What makes a college 'overpriced'?

A college is overpriced when net price is high relative to graduate earnings. A school charging $30k/year with $55k outcomes offers worse value than one charging $5k/year with similar earnings. We measure this with value ratio = earnings / net price.

Should I avoid overpriced colleges?

Not necessarily. Consider your specific major (earnings vary widely by field), financial aid package (net price differs by income), career goals, and non-financial factors. Use this data as one input, not the only factor.

Why do some colleges charge more than they're worth?

Brand recognition, location, amenities, and marketing drive prices beyond economic value. Some schools invest in facilities over instruction. Others serve students who prioritize experience over ROI. Always check net price by income bracket.

Overpriced Colleges

Schools where you pay a premium relative to graduate earnings. Consider carefully before committing.

Important context: "Overpriced" means high net price relative to median earnings. Your outcome may differ based on major, career path, and personal circumstances. This is one data point, not a verdict. Net prices shown are for families earning $48k-$75k; your cost may vary.

100

Schools Listed

1.04x

Lowest Value Ratio

$47,965

Highest Net Price

12.7 yrs

Longest Payback

#	School	Net Price/yr	Earnings	Value Ratio	Payback
1	School of Visual Arts New York, NY · For-Profit	$47,965	$50,066	1.04x	12.7 yrs
2	Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY · Private	$49,338	$52,211	1.06x	11.5 yrs
3	Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA · Private	$44,125	$54,531	1.24x	9 yrs
4	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH · Private	$41,757	$52,024	1.25x	9.8 yrs
5	Spelman College Atlanta, GA · Private	$41,579	$52,227	1.26x	9.7 yrs
6	Howard University Washington, DC · Private	$43,093	$56,236	1.3x	8.1 yrs
7	Platt College-Aurora Greenwood Village, CO · For-Profit	$43,785	$57,243	1.31x	7.9 yrs
8	The New School New York, NY · Private	$40,659	$53,981	1.33x	8.6 yrs
9	Morehouse College Atlanta, GA · Private	$35,655	$51,483	1.44x	8.7 yrs
10	University of New Haven West Haven, CT · Private	$35,331	$52,610	1.49x	8 yrs
11	Emerson College Boston, MA · Private	$37,774	$56,676	1.5x	7 yrs
12	Conception Seminary College Conception, MO · Private	$34,460	$52,161	1.51x	8 yrs
13	Southern California Institute of Architecture Los Angeles, CA · Private	$47,767	$71,946	1.51x	5.2 yrs
14	Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA · Private	$42,992	$66,407	1.54x	5.5 yrs
15	LIM College New York, NY · For-Profit	$35,905	$56,202	1.57x	6.8 yrs
16	Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI · Private	$36,981	$58,131	1.57x	6.4 yrs
17	Chapman University Orange, CA · Private	$38,525	$60,835	1.58x	6 yrs
18	Pacific College Costa Mesa, CA · For-Profit	$34,053	$53,860	1.58x	7.2 yrs
19	California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA · Private	$31,474	$50,388	1.6x	8.2 yrs
20	College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI · Private	$32,671	$52,727	1.61x	7.4 yrs
21	Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Flushing, NY · Private	$40,643	$65,445	1.61x	5.3 yrs
22	MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe, KS · Private	$29,730	$50,243	1.69x	7.8 yrs
23	Regis College Weston, MA · Private	$31,701	$53,465	1.69x	6.9 yrs
24	Nazareth University Rochester, NY · Private	$30,646	$51,952	1.7x	7.2 yrs
25	Samford University Birmingham, AL · Private	$31,029	$53,223	1.72x	6.8 yrs
26	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL · Private	$38,999	$67,362	1.73x	4.8 yrs
27	Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster Lancaster, PA · Private	$31,565	$55,688	1.76x	6.1 yrs
28	Shenandoah University Winchester, VA · Private	$28,685	$50,385	1.76x	7.5 yrs
29	Neumann University Aston, PA · Private	$28,142	$50,165	1.78x	7.4 yrs
30	Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY · Private	$28,391	$50,801	1.79x	7.2 yrs
31	Xavier University Cincinnati, OH · Private	$34,481	$62,015	1.8x	5.1 yrs
32	Nichols College Dudley, MA · Private	$29,693	$53,889	1.81x	6.3 yrs
33	Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT · Private	$39,777	$72,191	1.81x	4.3 yrs
34	Franklin Pierce University Rindge, NH · Private	$27,716	$50,486	1.82x	7.2 yrs
35	Butler University Indianapolis, IN · Private	$36,315	$66,540	1.83x	4.6 yrs
