21 Lesser-Known Schools That Quietly Produce Top Earners

3. Olin College of Engineering – Needham, MA

Olin College of Engineering, a tiny institution in Needham, Massachusetts, turns traditional engineering education on its head—and produces some of the most innovative, high-earning graduates in the country as a result. With fewer than 400 undergraduates, Olin might be small, but its impact is anything but. The school was founded with the explicit goal of reinventing engineering education, and it has done just that by emphasizing project-based learning, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking from day one. Students don’t just sit through lectures—they work on real-world problems, often in partnership with industry, and graduate with an exceptional portfolio of hands-on experience. What makes Olin truly unique is its integration of design thinking and business principles into a rigorous STEM foundation, creating graduates who are just as comfortable leading product development teams as they are writing code or building hardware. These well-rounded skills translate to exceptional job placement and starting salaries, with Olin alums going on to work at Google, Apple, SpaceX, and top-tier startups—many even launching companies of their own. Median early-career salary: $92,000.