How Much Do College Graduates Earn in Arizona, USA?
Each year, the Arizona Board of Regents publishes a report on the in-state wages of graduates from Arizona’s public universities. The latest report, issued in March 2026, included wage data for graduates over the past 30 years. The data include only wages earned in Arizona, and median wages are calculated only for those graduates who earned Arizona wages in all four quarters of 2024. The report provides results for Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona as well as information on student debt. This article focuses on workforce persistence and median wages among University of Arizona alumni.
A large share of University of Arizona graduates remained in the state for work, particularly resident undergraduate alumni. In the first year after graduation, 72% of resident undergraduate alumni worked in Arizona, compared to 17% of non-resident undergraduate alumni.
The share of graduates working in Arizona generally declined over time, a common pattern in state-level alumni wage data. Thirty years after graduation, 37% of resident undergraduate alumni worked in Arizona, compared with 10% of non-resident undergraduate alumni.
As the number of years since a University of Arizona alumnus graduated increased, so did their median wage. This is common as graduates accumulate work experience. Resident undergraduate alumni who graduated in 2024 had a median wage of $48,400, compared with $98,800 among those who graduated in 1994 (Figure 1). Among non-resident undergraduate alumni working in Arizona, median wages ranged from $55,200 for those who graduated in 2024 to $117,000 for those who graduated in 1994.
Figure 1: 2024 Median Arizona Wages Earned by Resident and Non-Resident Undergraduate Alumni from the University of Arizona
Median wages among University of Arizona alumni also varied considerably by instructional program (Figure 2). Among 2019-2023 undergraduate alumni who earned Arizona wages in all four quarters of 2024, median wages were highest in engineering; engineering technologies and engineering-related fields; military technologies and applied sciences; computer and information sciences and support services; business, management, marketing, and related support services; and physical sciences. Median wages were lowest in visual and performing arts; English language, literature, and letters; and area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies.
Figure 2: Median 2024 Arizona Wages of 2019-2023 Undergraduate Alumni by Instructional Program
The report also places alumni wages within the broader context of educational attainment and earnings. According to the 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, median annual earnings in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars among Arizona residents aged 25 and older were $82,162 for those with a graduate or professional degree, $67,466 for those with a bachelor’s degree, and $41,518 for those with a high school diploma or equivalent.¹
1 U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table B20004, Arizona.
