Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
University of Kansas graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early careers. Median earnings begin at $51,217 six years after enrollment, increase to $57,994 at the eight-year mark, and reach $61,945 ten years after enrollment.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $21,000 in debt with typical earnings.
University of Kansas graduates carry median debt levels of $21,000, ranking at the 63rd percentile nationally and comparing favorably to peer institutions. Student debt ranges from $5,500 at the 25th percentile to $25,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating moderate borrowing variation among graduates.
University of Kansas delivers well above average return on investment, ranking at the 81.2nd percentile nationally. Graduates earn a median of $61,945 ten years after enrollment, placing the university at the 75th percentile for long-term earnings and $1,402 above the peer median of $60,543.
Approximately 27.1% of University of Kansas graduates continue to graduate or professional study according to high-confidence program mix analysis. T...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
University of Kansas program outcomes demonstrate significant variation by field, with Clinical and Industrial Drug Development leading at $129,963 and ranking #1 nationally. Engineering programs show consistent strength with Chemical Engineering at $82,447 and Mechanical Engineering at $79,635, while business programs deliver solid mid-career earnings with Business Administration at $77,588.
Communications programs perform well with Broadcast Journalism ranking #6 nationally at $54,736, and interdisciplinary programs like Exercise Science rank #15 nationally at $57,522. Lower-earning programs like Psychology ($43,397) often serve as preparation for graduate study or public service careers.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings variation at University of Kansas shows moderate dispersion with meaningful upside potential. The gap between 25th percentile earnings ($40,390) and 75th percentile earnings ($88,093) creates a 2.2:1 ratio, indicating reasonable variation in career outcomes.