2021 Best Colleges in Connecticut by Salary Score™
We ranked the best colleges in Connecticut using our Salary Score to help students compare schools based on alumni salary. This score was calculated by comparing the median alumni earnings in the year after graduation for each bachelor's degree major at a college to the alumni earnings for the same major at other schools. A higher score indicates that as a whole, the degrees offered by the college tend to earn an alumnus a higher salary than the same degrees at other colleges. Most of the schools on this list feature a Salary Score higher than the U.S. median of 50, with top-ranked Yale University scoring a 98.9. Both Yale and Trinity College also earn spots on our 2021 list of best colleges in the country.
To be considered for our state rankings, schools must offer and provide data for at least 8 bachelor's programs. You can click on a school's name to view individual program scores. Read our methodology to learn more about how schools were ranked.
| Rank | School | Annual Tuition | Salary Score™ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | $62,250 | 98.90 | |
| Trinity College | $63,930 | 94.71 | |
| Fairfield University | $54,455 | 85.77 | |
| Connecticut College | $63,005 | 80.59 | |
| Quinnipiac University | $51,790 | 71.94 | |
| University of Connecticut | $19,434 | 68.37 | |
| Central Connecticut State University | $12,106 | 61.22 | |
| University of Bridgeport | $35,760 | 59.75 | |
| Sacred Heart University | $46,580 | 56.87 | |
| Western Connecticut State University | $12,345 | 54.18 | |
| Albertus Magnus College | $37,682 | 53.31 | |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | $12,910 | 51.64 | |
| University of New Haven | $44,184 | 50.36 | |
| Southern Connecticut State University | $12,438 | 49.92 | |
| University of Hartford | $46,148 | 44.31 |
2021 Best Colleges in Connecticut Highlights
On average, the undergraduate programs at Yale University have exceptionally high a Salary Score: 10 of the 13 programs score a 98 or above. Economics, English language and literature, and psychology all scored a 100, meaning that graduates of these programs generally earn higher median salaries than alumni of similar programs at other universities. The program with the highest annual median salary is computer and information sciences, with graduates reporting a median salary of $127,400. Students in the economics program reported a median salary of $90,860.
School Overview
Yale University is a medium-sized, private Ivy League school located in New Haven, Connecticut. The university works to be affordable by guaranteeing that all students will receive a financial aid award that covers 100% of their financial need so they don't need to take out loans. Yale offers ample opportunities for undergraduates to take part in research, especially for students in the sciences and engineering. Over 100 summer research fellowships are awarded to first-year students, and 95% of undergraduate science students are able to work on research with a faculty member before graduation.
The two programs with the highest Salary Score at Trinity college are English and romance languages, literature, and linguistics. Both programs score a 100, indicating that their alumni's median salaries are among the highest in the nation for those majors. Most bachelor's degree programs at Trinity score in the 90s. The program with the highest alumni salary is engineering, with graduates reporting median annual earnings of $71,020.
School Overview
Trinity College is a small, private, nonprofit school located in the state's capital, Hartford. With fewer than 2,200 undergraduates, students enjoy a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Trinity has a variety of field-study opportunities in the U.S. and internationally, and 52% of students take part in one of these programs. Options include studying performing arts with the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City, taking classes on Trinity’s Rome campus, or enrolling at local partner universities in Cape Town, South Africa.
The communications and media studies and sociology programs at Fairfield University both earned a Salary Score of 99, indicating that graduates in these majors earn high median salaries relative to their counterparts at other schools. Many of the business and related programs also feature high a Salary Score, with accounting rating a 98, business administration a 92, and marketing a 90. The area with the highest median salary is registered nursing and nursing administration; graduates from this program report an annual median salary of $76,220.
School Overview
Fairfield University is a small, nonprofit, Jesuit Catholic school located on the Connecticut coast in Fairfield. The private university offers a variety of scholarships and grants, and more than 30% of students receive a merit scholarship from Fairfield. The school offers many extracurricular clubs, sports, and community service opportunities for students to take part in. Students interested in a journalism or radio career can get real-world experience while still in school by joining the student newspaper, The Mirror, or the school's radio station, WVOF.