Best Return on Investment
Colleges ranked by earnings-to-debt ratio. Higher = better value for your money.
#1
P
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private
10.67x
ROI
Earnings: $110,066
Debt: $10,320
Acceptance: 4.5%
Grad Rate: 97.4%
🌍 24% International 👩 48% Women
#2
S
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · Private
10.34x
ROI
Earnings: $124,080
Debt: $12,000
Acceptance: 3.9%
Grad Rate: 92.8%
🌍 25% International 👩 48% Women
#3
U
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY · Public
10.26x
ROI
Earnings: $90,610
Debt: $8,833
Acceptance: 32.5%
Grad Rate: 80.6%
🌍 0% International 👩 18% Women
#4
M
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private
9.71x
ROI
Earnings: $143,372
Debt: $14,768
Acceptance: 4.7%
Grad Rate: 96.2%
🌍 29% International 👩 44% Women
#5
J
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private
8.54x
ROI
Earnings: $87,555
Debt: $10,250
Acceptance: 7.6%
Grad Rate: 94.2%
🌍 26% International 👩 52% Women
#6
W
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · Private
8.48x
ROI
Earnings: $84,803
Debt: $10,000
Acceptance: 13.9%
Grad Rate: 91.4%
🌍 14% International 👩 99% Women
#7
B
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private
8.18x
ROI
Earnings: $93,487
Debt: $11,428
Acceptance: 5.2%
Grad Rate: 96.0%
🌍 20% International 👩 52% Women
#8
R
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private
8.16x
ROI
Earnings: $89,718
Debt: $11,000
Acceptance: 7.9%
Grad Rate: 95.7%
🌍 26% International 👩 44% Women
#9
C
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · Private
7.76x
ROI
Earnings: $104,736
Debt: $13,500
Acceptance: 11.1%
Grad Rate: 93.3%
🌍 15% International 👩 50% Women
#10
Y
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private
7.75x
ROI
Earnings: $100,533
Debt: $12,975
Acceptance: 4.5%
Grad Rate: 96.0%
🌍 24% International 👩 53% Women
#11
U
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Private
7.72x
ROI
Earnings: $137,047
Debt: $17,755
Acceptance: 75.1%
Grad Rate: 68.5%
🌍 3% International 👩 62% Women
#12
M
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Rochester, MN · Private
7.59x
ROI
Earnings: $79,652
Debt: $10,500
Acceptance: 38.7%
🌍 11% International 👩 60% Women
#13
A
Albizu University-Miami
Miami, FL · Private
7.55x
ROI
Earnings: $41,544
Debt: $5,500
Acceptance: 100.0%
Grad Rate: 48.4%
🌍 2% International 👩 86% Women
#14
A
Albizu University-San Juan
San Juan, PR · Private
7.55x
ROI
Earnings: $41,544
Debt: $5,500
Acceptance: 100.0%
Grad Rate: 69.0%
🌍 0% International 👩 84% Women
#15
D
Duke University
Durham, NC · Private
7.52x
ROI
Earnings: $97,800
Debt: $13,000
Acceptance: 6.8%
Grad Rate: 95.8%
🌍 25% International 👩 55% Women
#16
C
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private
7.43x
ROI
Earnings: $104,043
Debt: $14,000
Acceptance: 8.2%
Grad Rate: 95.3%
🌍 26% International 👩 53% Women
#17
H
Helene Fuld College of Nursing
New York, NY · Private
7.28x
ROI
Earnings: $111,027
Debt: $15,250
Acceptance: 23.8%
🌍 0% International 👩 87% Women
#18
H
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private
7.27x
ROI
Earnings: $101,817
Debt: $14,000
Acceptance: 3.5%
Grad Rate: 97.5%
🌍 26% International 👩 54% Women
#19
U
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
7.11x
ROI
Earnings: $92,446
Debt: $13,000
Acceptance: 11.7%
Grad Rate: 92.9%
🌍 17% International 👩 54% Women
#20
U
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private
7.09x
ROI
Earnings: $111,371
Debt: $15,715
Acceptance: 5.9%
Grad Rate: 96.8%
🌍 24% International 👩 56% Women
#21
W
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · Private
6.95x
ROI
Earnings: $88,665
Debt: $12,761
Acceptance: 10.0%
Grad Rate: 95.1%
🌍 10% International 👩 52% Women
#22
B
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT · Private
6.85x
ROI
Earnings: $75,790
Debt: $11,069
Acceptance: 69.2%
Grad Rate: 82.2%
🌍 3% International 👩 52% Women
#23
G
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · Private
6.68x
ROI
Earnings: $103,494
Debt: $15,500
Acceptance: 13.1%
Grad Rate: 94.5%
🌍 17% International 👩 55% Women
#24
F
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Needham, MA · Private
6.64x
ROI
Earnings: $129,455
Debt: $19,500
Acceptance: 21.7%
Grad Rate: 92.2%
🌍 8% International 👩 48% Women
#25
P
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private
6.6x
ROI
Earnings: $77,779
Debt: $11,782
Acceptance: 6.8%
Grad Rate: 93.2%
🌍 13% International 👩 55% Women
#26
C
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · Public
6.6x
ROI
Earnings: $75,971
Debt: $11,512
Acceptance: 50.5%
Grad Rate: 72.1%
🌍 9% International 👩 51% Women
#27
V
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private
6.54x
ROI
Earnings: $91,565
Debt: $14,000
Acceptance: 6.3%
Grad Rate: 92.7%
🌍 13% International 👩 56% Women
#28
U
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
San Juan, PR · Public
6.5x
ROI
Earnings: $35,723
Debt: $5,500
Acceptance: 53.2%
Grad Rate: 52.5%
