A big reason people go to college is to boost their lifelong earning potential. College graduates earn more than non-graduates by a wide margin. The post-graduation income of each school depends on a lot of factors. Academics, state population and the economy are three of the biggest factors in immediate earning power.
The SEC suffers from a few of these roadblocks. While there are a couple of executions, conference institutions are in states in the lower half of population. Eight of the bottom ten median household incomes are states contained in the SEC. Most SEC schools are also in smaller towns.
But the economy in the south is growing. The economies in Florida and Tennessee are expanding rapidly, while the state of Texas' economy is booming.
And it all matters when finding a well-paying job after graduation.
Of course, while the bigger cities and states feature healthier economies, they also have a higher cost of living.
Here is the ranking of post-graduation income (median earnings 5 years after graduation) for all 16 SEC schools:
Stats provided by Niche.com
No. 16 in SEC: Mississippi State University
- Location: Starkville, Mississippi
- Post-graduation income: $56,331 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 208 (tie) | SEC: 16
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1100-1350 | ACT Range: 21-29
No. 15 in SEC: University of Mississippi
- Location: Oxford, Mississippi
- Post-graduation income: $56,853 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 169 (tie) | SEC: 12 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1000-1200 | ACT Range: 21-29
No. 14 in SEC: University of Kentucky
- Location: Lexington, Kentucky
- Post-graduation income: $60,703 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 149 (tie) | SEC: 11
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1070-1290 | ACT Range: 21-28
No. 13 in SEC: University of Tennessee
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Post-graduation income: $61,635 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 102 (tie) | SEC: 6 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1260-1390 | ACT Range: 26-31
No. 12 in SEC: University of South Carolina
- Location: Columbia, South Carolina
- Post-graduation income: $62,564 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 127 (tie) SEC: 10
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1180-1360 | ACT Range: 26-32
No. 11 in SEC: University of Alabama
- Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Post-graduation income: $62,983 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 169 (tie) SEC: 12 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1170-1400 | ACT Range: 24-31
No. 10 in SEC: Louisiana State University
- Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Post-graduation income: $63,498 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 169 (tie) | SEC: 12 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1180-1340 | ACT Range: 24-30
No. 9 in SEC: University of Arkansas
- Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Post-graduation income: $64,153 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 183 (tie) | SEC: 15
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1030-1220 | ACT Range: 21-28
No. 8 in SEC: University of Oklahoma
- Location: Norman, Oklahoma
- Post-graduation income: $65,659 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 110 (tie) | SEC: 9
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1140-1330 | ACT Range: 23-29
No. 7 in SEC: University of Missouri
- Location: Columbia, Missouri
- Post-graduation income: $65,749 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 102 (tie) | SEC: 6
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1150-1330 | ACT Range: 23-30
No. 6 in SEC: University of Georgia
- Location: Athens, Georgia
- Post-graduation income: $66,487 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 46 (tie) | SEC: 4
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1270-1480 | ACT Range: 29-34
No. 5 in SEC: Auburn University
- Location: Auburn, Alabama
- Post-graduation income: $68,172 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 102 (tie) | SEC: 6 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1260-1390 | ACT Range: 26-31
No. 4 in SEC: University of Florida
- Location: Gainesville, Florida
- Post-graduation income: $72,379 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 30 (tie) | SEC: 2 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1320-1480 | ACT Range: 29-33
No. 3 in SEC: Texas A&M University
- Location: College Station, Texas
- Post-graduation income: $72,578 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 51 (tie) | SEC: 5
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1150-1400 | ACT Range: 25-31
No. 2 in SEC: University of Texas
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Post-graduation income: $74,802 per year
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 30 (tie) | SEC: 2 (tie)
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1250-1510 | ACT Range: 27-33
No. 1 in SEC: Vanderbilt University
- U.S. News & World Report Academic Ranking:
- National: 17 (tie) | SEC: 1
- Average Test Scores:
- SAT Range: 1500-1570 | ACT Range: 34-35
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: SEC schools ranked by post-graduation income
