Oxy Graduates Rank High in Salary Survey

October 15, 2008
Contact: Samantha B. Bonar, (323) 259-2534

Occidental is one of the country’s top liberal arts colleges as measured by the salary potential of its graduates – No. 7, in fact – according to Seattle-based Payscale.com, which claims to own the largest database of online employee salary data in the world. The survey shows that the median mid-career salary of an Occidental graduate is higher than that of graduates of all but one of the public universities listed.

“I am pleased, though not surprised, to see Occidental's standing in the PayScale.com survey,” says Valerie Savior ’85, director of Occidental’s Career Development Center. “Occidental graduates are equipped with a degree that enables them to excel in a variety of jobs. I know of numerous success stories about the relative ease and swiftness with which new graduates are advancing in their professional career paths. Employers frequently compliment the advanced analytical, problem-solving, communication, cultural competency and writing skills of our students and graduates.”

Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., placed first in the survey, with a starting median salary (defined as having three years’ work experience) for graduates of $54,100 and a mid-career median salary (calculated as 15.5 years after the start of a career) of $110,000. Occidental graduates’ starting median salary was reported as $51,900 with a median mid-career salary of $105,000.

The results are based on PayScale salary survey data for bachelor’s degree graduates without higher degrees who are full-time employees in the United States. The results may not represent all attendees of the colleges. Salary is calculated as the sum of compensation from base salary, bonuses, profit-sharing, commissions, and overtime, but does not include equity (stock) compensation. The study was the subject of a BusinessWeek article Aug. 7.

For the complete list of schools and full methodology, go to
http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/top-liberal-arts-colleges.asp.