Higher Education Outcome Report · Northeast

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Connecticut Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 29 degree-granting institutions graded

Connecticut's higher education system is a higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $64,451, +25% vs the national median.

insurance & finance
aerospace & defense
bioscience

51
INSTITUTIONS: $64,451
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 25% vs natl; $26,661
AVG NET PRICE: 12 / 16
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

A-

70/100 · #7 of 50

Connecticut At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

29

143,250 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~19,666

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
96th pct

$60,484

2nd of 50 states
Mobility Score
63rd pct

1.8%

17th of 46 states
Talent Retention
96th pct

79%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
12th pct

2.2x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Healthcare
Social Sciences

Executive Summary

Connecticut graduates earn a median of $60,484 a decade after entry, 24% above the national state average, ranking 2nd of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.8% rate, in the 63rd percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Healthcare, which together account for 41% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $76,833, +49% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
On value, Connecticut returns 2.2x earnings per dollar of net price, below average cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.
The state's strongest mobility engine is Albertus Magnus College, which moves bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 5.5% rate, the highest in Connecticut.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+30.8%

Median graduate earnings in Connecticut are above the national average by 31%.
Cost vs National

+34.4%

Net price in Connecticut is higher than the national average by 34%.
Mobility Rate

+0.07pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.1 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

+9.6pp

Connecticut's graduation rate is 9.6 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

6.8x

Top value school: University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus ($73,997 earnings vs $10,875 net price).
Low-Income Access

6.5%

7% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Business (21% of graduates) and Healthcare (20% of graduates) dominate Connecticut's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $63,522.

Business

21%

$63,522 avg
Healthcare

20%

$59,962 avg
Social Sciences

16%

$72,214 avg
Humanities

8%

$58,600 avg
Technology

6%

$71,109 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 13

Outcome Performance

Connecticut's highest-ROI degree cluster is Education (Education), where graduates average $65,003 against a net cost of $22,537, a 2.9x return. That's +26% vs the national median.

Education
2.9x

$65,003 earnings $22,537 net +26% vs natl
Social Sciences
2.7x

$70,472 earnings $25,686 net +36.6% vs natl
Engineering
2.7x

$72,006 earnings $26,479 net +39.6% vs natl
Visual & Performing Arts
2.7x

$69,512 earnings $25,782 net +34.8% vs natl
Physical Sciences
2.7x

$70,460 earnings $26,162 net +36.6% vs natl
Mathematics & Statistics
2.6x

$69,076 earnings $26,595 net +33.9% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Connecticut's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 21%
Health Professions 20%
Social Sciences 8%
Psychology 8%
Humanities 7%

Highest-Earning Fields

Social Sciences $76,453
Biology & Biomedical $74,235
Engineering $72,476
Computer Science & IT $69,682
Visual & Performing Arts $67,693

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Connecticut's graduate supply.

Biology & Biomedical $74,235 5% of grads
Engineering $72,476 4% of grads
Computer Science & IT $69,682 5% of grads
Visual & Performing Arts $67,693 4% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Connecticut's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.8%, which puts the state in the 63rd percentile nationally. 7% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.64, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.8%

▲ +0.13pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

7%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

33%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

34%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

79%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.64

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Connecticut's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $76,833, +49% relative to the national median.

Business
21% of enrollment

$62,863 +21.9% vs natl

21 schools
Healthcare
20% of enrollment

$62,115 +20.4% vs natl

20 schools
Social Sciences
16% of enrollment

$68,974 +33.7% vs natl

24 schools
Humanities
8% of enrollment

$56,907 +10.3% vs natl

10 schools
Technology
6% of enrollment

$73,624 +42.8% vs natl

6 schools
Sciences
6% of enrollment

$76,833 +49% vs natl

12 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +49% vs national earnings ($76,833)

Technology: +42.8% vs national earnings ($73,624)

Social Sciences: +33.7% vs national earnings ($68,974)

Institutional Landscape

Connecticut's higher education system includes 2 research-oriented, 2 specialized, 7 access-oriented, 18 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

2

Research Universities
18

Regional Universities
7

Access-Oriented Institutions
2

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

15% of Connecticut's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $63,113 at 10 years. At the premium end, 4 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $70,567.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

4

15% of schools
Avg earnings: $63,113
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

8

30% of schools
Avg earnings: $64,552
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

11

41% of schools
Avg earnings: $62,519
NET PRICE OVER $40K

4

15% of schools
Avg earnings: $70,567

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Connecticut

Connecticut is home to 51 colleges and universities, from 12 public institutions to 16 private nonprofits. Connecticut State Community College anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $57,347 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Waterbury, Bridgeport and New Britain, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Psychology and Business & Marketing. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Connecticut

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $24,299 a year across Connecticut. University of Connecticut-Stamford stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Connecticut's economy leans on insurance & finance, aerospace & defense and bioscience, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Psychology and Business & Marketing feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Connecticut level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Connecticut earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$57,347

▲ +$13,510 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$24,299

▼ +$6,223 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.4x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is Connecticut Right for You?

Connecticut is a strong fit if you want to build a career in insurance & finance and aerospace & defense, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Yale University · CT Trinity College · CT Fairfield University · CT Quinnipiac University · CT Sacred Heart University · CT Connecticut College · CT

FAQ

How many colleges are in Connecticut?

There are 51 colleges and universities in Connecticut in our dataset — 12 public, 16 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in Connecticut?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Yale University leads, followed by schools like Trinity College and Fairfield University.

How much does college cost in Connecticut?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $24,299 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Connecticut?

Connecticut's economy is anchored by insurance & finance, aerospace & defense and bioscience, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Connecticut?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. University of Connecticut-Stamford, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 51 schools in Connecticut

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

51 institutions in Connecticut

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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