Colleges with the highest-paid grads

Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J.

Rank: 3 (tie)
Mid-career salary: $124,000
Starting salary: $64,900
% of grads who think their job is meaningful: 48%

Perched across the Hudson River from Manhattan, Stevens Institute refers to itself as "The Innovation University." Students here focus on research-intensive projects, mainly in the fields of engineering, the sciences and physics.

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?"

4 of 16