Recently, “The Wall Street Journal”/College Pulse released the 2025 rankings for the best universities in the United States, a departure from other university rankings that primarily consider academic and reputation indicators. This ranking focuses on evaluating factors such as student experience, graduation rates, and future alumni salaries. The best salary rankings only consider indicators related to graduate income and return on investment.
Leading the ranking of universities that can most help graduates to become wealthy is a trio of prestigious private colleges and universities, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) excelling in improving the financial prospects of graduates, claiming the top spot. Stanford University follows in second place, while Princeton University, which tops the overall ranking, is placed third.
The overall picture reveals that private universities dominate the top 50 in the salary rankings, occupying 36 spots. Two public universities made it to the top ten, Georgia Institute of Technology and Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Another notable aspect of this ranking is the strong performance of universities with excellent STEM disciplines: Georgia Institute of Technology ranks fourth, California Institute of Technology ranks sixth, Harvey Mudd College ranks seventh, Missouri University of Science and Technology ranks ninth, and Milwaukee School of Engineering and Michigan Technological University also make it to the top 15.
The best salary ranking has two criteria: universities must provide a path to wealth for graduates early in their careers while also managing the cost of attendance.
In assessing success in wealth accumulation, “The Wall Street Journal” and research partner Statista examined income data from ten to eleven years after students’ enrollment, calculating post-graduation salary appreciation and evaluating the extent to which it exceeds expected salary. To measure the affordability of attending university and return on investment, “The Wall Street Journal” referenced research from the public policy think tank Third Way, analyzing how long it takes for graduates to surpass the estimated total cost of a four-year degree with higher earnings than high school graduates.
MIT, ranking first, excels in all aspects. The median early career income for MIT graduates is $133,793, the highest among all ranked schools, accounting for two-thirds of the total score. The school also ranks in the top 3% on the list of degree value.
At MIT, the path to career success often stems from classroom experiences. Former MIT students contacted by “The Wall Street Journal” typically attribute their success to influential professors and their teaching methods, as well as alumni support.
At Stanford University, students mention the entrepreneurial culture and pathways to tech companies as reasons for their early career success.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 99.3
2. Stanford University 98.4
3. Princeton University 97.9
4. Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus 97.6
5. University of Pennsylvania 97.4
6. California Institute of Technology 96.6
7. Harvey Mudd College 96.6
8. Babson College 96.2
9. Missouri University of Science and Technology 96.0
10. Carnegie Mellon University 95.1
Among the top ten universities most likely to lead to wealth, four are among the top ten in the overall university rankings by “The Wall Street Journal”/College Pulse, with MIT ranking sixth, Stanford University third, Georgia Institute of Technology ninth, and Babson College second.
11. Claremont McKenna College (Private), Claremont McKenna College, California
12. Milwaukee School of Engineering (Private), Wisconsin
13. Lehigh University (Private), Bethlehem University, Pennsylvania
14. Bentley University (Private), Massachusetts
15. Michigan Technological University (Public), Michigan
16. Colorado School of Mines (Public), Colorado
17. San José State University (Public), California
18. Yale University (Private), Connecticut
19. Kettering University (Private), Michigan
20. Manhattan College (Private), New York