It may pay to have a little street cred after all.
About a month after this university came in at No. 16 on the Princeton Review’s annual “Party School List,” the website Payscale reported which of these top 20 party schools produced the best-paid graduates. With recently graduated Terps making an average starting salary of $49,100 and an average mid-career salary of $87,100, this university ranked fourth on Payscale’s “Party Schools by Salary Potential” list.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at the No. 1 spot, and with graduates making an average salary of $51,400, it was the only college on the list to surpass this university in that category. It was followed by the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Texas at Austin, which tied for second place. West Virginia University, which ranked as the No. 1 party school in the nation, did not even make the top ten on the Payscale list for recent graduate salaries.
However, this university’s numbers may be even higher than the Payscale report; a recent university Career Center survey suggested the average starting salary for university graduates is $56,967. Moreover, this university also ranked eighth in the nation as one of the best colleges from which employers can recruit, according to William Jones Jr, Career Center associate director.
Jones said he believes university graduates land higher-paying jobs through the wealth of resources the Career Center provides, especially in helping them secure internships before graduation.
“Here we have so many opportunities to help students get internships,” Jones said. “Students here are really competitive and prepared. Most students obtain internship experience.”
Some students also believe the high starting salaries are tied to the campus’ close proximity to Washington.
“We’re in a central hub of the professional world,” junior journalism major Ilana Shulevitz said.
Senior computer science major Michael Conti said students seem to abide by a “work hard, play hard” philosophy.
“Since we have a really good party scene, students know it’s easiest to work hard during the week because they know when the weekend comes, it’s time to rage,” Conti said. He already secured a job with a top technology company that he will start after graduation. He scheduled an interview for this job at the university career fair, where one of his recently graduated fraternity brothers represented the company.
Senior physical science major Ava Afghahi said she also tries to find ways to maintain high academic standards without sacrificing the hard-partying lifestyle.
“I sometimes do my work with some close friends while partying,” Afghahi said. “I make sure I know the deadlines of my assignments, allowing me to plan my party and study schedule accordingly.”
