Postsecondary Earnings Comparison

The Postsecondary Earnings Comparison tool is an interactive Tableau workbook designed to explore the earnings outcomes of college and university graduates across the United States. The tool presents the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of annualized earnings for postsecondary graduates by institution. Users can compare earnings across different institutions, programs, and cohorts using a variety of filters.

How to Use

Intended Audience 

This tool is intended to serve a broad range of stakeholders, including: 

• State Higher Education Officials: Evaluate outcomes across institutions and degree programs to inform policy and funding.
• Institutional Employees: Benchmark earnings outcomes and identify areas for improvement or promotion.
• Prospective Students and Families: Compare earnings to make more informed decisions about where and what to study.

Key Questions the Tool Can Help Answer

•  How do earnings compare for similar programs across different colleges or universities?
• What is the earnings range for graduates in a specific field of study after graduation?
• How do outcomes differ between 2-year and 4-year institutions in a particular state?
• Which institutions show the highest median earnings in a given program of study? How do earnings change over time (1, 5, and 10 years) after graduation? 

Data Sources 

All data in this dashboard comes from the Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset, developed by the U.S. Census Bureau in collaboration with higher education institutions and the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program. The data is compiled by linking institution-provided graduate records to national employment and earnings data through the U.S. Census Bureau’s infrastructure. This allows for anonymized, high-quality insights into graduate earnings across time and geography. 

Important Caveats

• Limited Institutional Participation: Earnings data is only available for graduates from institutions participating in the PSEO Coalition. Institutions not in the PSEO Coalition are not represented.
• Lagging but Current Data: There is a natural lag in the availability of data, as it takes time to collect post-graduation outcomes. However, updates occur periodically throughout the year.
• Geographic Variability: Earnings outcomes may be influenced by the geographic distribution of graduates’ employment and residence, which can vary significantly across institutions.
• Annualized Earnings: The figures shown are annualized, not actual reported salaries, to allow consistent comparisons across timeframes and graduates

Support 

For questions about this tool or assistance using it, please contact the PSEO Project Student Intern Supervisor, at internsupervisor@pseocoalition.org.