4,650 students annually, 49 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a broad base that reflects the institution's comprehensive degree offerings. Business Administration is the program that combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a central driver of Portland State University's overall financial profile. Among the largest programs, Psychology, General program graduates 365 students with median earnings of $49,063 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #230 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Business Administration program graduates 275 students earning $71,621, while The Social Sciences program graduates 247 students earning $52,562. The earnings spread across these popular programs illustrates how outcomes vary meaningfully by field of study, even within a single institution. The strongest early-career earnings come from Computer Science, where graduates earn $113,889 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks this program #89 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Accounting follows at $77,226, and Business Administration graduates earn $71,621. Several of these high-earning fields — particularly in business and applied technology — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect supply and demand for college graduates in Portland's regional economy and beyond. Programs in social sciences and liberal arts, by contrast, often serve as foundations for graduate study, where four-year earnings undercount the longer-term trajectory for students who continue to advanced degrees. ```
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Portland State University earn median earnings of $62,060 four years after enrollment, placing Portland State University in the 52.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $4,850 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 75.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to OR's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $33,492 — the state median earnings of working adults in their late twenties and early thirties with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Portland State University, accounting for 21% of degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 6%. Business Administration combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #230 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 365 graduates earning median earnings of $49,063. The Business Administration program graduates 275 students with median earnings of $71,621, and Azimuth ranks Social Sciences #15 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 247 graduates earning median earnings of $52,562. General Studies and Digital Marketing round out the top programs, with median earnings of $50,949 and $61,499 respectively.
