1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Wisconsin-La Crosse](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do University of Wisconsin-La Crosse graduates earn? The reported median is $60,184 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $2,883 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $60,184, at the 52nd percentile. That is $2,883 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $10,157 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 19th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $10,173. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $20,330. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program choice marks a broad modeled earnings range at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The downside earnings scenario is $49,608, and the upside scenario is $76,922 four years after completion; these are scenarios based on the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. Among higher-earning fields, Computer and Information Sciences has median earnings of $93,633 four years after completion, followed by Physics at $80,594 and Management Information Systems and Services at $80,552. Those field results help explain the distance between the earnings scenarios. An estimated 33.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, that estimate provides context for reading the reported earnings. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $60,184 **Rank for difference from expectations** 19th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reported median** $60,184 **Peer schools comparable schools · $2,883 below University of Wisconsin-La Crosse** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $10,157 above University of Wisconsin-La Crosse** $70,341 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 $49,608 to $76,922, around the reported median of $60,184. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Wisconsin-La Crosse borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/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** $49,608 **Median · reported** $60,184 **Higher estimate** $76,922 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 Wisconsin-La Crosse 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 Wisconsin-La Crosse graduates’ reported earnings are $10,157 below that expectation, the 19th 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 Wisconsin-La Crosse 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.** +$10,173 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$20,330 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$10,157 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse report the highest earnings? Program earnings at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse span higher-earning technical and business fields alongside more moderate outcomes in a large human-sciences field four years after completion. Computer and Information Sciences has median earnings of $93,633 and 46 degrees awarded. Physics follows at $80,594 across 12 degrees awarded, while Accounting records $78,296 with 77 degrees awarded. At a more moderate earnings level, Psychology posts $55,173 and 190 degrees awarded. The contrast shows that four-year earnings differ considerably by field, including among programs with substantial degree counts. The highest published program earnings are concentrated in computing, physics, and business-related fields, while Business accounts for 25.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Published earnings cover 30 bachelor’s fields, showing a wide range across the university’s larger and higher-earning options. Four years after completion, Computer and Information Sciences had median earnings of $93,633 with 46 degrees awarded; Physics, $80,594 and 12 degrees awarded; Management Information Systems and Services, $80,552 and 19 degrees awarded; Accounting, $78,296 and 77 degrees awarded; and Finance, $76,227 and 192 degrees awarded. The program-level picture varies substantially from field to field. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $93,633 **Physics** $80,594 **Management Information Systems and Services** $80,552 **Accounting and Related Services** $78,296 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $76,227 **Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions** $75,197 **Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions** $73,439 **Economics** $71,768 [Explore University of Wisconsin-La Crosse program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Program-mix scenarios place downside earnings at $49,608, typical earnings at $60,184, and upside earnings at $76,922. Computer and Information Sciences reaches $93,633 four years after completion; among the largest programs, Psychology is at $55,173. The spread shows variation by field. The earnings picture is mixed at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $60,184 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,270 completers. A typical earnings scenario based on the program mix is $60,184. An estimated 33.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, offer a less favorable model-based reading. Graduates earn about $10,157 less than the model expects for similar students. The middle-range earnings percentile and lower-than-expected model result point to a mixed return picture. ## 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/).