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Career outcomes brief

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# Washington University in St Louis Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated September 30, 2026

[Overview](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/)[Cost & aid](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/admissions/)[Majors](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do WashU graduates earn?

The reported median is $95,899 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $27,649 per year.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $95,899, at the 96th percentile. That is $27,649 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 97th percentile. Graduates earn about $6,561 less than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the gap at the 30th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,022.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $13,583. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $5,157.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show the range that program choice can make. The typical earnings scenario is $95,899, while the downside scenario sits at $60,106 and the upside reaches $170,432.

These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. At the program level, Finance graduates earn a median of $185,551 four years after completion, and Computer Science graduates earn $177,066.

The spread between the downside scenario and the top-earning programs shows how much the return depends on the field a student chooses.

An estimated 34.3% 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, this estimate indicates that a sizable portion of completers may be building additional human capital outside the earnings snapshot.

**Median earnings · four years after completion**
$95,899

**Rank for difference from expectations**
30th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**WashU reported median**
$95,899

**Peer schools comparable schools · $27,649 below WashU**
$68,250

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $6,561 above WashU**
$102,460

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 $60,106 to $170,432, around the reported median of $95,899. Compare the lower scenario with [WashU borrowing and monthly payments](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/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**
$60,106

**Median · reported**
$95,899

**Higher estimate**
$170,432

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 WashU 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).

WashU graduates’ reported earnings are $6,561 below that expectation, the 30th 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 WashU 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.**
+$7,022

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
\-$13,583

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
\-$6,561

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

## Which fields at WashU report the highest earnings?

The largest programs at Washington University in St Louis span a wide earnings range, and the highest-earning fields are not the ones awarding the most degrees. Computer Science is the largest program, with 205 degrees awarded and median earnings of $177,066 four years after completion.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #18 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Finance awards fewer degrees, at 181, but its graduates earn $185,551.

Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally. At the more moderate end, Research and Experimental Psychology awards 189 degrees and posts median earnings of $75,261, ranking #4 nationally.

Business accounts for 18.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, ahead of Social Sciences at 12.7% and Engineering at 10.2%. National ranks cover 14 bachelor's programs, and earnings figures are available for 17.

Computer Science is the largest single program, at 205 degrees a year. In its field, it holds a national rank of #18.

Graduates earn a median of $177,066 four years after completion. Research and Experimental Psychology follows at 189 degrees, with a national rank of #4 and median earnings of $75,261.

Finance awards 181 degrees and holds a rank of #2; its graduates earn $185,551 four years after completion. Economics awards 105 degrees and ranks #48, with median earnings of $102,439 four years after completion.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Finance and Financial Management Services**
$185,551

**Computer Science**
$177,066

**Business/Managerial Economics**
$162,355

**Systems Engineering**
$119,297

**Chemical Engineering**
$107,843

**Economics**
$102,439

**Marketing**
$100,489

**Mathematics**
$98,497

[Explore WashU program cohorts and field ranks](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context.

## Further analysis

Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $60,106, a typical outcome of $95,899, and an upside of $170,432. Among the largest programs, Finance reaches $185,551 at the high end, while Anthropology sits at $71,018 at the lower end.

Four years after graduating, Washington University in St Louis completers earn a median of $95,899, a figure that sits in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The four-year earnings cohort includes 1,305 completers.

Graduates earn about $6,561 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios, which reflect the university's program mix, show a wide range of potential outcomes: a typical return of $95,899, a downside scenario of $60,106, and an upside scenario reaching $170,432.

The model estimates that 34.3% of programs' graduates continue to graduate study, a share derived from program mix rather than observed enrollment. The university's median earnings run above the $68,250 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $27,649.

This gap coincides with a program mix that includes high-earning fields: Computer Science graduates earn a median of $177,066, and Finance graduates reach $185,551.

## 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/).