Students receiving bachelor’s degrees from FAU are among those earning the highest first-year incomes in the state, according to a report just released by the Florida Department of Education. The median first-year salary for new FAU graduates is $35,890, more than $2,000 better than the statewide figure.

The report places FAU especially high on the first-year compensation scale in these areas of study: nursing (RN to BSN), $60,220; mathematics, $39,558 (highest among all public universities statewide); and business, $38,080.

The study, which focuses on students who graduated with bachelor’s degrees during the academic years 2006-07 through 2010-11, supports the belief that education is a good investment. It cites U.S. Department of Labor data indicating that on the national level people with bachelor’s degrees earn about 65 percent more than those who did not continue beyond high school. And, compensation increases with advanced degrees. In Florida, the median first-year salary for graduates with master’s degrees is $48,976; it’s $61,928 for those with doctorates. To read the full report, click here.

It literally pays if you receive a degree from FAU!