🌍 0% International 👩 61% Women
#29
U
University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon
Bayamon, PR · Public
6.26x
ROI
Earnings: $34,409
Debt: $5,500
Acceptance: 92.5%
Grad Rate: 31.4%
🌍 0% International 👩 50% Women
#30
U
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public
6.22x
ROI
Earnings: $80,838
Debt: $13,000
Acceptance: 41.6%
Grad Rate: 85.4%
🌍 15% International 👩 59% Women
#31
B
Babson College
Wellesley, MA · Private
6.2x
ROI
Earnings: $123,938
Debt: $20,000
Acceptance: 19.7%
Grad Rate: 92.7%
🌍 34% International 👩 43% Women
#32
U
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private
6.13x
ROI
Earnings: $91,885
Debt: $15,000
Acceptance: 4.8%
Grad Rate: 95.4%
🌍 31% International 👩 46% Women
#33
C
CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY · Public
6.09x
ROI
Earnings: $62,763
Debt: $10,298
Acceptance: 68.5%
Grad Rate: 56.4%
🌍 6% International 👩 54% Women
#34
N
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private
5.96x
ROI
Earnings: $89,363
Debt: $15,000
Acceptance: 7.1%
Grad Rate: 95.5%
🌍 21% International 👩 55% Women
#35
C
Center for Advanced Legal Studies
Houston, TX · For-Profit
5.95x
ROI
Earnings: $56,561
Debt: $9,500
Acceptance: N/A
🌍 0% International 👩 89% Women
#36
U
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR · Public
5.94x
ROI
Earnings: $48,992
Debt: $8,250
Acceptance: 52.2%
Grad Rate: 47.0%
🌍 2% International 👩 45% Women
#37
U
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
5.89x
ROI
Earnings: $82,511
Debt: $14,000
Acceptance: 8.7%
Grad Rate: 92.6%
🌍 14% International 👩 58% Women
#38
H
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private
5.87x
ROI
Earnings: $79,966
Debt: $13,621
Acceptance: 12.9%
Grad Rate: 89.4%
🌍 11% International 👩 57% Women
#39
S
Scripps College
Claremont, CA · Private
5.74x
ROI
Earnings: $77,539
Debt: $13,500
Acceptance: 33.9%
Grad Rate: 85.1%
🌍 4% International 👩 99% Women
#40
C
CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY · Public
5.74x
ROI
Earnings: $63,163
Debt: $11,000
Acceptance: 54.0%
Grad Rate: 58.8%
🌍 4% International 👩 67% Women
#41
L
Lafayette College
Easton, PA · Private
5.71x
ROI
Earnings: $91,410
Debt: $16,000
Acceptance: 31.5%
Grad Rate: 88.0%
🌍 7% International 👩 49% Women
#42
U
University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Ponce, PR · Public
5.71x
ROI
Earnings: $31,394
Debt: $5,500
Acceptance: 56.1%
Grad Rate: 50.6%
🌍 0% International 👩 53% Women
#43
S
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA · Private
5.7x
ROI
Earnings: $109,183
Debt: $19,162
Acceptance: 43.8%
Grad Rate: 88.2%
🌍 16% International 👩 50% Women
#44
C
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY · Private
5.68x
ROI
Earnings: $85,139
Debt: $15,000
Acceptance: 11.9%
Grad Rate: 90.9%
🌍 8% International 👩 56% Women
#45
A
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private
5.65x
ROI
Earnings: $77,644
Debt: $13,740
Acceptance: 9.8%
Grad Rate: 93.7%
🌍 12% International 👩 54% Women
#46
T
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
New York, NY · Private
5.59x
ROI
Earnings: $83,847
Debt: $15,000
Acceptance: 19.1%
Grad Rate: 80.7%
🌍 14% International 👩 48% Women
#47
D
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private
5.57x
ROI
Earnings: $97,434
Debt: $17,500
Acceptance: 6.2%
Grad Rate: 95.8%
🌍 21% International 👩 49% Women
#48
U
University of Puerto Rico-Carolina
Carolina, PR · Public
5.57x
ROI
Earnings: $30,626
Debt: $5,500
Acceptance: 52.7%
Grad Rate: 40.2%
🌍 0% International 👩 65% Women
#49
H
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA · Private
5.55x
ROI
Earnings: $138,687
Debt: $25,000
Acceptance: 13.1%
Grad Rate: 92.8%
🌍 10% International 👩 49% Women
#50
B
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Laie, HI · Private
5.53x
ROI
Earnings: $52,064
Debt: $9,413
Acceptance: 37.9%
Grad Rate: 54.4%
🌍 48% International 👩 58% Women
#51
C
CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY · Public
5.52x
ROI
Earnings: $60,752
Debt: $11,000
Acceptance: 53.7%
Grad Rate: 55.2%
🌍 3% International 👩 58% Women
#52
C
CUNY City College
New York, NY · Public
5.51x
ROI
Earnings: $66,039
Debt: $11,990
Acceptance: 58.1%
Grad Rate: 55.8%
🌍 6% International 👩 53% Women
#53
M
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · Private
5.51x
ROI
Earnings: $76,310
Debt: $13,857
Acceptance: 10.4%
Grad Rate: 92.6%
🌍 12% International 👩 54% Women
#54
U
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public
5.48x
ROI
Earnings: $84,943
Debt: $15,500
Acceptance: 24.5%
Grad Rate: 86.8%
🌍 18% International 👩 52% Women
#55
B
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private
5.47x
ROI
Earnings: $103,937
Debt: $19,000
Acceptance: 15.7%
Grad Rate: 90.9%
🌍 12% International 👩 55% Women
How ROI is calculated: Median earnings 10 years after enrollment divided by median student debt.
A ratio of 10x means graduates earn 10 times their debt within 10 years.
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