1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Princeton University](/school/princeton-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Princeton University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/princeton-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/princeton-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/princeton-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/princeton-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/princeton-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Princeton University graduates earn? The reported median is $108,590 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $40,340 per year. Four years after completion, federally aided completers at Princeton University who are working and not enrolled show median earnings of $108,590. That figure falls in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Against comparable institutions (same type and size), that median stands above the peer median of $68,250 by $40,340. The earnings cohort includes 662 completers. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #35 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That outcome lands the return pillar in the 98th percentile. The median earnings figure of $108,590 four years after completion masks considerable variation across programs. Earnings scenarios, which reflect the university's program mix, range from a downside of $57,903 to an upside of $190,062. Program-level medians illustrate this range. Graduates of Computer Science earn a median of $217,973, while those from Economics earn $160,763. Completers of Mechanical Engineering see a median of $115,927. An estimated 37.2% 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. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $108,590 Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Princeton University reported median** $108,590 **Peer schools comparable schools · $40,340 below Princeton University** $68,250 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 many Princeton University first-year students return? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 99.0% Source: Princeton University Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $57,903 to $190,062, around the reported median of $108,590. Compare the lower scenario with [Princeton University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/princeton-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** $57,903 **Median · reported** $108,590 **Higher estimate** $190,062 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 Princeton 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). That comparison is not reported for Princeton University. 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 Princeton University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## Which fields at Princeton University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Princeton University are also among its largest. Computer Science awards 172 degrees a year, and its graduates earn a median of $217,973 four years after completion. Economics is the second-largest program, with 122 degrees awarded and median earnings of $160,763. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #4 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, and #1 in New Jersey. Public Policy Analysis awards 120 degrees and its graduates earn $107,792 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The spread between the top-earning and more moderate programs is wide, but even the lower-earning fields sit well above the national median for their disciplines. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 2 of Princeton University's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The strongest of these is Public Policy Analysis, which ranks #2 in its field and #1 in New Jersey. It awarded 120 degrees and has median earnings of $107,792 four years after completion. The largest program by degrees awarded is Computer Science, at 172 degrees awarded a year. Its completers earn a median of $217,973. Economics is the second-largest, with 122 degrees awarded and median earnings of $160,763; Azimuth ranks it #4 nationally. The earnings spread across programs is wide. Public Policy Analysis awards 120 degrees, with median earnings of $107,792 and a national rank of #2. History and Mechanical Engineering round out the five largest programs with published earnings, with median earnings of $80,347 and $115,927 respectively. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $217,973 **Economics** $160,763 **Mechanical Engineering** $115,927 **Public Policy Analysis** $107,792 **Political Science and Government** $88,576 **History** $80,347 **Research and Experimental Psychology** $63,216 **Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology** $62,344 [Explore Princeton University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/princeton-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show how earnings vary by field: the downside scenario sits at $57,903, the typical scenario at $108,590, and the upside scenario reaches $190,062. Among the largest programs, Computer Science graduates earn a median of $217,973 four years after completion, while History sits at $80,347. Median earnings for Princeton University are $108,590 among the 662 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled four years after completion. Azimuth places that median in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median is above the $68,250 figure at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $40,340. Earnings scenarios drawn from the program mix and reflecting the university's degree distribution range from $57,903 on the downside to $190,062 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $108,590. Derived from program mix rather than observed enrollment, the model estimates that 37.2% of programs' graduates continue to graduate study, a projection tied to the mix of degrees awarded. ## 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/).