by our College Data Analytics Team
[Museum Studies](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/museum-studies/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a museum studies degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find where museum studies graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The museum studies program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. To help, we created our Highest Paid Museum Studies Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose museum studies degrees pay off the most.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Museum Studies Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose museum studies graduates go on to earn the most.
George Washington University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid museum studies graduates in the United States. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students who complete the museum studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,516.
A rank of #2 makes Fashion Institute Of Technology one of the highest-paying schools for museum studies. Set in the city of New York, Fashion Institute Of Technology is a public institution. Early-career museum studies graduates from Fashion Institute Of Technology make a median of around $48,369 per year.
Seton Hall University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying museum studies schools. Set in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, museum studies degree recipients from Seton Hall University typically earn about $46,449 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in museum studies will find them at Johns Hopkins University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, museum studies degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University typically earn about $51,619 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Harvard University earned it the #5 place for museum studies. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Museum Studies graduates of Harvard University earn a median of about $44,792 a year early in their careers.
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Suny College At Oneonta landed the #6 spot for museum studies salaries this year. Set in the town of Oneonta, Suny College At Oneonta is a public institution. After graduating, museum studies degree recipients from Suny College At Oneonta typically earn about $44,522 annually.
Georgetown University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying museum studies schools. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. After graduating, museum studies degree recipients from Georgetown University typically earn about $41,215 annually.
Syracuse University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for museum studies. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the museum studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,769.
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying museum studies schools. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a public institution. Early-career museum studies graduates from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis make a median of around $47,935 per year.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus earned the #10 position for museum studies graduate earnings this year. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public school located in the city of Seattle. After graduating, museum studies degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus typically earn about $43,447 annually.
Texas Tech University earned the #11 position for museum studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a public institution. After graduating, museum studies degree recipients from Texas Tech University typically earn about $32,400 annually.
Western Illinois University placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for museum studies. Western Illinois University is a public school located in the town of Macomb. Early-career museum studies graduates from Western Illinois University make a median of around $31,788 per year.
Tufts University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying museum studies schools. Set in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career museum studies graduates from Tufts University make a median of around $31,434 per year.
University Of San Francisco earned the #14 position for museum studies graduate earnings this year. University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. Museum Studies graduates of University Of San Francisco earn a median of about $28,124 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their museum studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 14 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.