How much Philadelphia-area college grads can expect to make

Philadelphia-area colleges give grads some of the best bang for their buck in the state when it comes to early-career salaries, per data from Payscale .

Why it matters: With college tuition at sky-high levels, the data offers insight into how much students can expect to make after getting their diploma — or how quickly some could pay off their school loans.

Driving the news: Statewide, the University of Pennsylvania ranked second for highest early-career salaries, per the Seattle-based company's new report. The median salary for graduates with 5 years or less of experience is $92,500.

• Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University topped the statewide list with $100,500 in median early-career pay.

How it works: The company surveyed more than 3.1 million full-time, degree-holding civilian employees across 2,400 U.S. institutions.

• The report includes early and mid-career salaries of employees with associate degrees, bachelor's and graduate degrees.

Plus: Salaries are based on combined wages and other earnings, including bonuses, profit sharing and overtime.

• But they do not include equity or stock compensation, which can be significant especially for some tech jobs.

Rounding out the top five Pennsylvania schools with the highest early-career salaries are:

• 3rd: Lehigh University in Bethlehem ($89,100)
• 4th: Lafayette College in Easton ($86,200)
• 5th: Bucknell University in Lewisburg ($85,200)

Zoom in: In the Philly region, Villanova University ranked 6th with a median early-career salary of $84,700, followed by Drexel University (8th) at $78,700 and Thomas Jefferson University (12th) at $74,500.

• Temple University was the highest-ranked state school on the list at (21st) with $67,600.

Between the lines: The price tag for college is a major barrier to obtaining a degree — the reason why many enrolled students consider dropping out.

Yes, but: Getting a bachelor's degree is still worth it.

• The wage gap between recent college and high school grads continues to widen.

Go deeper: Explore the lists by searching for select majors, including engineering, teaching and journalism.