The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art: Outcomes

How much do The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art graduates earn?

The reported median is $75,729 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $19,814 per year.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,729. That figure is $19,814 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings sit at the 84th percentile nationally.

The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $24,920 on the downside to $132,801 on the upside. The program mix spans fields with very different earnings profiles.

At the higher end, Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $139,068 four years after completion, from 31 degrees awarded a year. Civil Engineering follows at $108,466, with 18 degrees awarded.

The largest program, Fine and Studio Arts, sits at the lower end of the range at $24,920.

An estimated 25.5% 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 those continuing their education are outside that snapshot.

How could earnings differ from the median?

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

Lower estimate: $24,920
Median · reported: $75,729
Higher estimate: $132,801

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 explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. Read about the move to four-year earnings.

Do The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art 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.

That comparison is not reported for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. 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 The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art caused a student to earn. Read how expected earnings are estimated.

Which fields at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art report the highest earnings?

The earnings spread across the largest programs at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is wide. The highest-earning fields are not the ones awarding the most degrees.

Fine and Studio Arts is the largest program, with 62 degrees awarded and median earnings of $24,920 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #230 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Electrical Engineering graduates earn $139,068, the highest figure among the school's programs, from 31 degrees awarded. Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering sit between the two extremes, with median earnings of $100,191 and $108,466 respectively.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is an engineering and art school. Engineering accounts for 51.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Visual & Performing Arts for 36.5%.

The remaining 11.8% go to Architecture. The largest single program is Fine and Studio Arts, at 62 degrees a year.

Its graduates earn $24,920 four years after completion, and Azimuth ranks it #230 within its field. That is the only program with a national rank.

The highest earnings come from Electrical Engineering, at $139,068 from 31 degrees a year. Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering follow, both above six figures.

A student choosing between the largest program and the best-paid one is looking at a six-figure earnings spread.

Further analysis

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a wide spread. The downside earnings scenario is $24,920, the typical scenario is $75,729, and the upside reaches $132,801.

The range shows variation by field at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Electrical Engineering graduates earn $139,068 four years out, while Fine and Studio Arts, the largest program, reports $24,920.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,729. The earnings cohort includes 156 completers.

That median is $19,814 above the $55,915 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that earnings level sits in the 84th percentile.

Estimated from the program mix, earnings scenarios run from $24,920 at the low end to $132,801 at the high end. The typical scenario lands at the same level as the observed median.

An estimated 25.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The four-year figure captures only those who enter the workforce directly.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, 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.