State profile · 56 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Colleges in Connecticut
Colleges in Connecticut from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.
- 56
- Colleges
- $56,243
- Avg 10-yr earnings (41 of 56)
- 66.0%
- Avg acceptance
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
Connecticut · the picture in one line
Connecticut's 41 of 56 colleges that report earnings average $56,243 in 10-year former-student earnings - 3rd highest of 56 states and territories that report.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- #3
- of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
- $100,533
- top earnings - Yale University
- 66.0%
- avg acceptance (24 reporting)
- 12 / 18 / 26
- public / nonprofit / for-profit
Best earnings-to-cost value among Connecticut colleges with reported figures: Yale University.
Connecticut · enrollment ≠ earnings
In Connecticut, Connecticut State Community College leads by undergraduate enrollment (33,645 students, #1 of 38) but ranks #29 of 38 on 10-year median earnings ($41,344), while Yale University tops earnings at $100,533 (#1 of 38) with 6,758 students (#6 of 38). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 33,645
- Connecticut State enrollment #1
- $100,533
- Yale University earnings #1
- #1
- Enrollment rank of earnings leader
- #29
- Earnings rank of enrollment leader
Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.
Enrollment of Connecticut's #1 campuses by size vs earnings
Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.
- Connecticut State Commun…
Connecticut State Community College
33,645 students
- Yale University 6,758
Yale University
6,758 students
What this shows Connecticut State Community College is largest by enrollment; Yale University leads on 10-year earnings at $100,533.
This page aggregates colleges and universities in Connecticut returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.
The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Connecticut as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.
The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.
Largest Colleges in Connecticut by Enrollment
IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.
- Connecticut State Commun…
Connecticut State Community College
33,645 students
- University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
19,835 students
- Post University
Post University
13,603 students
- Central Connecticut Stat… 7,822
Central Connecticut State University
7,822 students
- Sacred Heart University 7,087
Sacred Heart University
7,087 students
- Yale University 6,758
Yale University
6,758 students
- Quinnipiac University 6,531
Quinnipiac University
6,531 students
- Southern Connecticut Sta… 6,295
Southern Connecticut State University
6,295 students
- Fairfield University 5,373
Fairfield University
5,373 students
- University of New Haven 4,841
University of New Haven
4,841 students
- University of Hartford 4,146
University of Hartford
4,146 students
- Western Connecticut Stat… 3,511
Western Connecticut State University
3,511 students
What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.
Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Connecticut
U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.
- Yale University
Yale University
$100,533 USD
- Trinity College
Trinity College
$90,779 USD
- Fairfield University
Fairfield University
$88,794 USD
- Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University
$83,759 USD
- Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University
$75,059 USD
- Connecticut College
Connecticut College
$75,001 USD
- University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
$73,997 USD
- University of Connecticu…
University of Connecticut-Stamford
$73,997 USD
- University of Connecticu…
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
$73,997 USD
- University of Connecticu…
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
$73,997 USD
- University of Connecticu…
University of Connecticut-Avery Point
$73,997 USD
- Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
$73,897 USD
What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.
The ROI lens
Connecticut colleges: earnings vs. cost
National context
How Connecticut ranks among the states
Connecticut's average 10-year earnings of $56,243 place it in the 95th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.
Connecticut: average former-student earnings vs. every state
State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$56,243 Top 5% higher than 95% of 56 states & territories
Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.
School type matters
How school type shapes earnings in Connecticut
Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.
Average former-student earnings by school type - Connecticut
Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
- Private nonprofit
Private nonprofit
$67,030 avg earnings
- Public
Public
$64,066 avg earnings
- For-profit
For-profit
$39,719 avg earnings
What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.
What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Connecticut
PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 56 postsecondary institutions in Connecticut. The ownership mix is 12 public institutions, 18 private nonprofits, and 26 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.
Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 33 of 56 Connecticut institutions that report one is $30,797, and the average admission rate among the 24 that report one sits at 66.0%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.
Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 41 of 56 Connecticut colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $56,243, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.
