Thomas Jefferson University

This private research university was created via a 2017 merger of Philadelphia University and Thomas Jefferson University. Students enrolled today can expect an interdisciplinary, team-based and experiential learning approach through what the university calls “Nexus Learning.” Nursing is a particularly popular major, but Jefferson offers majors grouped into eight areas of interest in which the university specializes: architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion and textiles, health, science and social sciences. (Some of the areas tie into the university’s history, which includes the Jefferson Medical College, founded in 1824, and Philadelphia Textile School, founded in 1884.) Most first-year students study at the university’s East Falls Campus, a 100-acre, tree-lined oasis that’s just 10 minutes outside of Philadelphia. The City Center campus, meanwhile, offers classes in the health sciences. A university survey of recent graduates found 60% were employed and 36% were enrolled in graduate programs within a year of leaving. Students go on to post median early career salaries that top $67,000, a premium over schools that enroll students of similar backgrounds, according to Money’s analysis.