How much money do Valparaiso University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $39,800 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $54,000 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for Valpo graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering with a median starting salary of $67,200 followed by Mechanical Engineering paying $62,500 and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates who have a median starting income of $60,900 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $116,100 followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $57,700 and Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) who earn $41,100 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Valparaiso University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degree) | $116,100 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,500 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,900 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $57,700 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $57,100 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,800 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) | $41,100 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,500 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $37,000 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) | $35,800 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,500 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,900 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,400 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,700 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,200 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,500 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,400 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,500 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=152600 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Valparaiso University.