All Schools in Connecticut
| School Name | City | Type | Enrollment | Acceptance Rate | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut State Community College | New Britain | Public | 33,645 | - | $41,344 |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs | Public | 19,835 | 52.4% | $73,997 |
| Post University | Waterbury | For-Profit | 13,603 | - | $38,696 |
| Central Connecticut State University | New Britain | Public | 7,822 | 73.3% | $58,562 |
| Sacred Heart University | Fairfield | Private NP | 7,087 | 65.4% | $75,059 |
| Yale University | New Haven | Private NP | 6,758 | 3.9% | $100,533 |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden | Private NP | 6,531 | 72.2% | $83,759 |
| Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven | Public | 6,295 | 91.5% | $55,043 |
| Fairfield University | Fairfield | Private NP | 5,373 | 33.3% | $88,794 |
| University of New Haven | West Haven | Private NP | 4,841 | 60.4% | $60,126 |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford | Private NP | 4,146 | 95.8% | $60,823 |
| Western Connecticut State University | Danbury | Public | 3,511 | 87.0% | $59,115 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic | Public | 3,418 | 83.0% | $56,469 |
| Wesleyan University | Middletown | Private NP | 3,067 | 16.5% | $73,897 |
| Goodwin University | East Hartford | Private NP | 2,693 | - | $43,596 |
| University of Connecticut-Stamford | Stamford | Public | 2,432 | 83.0% | $73,997 |
| Trinity College | Hartford | Private NP | 2,146 | 29.3% | $90,779 |
| Connecticut College | New London | Private NP | 1,937 | 37.0% | $75,001 |
| Charter Oak State College | New Britain | Public | 1,821 | - | $64,209 |
| University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport | Private NP | 1,534 | 83.0% | $50,323 |
| University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus | Hartford | Public | 1,525 | 88.3% | $73,997 |
| Porter & Chester Institute | Bridgeport | For-Profit | 1,373 | - | $41,588 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | New London | Public | 1,108 | 22.4% | - |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-East Windsor | East Windsor | For-Profit | 1,008 | - | $38,683 |
| Albertus Magnus College | New Haven | Private NP | 991 | 59.3% | $60,144 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-New Britain | New Britain | For-Profit | 928 | - | $38,683 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Shelton | Shelton | For-Profit | 875 | - | $38,683 |
| University of Saint Joseph | West Hartford | Private NP | 838 | 78.6% | $59,908 |
| University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus | Waterbury | Public | 733 | 86.7% | $73,997 |
| University of Connecticut-Avery Point | Groton | Public | 454 | 88.2% | $73,997 |
| New England Tractor Trailer Training School of CT-Bridgeport | Bridgeport | For-Profit | 428 | - | $44,444 |
| Porter & Chester Institute of Hamden | Hamden | For-Profit | 402 | - | $42,914 |
| American Institute-West Hartford | West Hartford | For-Profit | 402 | - | $28,710 |
| Academy Di Capelli-School of Cosmetology | Wallingford | For-Profit | 402 | - | - |
| Mitchell College | New London | Private NP | 377 | 94.7% | $39,115 |
| Arizona College of Nursing - Hartford | East Hartford | For-Profit | 334 | 100.0% | $34,657 |
| New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Connecticut | Somers | For-Profit | 289 | - | $44,444 |
| Holy Apostles College and Seminary | Cromwell | Private NP | 216 | - | - |
| Cortiva Institute | Cromwell | For-Profit | 209 | - | $34,866 |
| International Institute of Cosmetology | Wethersfield | For-Profit | 197 | - | - |
| Paul Mitchell the School-North Haven | North Haven | For-Profit | 178 | - | $30,900 |
| Oxford Academy of Hair Design Inc | Seymour | For-Profit | 143 | - | - |
| Industrial Management Training Institute | Waterbury | For-Profit | 114 | - | $55,344 |
| American Institute of Healthcare & Technology | Stratford | For-Profit | 100 | - | - |
| TIGI Hairdressing Academy Newtown | Newtown | For-Profit | 53 | - | - |
| TIGI Hairdressing Academy Guilford | Guilford | For-Profit | 52 | - | - |
| Branford Academy of Hair & Cosmetology | Branford | For-Profit | 51 | - | - |
| Dolce The Academy | Waterbury | For-Profit | 44 | - | - |
| Branford Academy of Hair & Cosmetology-Bridgeport | Bridgeport | For-Profit | 32 | - | - |
| Belle Academy of Cosmetology LLC | Waterbury | For-Profit | 5 | - | - |
| Hartford International University for Religion and Peace | Hartford | Private NP | - | - | - |
| Goodwin University - Bridgeport Campus | Bridgeport | Private NP | - | - | $43,596 |
| Porter and Chester Institute of Waterbury | Waterbury | For-Profit | - | - | $41,588 |
| Porter and Chester Institute - New London | New London | For-Profit | - | - | $41,588 |
| Academy Di Capelli - | East Hartford | For-Profit | - | - | - |
| Relay Graduate School of Education - Connecticut | New Haven | Private NP | - | - | - |
Featured Colleges in Connecticut
Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side
Explore more Connecticut data
Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.
How to Compare Colleges
A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.
Financial Aid & Net Price
How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.
Understanding College Earnings Data
How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.
About This Data
According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What this means for Connecticut applicants
- Connecticut has 56 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
- Average reported admission rate across Connecticut colleges is 66.0% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
- State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.