UNCW grad pay hovers

UNC Wilmington lags behind some top-tier institutions in the state in terms of the earning potential of its graduates, but still ranks in the top 25, according to a survey published this month by PayScale.com.

As part of a comprehensive examination of schools nationwide, PayScale ranked North Carolina colleges and universities by the starting median salary and mid-career median salary of its bachelor’s degree recipients. At the top of the list was Duke University, with a starting median of $54,400 and a mid-career median of $113,000. UNC Wilmington ranked 21st, with a starting median of $35,500 and a mid-career median of $56,300.

UNC-Pembroke ranked 23rd, UNC Asheville (19th), UNC Greensboro (16th) and UNC Charlotte (6th).

Filling out the state’s top five slots were Wake Forest University (2nd), Davidson College (3rd), North Carolina State University (4th) and UNC Chapel Hill (5th).

PayScale’s data indicate that the most lucrative careers for college graduates are largely in engineering, math and science and technology. Nationally, schools with strong programs in those areas did well on the PayScale survey.

PayScale is a major provider of global online compensation data to industries, employers and individuals.