1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Minnesota-Duluth](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Minnesota-Duluth Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do University of Minnesota-Duluth graduates earn? The reported median is $66,056 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $8,755 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,056. That is $8,755 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and it sits at the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $381 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That puts the gap at the 56th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,717. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,336. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 62nd percentile. Four years after completing a degree, the median earnings for University of Minnesota-Duluth graduates sit at $66,056. The earnings scenarios, which are estimated from the program mix, show a wide range: a downside of $49,316 and an upside of $83,822. At the program level, Industrial Engineering graduates report the highest median earnings at $97,732, from 13 degrees awarded a year. Computer Science follows at $91,911, with a larger cohort of 78 degrees awarded. An estimated 31.1% 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** $66,056 **Rank for difference from expectations** 56th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **University of Minnesota-Duluth reported median** $66,056 **Peer schools comparable schools · $8,755 below University of Minnesota-Duluth** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $381 below University of Minnesota-Duluth** $65,675 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 could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $49,316 to $83,822, around the reported median of $66,056. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Minnesota-Duluth borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/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** $49,316 **Median · reported** $66,056 **Higher estimate** $83,822 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 University of Minnesota-Duluth 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). University of Minnesota-Duluth graduates’ reported earnings are $381 above that expectation, the 56th 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 University of Minnesota-Duluth 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.** +$8,717 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$8,336 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$381 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at University of Minnesota-Duluth report the highest earnings? The university's largest programs show a clear earnings spread between technical and non-technical fields. Mechanical Engineering leads with a median of $88,965 four years after completion, on 106 degrees awarded. Marketing and Finance follow at $74,079 and $73,979, with 122 and 117 degrees awarded respectively. By contrast, Psychology and Biology sit lower, at $51,891 and $63,317. They award the most degrees: 162 and 146. The highest-earning program overall, Industrial Engineering, reaches $97,732 but awarded only 13 degrees. The spread between the largest and highest-earning programs shows that early-career pay varies widely by field at University of Minnesota-Duluth. The largest programs at University of Minnesota-Duluth show a wide earnings spread four years after completion, from $51,891 in Psychology to $88,965 in Mechanical Engineering. Psychology awarded 162 degrees, while Biology awarded 146 and reports a median of $63,317. Marketing and Finance each awarded over a hundred degrees, with medians of $74,079 and $73,979. The highest-earning large program is Mechanical Engineering, at 106 degrees awarded. Across all 42 programs with published earnings, the top earners include Industrial Engineering at $97,732 and Computer Science at $91,911. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Industrial Engineering** $97,732 **Computer Science** $91,911 **Mechanical Engineering** $88,965 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $88,305 **Chemical Engineering** $85,667 **Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications** $79,939 **Civil Engineering** $79,485 **Mathematics** $75,633 [Explore University of Minnesota-Duluth program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show how earnings vary by field. The downside earnings scenario sits at $49,316, the typical scenario at $66,056, and the upside scenario reaches $83,822. Anchoring the range in named programs, Industrial Engineering graduates earn a median of $97,732 four years after completion, while the largest program, Psychology, sits at $51,891. Four years after completing a degree, University of Minnesota-Duluth graduates earn a median of $66,056, which is above the median of $57,301 for comparable institutions (same type and size). That figure places the university in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawn from an earnings cohort of 2,402 completers. Graduates earn about $381 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $49,316 and an upside scenario reaching $83,822, with the typical scenario matching the observed median. An estimated 31.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The earnings picture is mixed: graduates earn above the peer median, yet the return is effectively at the level the model expects for similar students. The spread between the downside and upside scenarios reflects the range of programs available. ## 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/).