Graduates of Rensselaer command some of the highest salaries of any undergraduate degree holders in the nation, according to a new study from PayScale.
The PayScale 2014-15 College Salary Report ranks Rensselaer 35 among the 1,002 colleges included on the list. The report shows Rensselaer alumni and alumnae with an undergraduate degree earn a median early career salary of $62,300, and a median mid-career salary of $110,100. The report does not include graduates who went on to receive master’s or doctoral degrees.
Among the highest-paying job titles held by Rensselaer graduates are software engineer, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer, according to the report. Popular employers of Rensselaer graduates include IBM, General Electric, Pratt and Whitney, and United Technologies Corporation, the report said.
The PayScale report is the latest recognition of the long-held reputation of Rensselaer as one of the nation’s top universities. In August, USA Today ranked Rensselaer as fifth on the list of “Top 10 Engineering Colleges in the United States.” In September, U.S. News & World Report ranked Rensselaer 42 among all universities in the United States.
This recognition reinforces what the Institute saw in its most recent admissions cycle: the demand for a Rensselaer education has never been higher.
Top-tier high school students from around the world seek out, apply to, and ultimately choose to attend Rensselaer. The Institute has set records for freshman applications for 10 consecutive years, and applications to join the Class of 2018 represented an increase of 17 percent over the previous year. The admitted first-year class is exceptionally accomplished and diverse.