Colleges with the highest-paid grads

The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Rank: 2
Mid-career salary: $131,000
Starting salary: $77,100
% of grads who think their job is meaningful: 69%

With 24 members of Congress, 52 astronauts and one President of the United States to claim as fellow alums, Naval Academy grads are among some of the country's elite. Before they go on to change the world, though, they must spend five years in military service where they will pick up real-life management skills that serve them well -- whether they go into private industry or public office.

First published October 23, 2013: 12:50 PM ET

Source: PayScale.com. Data used in the College Salary Report came from surveys completed by roughly 1.4 million college graduates of 1,016 colleges and universities, which represent 75% of all bachelor's degree recipients in the U.S. Graduates with advanced degrees were excluded from the results. Only full-time, civilian workers based in the 50 states and District of Columbia were counted. Mid-career results were based on median salaries of graduates with 10 years of work experience. Whether a job is meaningful is based on the percentage of graduates who answered "Very much so" and "Yes" to the question: "Does your work make the world a better place?"

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