Graduates of a small West Coast college are earning more than Harvard and Stanford alums. Here's why.
Samuel Merritt University, a small nursing school in Oakland, California, has ranked among the top US colleges for graduate earnings, outperforming several Ivy League institutions. The school's success is attributed to its specialized focus on high-demand health sciences and a strong sense of community.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing economic value of specialized vocational and health-focused education compared to traditional liberal arts degrees from elite universities.
A small Bay Area college is outpacing Ivy League students on grad pay. FatCamera/Getty Images Business Insider ranked the top colleges for graduate pay across the US. The Education Department's College Scorecard tracks median earnings four years after graduation. Samuel Merritt University, a small California nursing school, ranked third in US graduate earnings. Some of the highest-earning college graduates in the US may not have a Harvard degree hanging on the wall. In a recent Business Insider ranking of US colleges with the highest-earning graduates , a small Bay Area school focused on health sciences outperformed Stanford and Harvard, as well as the rest of the Ivy League schools. Meet Samuel Merritt University, a nursing and health-focused private nonprofit university in Oakland, California, with fewer than 1,000 undergraduate students.
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