2 Colorado schools land in Top 25 in list of U.S. colleges expected to land the highest salaries for graduates

Colorado School of Mines and Air Force Academy are among the top colleges in the country when it comes to the salaries that attendees generally end up making once they've graduated and become established in their careers, according to a new study. Payscale's College Salary Report looked at data from more than 2,400 colleges and universities for their findings.

The data included the education histories and employment histories of millions of American workers who graduated from colleges in the U.S.

All of the country's major military academies landed in the list's top 25, and that included Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The AFA landed at No. 18. Grads there earn an average mid-career salary of $172,800, according to Payscale.

Colorado School of Mines wasn't far behind with a ranking of 21. The college in Golden sees grads making an average of $169,400 midway through their careers. Part of the explanation for that is likely Mines' emphasis on engineering, one of the country's majors that usually results in higher-paying salaries for graduates.

"STEM degrees in science, tech, engineering and mathematics tend to earn the highest salaries upon leaving schools and at the mid-career check," Payscale's Amy Stewart told CBS MoneyWatch.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the No. 1 ranked school on the list.

Air Force Academy, which states on its website that it drives "advancement and innovation in air, space and cyberspace," currently has more than 4,000 cadets enrolled. Classes began at the start of last month.

Classes at Mines began three weeks ago with a total of 1,774 first-year students and transfer students.

CBS Colorado's Future Leaders program puts an emphasis on highlighting the work Colorado high school students are doing in STEM fields and offers a $1,000 scholarship that can be used for college to monthly winners. Colorado School of Mines is one the sponsors of the program.