A company is nothing without the workers that make it successful. Human resources is all about managing, training, and encouraging the human beings that make up an organization. Whether a company is large or small, global or local, some amount of energy has to be put into human resource management.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in human resources is a good first step to becoming a human resource manager or human resource specialist. With this degree, you can find work in virtually any type of industry as well as work for the government or a non-profit. Students also have the option to pursue a master’s degree which will open more doors and offer the opportunity to earn more pay.

So where do you get your bachelor’s degree that will provide the most opportunities and offer the best chance at a high-paying job? We’ve got some options for you.

The ten best colleges to study human resource management…

Note: Salary figures are estimates made with data from Payscale.

10. Seton Hall University: New Jersey

Graduates of Seton Hall University’s human resources management program out-earn their peers by 18%! The average starting salary of a graduate is $43,000 and the average mid-career salary is $78,000. About 40 students earned their HR degree here in 2016. Seton Hall is a Catholic university that accepts students of all walks of faith or no faith at all.

9. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities: Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is a large public university that offers an affordable price and a low student loan default rate. The human resource management program graduated 100 students in 2016 and is considered a top value degree. Graduates who don’t go on to earn a master’s degree earn an average of $41,000 when starting their career and $61,000 at the mid-point.

8. Bryant University: Rhode Island

Bryant University is a small, private school with a high freshman retention and graduation rate. Students who earn their human resources management degree from this institution earn about $43,000 on average in their early careers and $74,000 in their mid-career. This is almost 14% than their peers. The program is small and intimate with 14 students graduating in 2016.

7. Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus: Pennsylvania

Penn State is a good pick for students who are looking for a big campus with lots going on. Their human resource management program is one of the largest on this list, with over 200 students graduated in the year 2016. About 7% of the degrees are awarded to international students and about 54% of the degrees are awarded to men. The average graduate of the program earns $41,000 in early career and $76,000 in mid-career.

6. University of San Francisco: California

This private school could be a good deal for you with financial aid. It boasts a low student loan default rate, and a fourteen to one student to faculty ratio. This smaller program graduated 18 students in 2016, who went on to earn higher than average salaries of $47,000 in early career and an impressive $80,000 in mid-career.

5. Washington University in St. Louis: Missouri

Want to out-earn your peers by 19% after graduation? Washington University in St. Louis may be a good pick for you. This school boasts a small and intimate human resource management program that graduated 18 students in 2016. Those students went on to earn an average of $46,000 in early career and $76,000 in mid-career. This private school has a very low student to faculty ratio of eight to one and an extremely high freshman retention rate of 96%.

4. The University of Richmond: Virginia

This private school boasts an eight to one student to faculty ratio and 66% of the teachers are full time. 83% of students graduate in four years. About 70 students graduated from this program in 2016 and went on to earn average starting salaries of $40,000 and mid-career salaries of $74,000. About 70% of the graduates of this program are women.

3. Rutgers University – New Brunswick: New Jersey

Rutgers is a large public university that boasts a great price and a low student loan default rate. There is high ethnic diversity at the school and an even ratio of men and women. The human resource program at Rutgers is large, graduating about 470 students in the year 2016. Those degrees were all awarded online, making Rutgers the top ranked online human resources degree provider as well as the 3^rd ranked overall. Grads earn an average of $43,000 in their early career and $82,000 about 15 years in.

2. Northwestern University: Illinois

Northwestern is a large, private school with a small human resource management program. In 2016 18 students graduate from the program, and did quite well for themselves financially. The average human resource grad from Northwestern earns $51,000 in their early career and $75,000 in mid-career. Northwestern has a seven to one student to faculty ratio and 81% of the teachers are full time.

1. Cornell University: New York

And the #1 college to get your bachelor’s in human resource management is Cornell University. This private, Ivy League school is in the picturesque Ithaca, New York. But don’t let the tranquil setting fool you. Cornell is considered an Ivy League school and is very competitive to get into with only 15% of applications accepted. The human resource management program is sizable, graduating over 280 students in 2016. The average early career and mid-career earnings for graduates of the program is a whopping $58,000 and $95,000 respectively. This makes it the school with the highest paid human resources grads.

All ten of these schools are great picks for your human resource management education. Which one will you choose?

About the Author:

Carly Stockwell is the Content & Media Director of College Factual, a website that helps students find the best-fit college and major for them!