Colleges with the highest-paid grads

The Airforce Academy is near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Starting salary: $66,700
Mid-career salary: $118,400
% who think their job is meaningful: 62%

By the time Air Force cadets finish a minimum of five years in active duty following graduation, employers know they have real-world experience and management skills -- at the very least.

These grads have also completed a rigorous academic curriculum. But it doesn't stop there: The academy also offers workshops aimed at character development and leadership and requires each cadet to participate in either an intercollegiate or intramural sport and stay physically fit.

First published March 5, 2015: 1:12 PM ET

Source: Source: PayScale.com. Data used in the College Salary Report came from surveys completed by roughly 1.4 million college graduates of 1,002 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. The ranking is based on mid-career results, which comes from 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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