Graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn median 4-year earnings of $63,454, placing Saginaw Valley State University in the 63.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,863 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 69.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Saginaw Valley State University #563 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 178 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,103, ranked #251 nationally in its major. Special Education and Teaching reports 82 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,078, ranked #34 nationally in its major. Social Work reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,961, ranked #44 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 72 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $48,561, ranked #152 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn median 4-year earnings of $63,454, placing Saginaw Valley State University in the 63.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,863 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 69.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Saginaw Valley State University #563 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 178 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,103, ranked #251 nationally in its major. Special Education and Teaching reports 82 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,078, ranked #34 nationally in its major. Social Work reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,961, ranked #44 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 72 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $48,561, ranked #152 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.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $25,000 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn median 4-year earnings of $63,454, placing Saginaw Valley State University in the 63.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,863 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 69.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Saginaw Valley State University #563 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 178 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,103, ranked #251 nationally in its major. Special Education and Teaching reports 82 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,078, ranked #34 nationally in its major. Social Work reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,961, ranked #44 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 72 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $48,561, ranked #152 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Saginaw Valley State University's program mix is anchored in health, education, and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with its regional public university identity in mid-Michigan. The dominant program family is Health, which accounts for 15% of graduates, followed by Business at 15% and Arts at 5%. Across 41 programs serving roughly 1,421 students annually, the institution concentrates its degree output in fields with direct workforce pathways rather than research-track or graduate-school-dependent pipelines. The program with the strongest combination of enrollment scale and earnings is Nursing, which anchors Saginaw Valley State University's economic profile by pairing a large graduating cohort with competitive four-year earnings. Among the most popular programs, Nursing program graduates 178 students and delivers median earnings of $81,103 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking the program #215 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Special Education and Teaching and Social Work round out the high-enrollment tier, each feeding graduates into stable regional labor markets where demand for health and education professionals remains steady. The highest-earning programs at Saginaw Valley State University reflect the institution's health-sciences depth. Nursing leads on earnings, with graduates posting median earnings of $81,103 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks the program #215 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions and Criminal Justice follow, both representing high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter licensed or credentialed roles with strong hiring demand. For context on how these fields align with national labor-market trends, see supply and demand for college graduates.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn median 4-year earnings of $63,454, placing Saginaw Valley State University in the 63.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,863 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 69.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Saginaw Valley State University #563 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 178 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,103, ranked #251 nationally in its major. Special Education and Teaching reports 82 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,078, ranked #34 nationally in its major. Social Work reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,961, ranked #44 nationally in its major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 72 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $48,561, ranked #152 nationally in its major.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
