What Philly graduates make right out of college

Students graduating from 50 four-year colleges and universities, technical schools and community colleges in the Philadelphia area can expect to earn between$19,300 and $95,800 after graduation.

Metro analyzed data from50 schools in Philadelphia and within a 20-mile radius of the city. The highest salaried graduates in the area can expect to make is just shy of $100,000. Their alma mater might surprise you.

The data comes from theU.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, which looks athigher-education institutions around the country, and offers prospective students information on financial aid, GI Bill benefits andhow to choose the right college.

Of the 50 schools area schools Metro analyzed:

— The average cost of tuition is $21,750 a year. The priciest school is Villanova University, at $35,565 annually; the least expensive is Delaware County Community College, costing students $5,428 annually.

— Nationally, the average annual cost of tuition is $16,200.

— Fifty-four percent of students enrolling in colleges in the Philadelphia area graduate, on average. The University of Pennsylvania sees the highest graduation rate, at 96 percent; the Community College of Philadelphia had the lowest, at 10 percent.

— Of the area’s three community colleges, Community College of Philadelphia has the lowest graduation rate: 10 percent. Alumni fromMontgomery County see the highest post-grad salary: $35,800.

— None of the 50 were named in the Scorecard’s featured lists: Affordable Four-Year Schools with Good Outcomes; 25 Community Colleges that Advance Opportunities for Low-Income Students; 26 Four-Year Public and Private Colleges with Low Costs and High Salaries; and community colleges with high salaries.

–The average salary for students graduating from Philly-area colleges is $42,683. The University of the Sciences takes the top salary: $95,800. The University of Pennsylvania is No. 3, at $79,700.

Edit’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Holy Family University’s graduation rate of 5 percent. It is 55 percent. Metro regrets the error.