Which university graduates in the United States have the highest salary? How to make the most appropriate choice?

The average median starting salary for recent college graduates is $55,260, but some alumni from the Class of 2020 are making much more than that, according to a 2021 report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Here are the 10 national universities — schools that are often research-focused and offer a range of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs — with the highest median starting salaries for graduates with three years of post-graduation work experience and whose highest degree is a bachelor's degree , per salary table data. ?Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York)

U.S. News Ranking: 55 (tie)

Median Starting Salary: $66,000

2021- 2022 Tuition and Fees: $58,526

Engineering, computer science, mathematics, engineering technology, business and management are the most popular majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. The school offers opportunities for research in areas such as biochemical solar energy, experimental media and the performing arts, according to its website. ?Thomas Jefferson University (PA)

U.S. News Ranking: 148 (tied)

Median Starting Salary: $66,300

2021-2022 School Miscellaneous fees: $42,966

Students can choose from a range of majors at Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania, many of which are health-related, including nursing, exercise science, physical therapy and midwifery. Certificate and master's programs are also available in emerging healthcare areas such as integrative medicine, cannabis, cardiovascular perfusion, and connected health and telemedicine. ?Princeton University (New Jersey)

U.S. News Ranking: 1

Median Starting Salary: $66,700

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees: $56 , 010

Princeton University has a wide range of popular majors, including social sciences, engineering, computer science and biological sciences. As of Dec. 31, 2020, approximately 66 percent of the Class of 2020 had accepted employment after graduation, while approximately 20 percent had been admitted to graduate or professional school, according to the University of New Jersey's website. ? Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey)

U.S. News ranking: 83 (tied)

Median starting salary: $67,000

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees: $56,920 New Jersey's Stevens Institute of Technology has a strong emphasis on engineering and is home to the MakerCenter, which includes 3D printing, laser cutting and welding facilities. The most popular majors at this institution are mechanical engineering, business administration, computer science, computer engineering, and chemical engineering. ?Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)

U.S. News Ranking: 63 (tie)

Median Starting Salary: $67,300

2021- 2022 Tuition and Fees: $55,531

The most popular majors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts tend to be in engineering fields such as mechanical, biomedical, electrical, and mechatronics. Computer science is also popular. The agency's resources include job fairs and career prospects information available online in fields such as civil engineering, physics, psychology and professional writing. ?Colorado School of Mines

U.S. News Ranking: 83 (tie)

Median Starting Salary: $68,000

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees: $39 , 800 (out-of-state)

Colorado School of Mines hosts in-person career fairs each September and February, giving students access to hundreds of companies, government agencies and graduate schools. The college's most popular majors are computer science and engineering in fields such as chemistry, electrical, mechanical and petroleum.

?Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

U.S. News ranking: 25 (tied)

Median starting salary: $69,700

2021 -2022 Tuition and Fees: $58,924

Popular majors at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh include electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, and business administration. Half of the College of Engineering's undergraduate students go on to graduate school, and CMU has 55 members of the National Academy of Engineering, according to the school's website. ?Stanford University (CA)

U.S. News Ranking: 6 (tie)

Median Starting Salary: $70,300

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees : $56,169

The most popular majors at Stanford University in California are engineering and computer science. The university's computer science and electrical engineering departments created the Stanford Computer Forum, which connects students with more than 60 companies in Silicon Valley, the United States, Europe and elsewhere in Asia, according to its website. ?Massachusetts Institute of Technology

U.S. News Ranking: 2 (tie)

Median Starting Salary: $76,900

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees: $55,878

Events such as the Analytics Career Fair, European Career Fair, and Polymer Days allow students to explore the various industries they may enter after graduating from MIT. The school's most popular fields of study are computer science, mechanical engineering, mathematics, physics and aerospace engineering. ?Caltech

U.S. News Ranking: 9 (tie)

Median Starting Salary: $78,400

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees: $58 , 680

Engineering, computer science, physical science, mathematics, and biological and medical sciences are the most popular majors at Caltech. Students studying in Caltech's Department of Computational and Mathematical Sciences can pursue research in areas such as graphics and geometry, robotics and autonomous control.