Graduates of the University of Alaska Fairbanks earn a median of $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 71.3rd percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing UAF in the 77.2nd percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks UAF #514 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Alaska's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $40,140.
The earnings pattern reflects the university's Business focus, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the highest-earning program, with 53 graduates earning $70,539 — ranking #69 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Biology, General also deliver outcomes, with median earnings of $59,348 and $41,862 respectively. The program mix shows particular strength in applied fields that align with Alaska's regional economy.
Graduates of the University of Alaska Fairbanks earn a median of $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 71.3rd percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing UAF in the 77.2nd percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks UAF #514 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Alaska's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $40,140.
The earnings pattern reflects the university's Business focus, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the highest-earning program, with 53 graduates earning $70,539 — ranking #69 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Biology, General also deliver outcomes, with median earnings of $59,348 and $41,862 respectively. The program mix shows particular strength in applied fields that align with Alaska's regional economy.
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 the University of Alaska Fairbanks earn a median of $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 71.3rd percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing UAF in the 77.2nd percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks UAF #514 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Alaska's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $40,140.
The earnings pattern reflects the university's Business focus, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the highest-earning program, with 53 graduates earning $70,539 — ranking #69 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Biology, General also deliver outcomes, with median earnings of $59,348 and $41,862 respectively. The program mix shows particular strength in applied fields that align with Alaska's regional economy.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
University of Alaska Fairbanks's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional depth in natural resources, engineering, and health-related fields — a portfolio shaped by the university's identity as Alaska's flagship research institution serving a geographically distinct labor market. Business Administration is the largest program with 53 graduates, followed by Interdisciplinary Studies with 36 graduates and Biology, General with 35 graduates. The mix reflects University of Alaska Fairbanks's role as a broad-access institution preparing students for careers across Alaska's public sector, resource industries, and health workforce, with Business representing 14% of graduates, Engineering accounting for 13%, and Education contributing 6%. The strongest earnings outcomes at University of Alaska Fairbanks are concentrated in technical and applied fields. Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #182 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 26 graduates earning $91,522. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #59 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 53 graduates earning $70,539, and Azimuth ranks Criminal Justice #84 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 20 graduates earning $60,306. These programs — described further in how Azimuth evaluates programs — combine solid cohort scale with earnings that reflect Alaska's demand for technically trained graduates in resource extraction, infrastructure, and applied sciences. The highest aggregate-return program is Business Administration, which combines meaningful enrollment with competitive four-year earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall financial outcomes. Several of the university's popular programs, including Homeland Security and Psychology, General, lead into fields where graduate-school continuation is common and four-year earnings figures undercount longer-term trajectory. Across 26 programs serving roughly 455 students annually, University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a focused portfolio aligned with Alaska's regional labor-market needs — a context explored further in the framework.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of the University of Alaska Fairbanks earn a median of $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 71.3rd percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing UAF in the 77.2nd percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks UAF #514 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Alaska's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $40,140.
The earnings pattern reflects the university's Business focus, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the highest-earning program, with 53 graduates earning $70,539 — ranking #69 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Biology, General also deliver outcomes, with median earnings of $59,348 and $41,862 respectively. The program mix shows particular strength in applied fields that align with Alaska's regional economy.
