1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [University of Georgia](/school/university-of-georgia/)
4.  /
5.  Career outcomes brief

Career outcomes brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# University of Georgia Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-georgia/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-georgia/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-georgia/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-georgia/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-georgia/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do UGA graduates earn?

The reported median is $74,144 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is $8,534 per year.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of University of Georgia who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $74,144, at the 82nd percentile. That is $8,534 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Graduates earn about $4,769 less than the model expects for similar students, placing that gap at the 37th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $13,295.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $18,064. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,623.

Azimuth places the university at the 78th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.

At University of Georgia, the median earnings four years after completion sit at $74,144, but the range around that figure is substantial. Earnings scenarios, which reflect the university's program mix, span from a downside of $54,898 to an upside of $100,305.

Program-level data show where the upside is concentrated. Management Information Systems and Services completers earn a median of $113,184, and Finance completers reach $97,364.

The largest program, Biology, awards 608 degrees and its completers earn a median of $60,366. The spread between the downside and upside scenarios shows that earnings vary widely with field of study.

An estimated 30.1% 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**
$74,144

**Rank for difference from expectations**
37th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**UGA reported median**
$74,144

**Peer schools comparable schools · $8,534 below UGA**
$65,610

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $4,769 above UGA**
$78,913

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 UGA first-year students return?

First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26

**Returned the following fall**
94.0%

Source: University of Georgia Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention.

## How could earnings differ from the median?

The planning scenarios range from $54,898 to $100,305, around the reported median of $74,144. Compare the lower scenario with [UGA borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-georgia/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**
$54,898

**Median · reported**
$74,144

**Higher estimate**
$100,305

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 UGA 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).

UGA graduates’ reported earnings are $4,769 below that expectation, the 37th percentile for this measure. 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 UGA caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

What explains value-added earnings?

**Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.**
+$13,295

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
\-$18,064

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
\-$4,769

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

## Which fields at UGA report the highest earnings?

The University of Georgia's largest programs span fields with sharply different earnings profiles. Management Information Systems and Services leads with a median of $113,184 four years after completion and an Azimuth national rank of #3 on 358 degrees awarded.

Finance follows at $97,364 and ranks #26 nationally, with 544 degrees awarded. In contrast, Biology and Psychology, the two largest programs by degrees awarded, show more moderate earnings.

Biology reports a median of $60,366 and an Azimuth national rank of #97 on 608 degrees awarded. Psychology reaches $59,446 and ranks #38 nationally, with 581 degrees awarded.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 56 bachelor's programs at University of Georgia, and earnings data is available for 58 fields. The university's strongest national placements are in Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies (#1 nationally, #1 in Georgia, 138 degrees awarded, median earnings $74,107 four years after completion) and Animal Sciences (#1 nationally, #1 in Georgia, 88 degrees awarded, median $61,176).

Among the largest programs, Management Information Systems and Services delivers the highest median earnings at $113,184 and holds a national rank of #3 (#1 in Georgia), with 358 degrees awarded. Finance ranks #26 nationally and #1 in Georgia, awarding 544 degrees and showing a median of $97,364.

Marketing also places in the top #20 nationally (#1 in Georgia) with 375 degrees awarded and median earnings of $85,785.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Management Information Systems and Services**
$113,184

**Biochemical Engineering**
$111,951

**International Business**
$109,345

**Computer Science**
$107,397

**Computer Engineering**
$99,739

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**
$98,280

**Finance and Financial Management Services**
$97,364

**Insurance**
$94,729

[Explore UGA program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-georgia/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 earnings scenario sits at $54,898, the typical scenario at $74,144, and the upside scenario reaches $100,305.

Among the largest programs, Management Information Systems and Services reaches $113,184 at the high end, while Psychology sits at $59,446 at the lower end.

At University of Georgia, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $74,144 four years after completion. That figure is $8,534 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the university's earnings at the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 5,847 completers. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical figure of $74,144, with a downside of $54,898 and an upside of $100,305.

An estimated 30.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Graduates earn about $4,769 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 37th percentile. The [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students.

## 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/).