According to studies by the Economist and the Brookings Institute, NSU ranks among the top 25 percent for undergraduate student earnings ten years after enrollment.
Both studies used data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, which published demographic and earnings information about students based on information submitted on financial aid applications and on tax returns. In both studies, the financial advantages of attending a particular university were calculated by comparing the gap between how much money a student earns, to the money they could have made if they had studied at a different school.
NSU scored in the 77th percentile in the Economist study and in the 76th percentile in the Brookings study.
In an article on the studies by Kristel Tiwari in SharkFins, President Hanbury said, “Our priority at NSU is preparing our students for success in their chosen career fields. The fact that NSU graduates are earning more than three quarters of their peers from other colleges is a testament that our faculty members, researchers and other support staff are focused on helping our students realize their potential.”
The Economist found that NSU students earn $2,261 more per year than expected. The expected earnings for a student attending NSU ten years after enrollment are $44,239, and the median actual earnings are $46,500.
The Brookings study predicted that earnings for NSU students ten years after enrollment would be $42,828, and the actual median earnings are $48,939. In the Brookings study, NSU students earned an estimated $6,111 more than expected.
The Economist determined its ranking of schools by first determining how much money a student could expect to make after graduating, which they calculated based on SAT scores, ethnicity, gender, the size of the college, whether the college was public or private and the major of a student. They compared that number to the amount of money that students actually make. The study included 1,275 four-year colleges.
Brookings’ method for determining rankings was similar but gave more weight to different variables. Brookings found that curriculum value, the share of graduates in STEM occupations, high completion rates and high faculty salaries are all associated with high student earnings. The study included 1,666 four-year colleges.
In the Economist study, NSU ranked higher than Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida. In the Brookings study, NSU ranked higher than all of the previously mentioned universities, with the exception of the University of Florida.
The studies were published in October 2015. Both the Economist and Brookings admitted that the studies are likely limited in some way.
“No ranking system is perfect,” said Brookings.