36	Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA · Private	$37,292	$68,701	1.84x	4.4 yrs
37	Champlain College Burlington, VT · Private	$32,288	$60,024	1.86x	5.2 yrs
38	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX · Private	$33,018	$61,325	1.86x	5 yrs
39	The University of Tampa Tampa, FL · Private	$29,375	$55,040	1.87x	5.9 yrs
40	Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA · Private	$26,766	$50,383	1.88x	7 yrs
41	Emmanuel College Boston, MA · Private	$29,397	$55,158	1.88x	5.8 yrs
42	Hartwick College Oneonta, NY · Private	$26,555	$50,184	1.89x	7 yrs
43	Baylor University Waco, TX · Private	$31,907	$60,512	1.9x	5 yrs
44	Stanbridge University Irvine, CA · For-Profit	$28,960	$55,373	1.91x	5.7 yrs
45	Roger Williams University Bristol, RI · Private	$33,796	$64,743	1.92x	4.5 yrs
46	Arcadia University Glenside, PA · Private	$27,003	$52,008	1.93x	6.4 yrs
47	Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, HI · Private	$29,247	$56,483	1.93x	5.4 yrs
48	Woodbury University Burbank, CA · Private	$29,603	$56,996	1.93x	5.4 yrs
49	Pacific University Forest Grove, OR · Private	$28,111	$54,436	1.94x	5.8 yrs
50	Rollins College Winter Park, FL · Private	$27,552	$53,363	1.94x	6 yrs
51	Endicott College Beverly, MA · Private	$31,192	$60,850	1.95x	4.8 yrs
52	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY · Private	$33,635	$65,439	1.95x	4.4 yrs
53	Immaculata University Immaculata, PA · Private	$27,369	$53,417	1.95x	5.9 yrs
54	Ithaca College Ithaca, NY · Private	$31,694	$62,146	1.96x	4.7 yrs
55	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL · Private	$32,229	$63,232	1.96x	4.6 yrs
56	Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL · Private	$27,150	$53,201	1.96x	6 yrs
57	Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR · Private	$26,459	$52,016	1.97x	6.2 yrs
58	The University of the South Sewanee, TN · Private	$28,660	$56,404	1.97x	5.4 yrs
59	Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO · Private	$26,965	$53,466	1.98x	5.8 yrs
60	Chamberlain University-Georgia Sandy Springs, GA · For-Profit	$38,903	$77,512	1.99x	3.7 yrs
61	DeSales University Center Valley, PA · Private	$28,434	$56,641	1.99x	5.3 yrs
62	Newschool of Architecture and Design San Diego, CA · For-Profit	$26,883	$53,574	1.99x	5.8 yrs
63	University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, CT · Private	$25,156	$50,003	1.99x	6.7 yrs
64	Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI · Private	$33,641	$67,434	2x	4.1 yrs
65	Widener University Chester, PA · Private	$31,002	$62,030	2x	4.6 yrs
66	University of Portland Portland, OR · Private	$35,514	$71,543	2.01x	3.9 yrs
67	Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA · Private	$28,221	$56,992	2.02x	5.1 yrs
68	Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA · Private	$28,538	$57,796	2.03x	5 yrs
69	Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA · Private	$33,649	$68,312	2.03x	4 yrs
70	Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT · Private	$37,175	$75,575	2.03x	3.7 yrs
71	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ · Public	$27,278	$55,410	2.03x	5.3 yrs
72	Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX · Private	$24,475	$50,033	2.04x	6.5 yrs
73	Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE · Private	$25,748	$52,697	2.05x	5.8 yrs
74	Willamette University Salem, OR · Private	$27,843	$57,036	2.05x	5.1 yrs
75	Suffolk University Boston, MA · Private	$29,611	$60,928	2.06x	4.6 yrs
76	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA · Private	$30,077	$61,842	2.06x	4.5 yrs
77	California Baptist University Riverside, CA · Private	$25,553	$52,941	2.07x	5.7 yrs
78	West Coast University-Ontario Ontario, CA · For-Profit	$47,133	$97,371	2.07x	3 yrs
79	Carthage College Kenosha, WI · Private	$26,106	$54,208	2.08x	5.4 yrs
80	Concordia University-Irvine Irvine, CA · Private	$25,579	$53,144	2.08x	5.6 yrs
81	Keuka College Keuka Park, NY · Private	$25,207	$52,489	2.08x	5.8 yrs
82	Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY · Private	$31,935	$66,280	2.08x	4.1 yrs
83	Yeshiva University New York, NY · Private	$31,030	$64,628	2.08x	4.2 yrs
84	Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN · Private	$25,839	$54,095	2.09x	5.4 yrs
85	Russell Sage College Troy, NY · Private	$24,877	$51,979	2.09x	5.9 yrs
86	Edgewood College Madison, WI · Private	$25,061	$52,544	2.1x	5.7 yrs
87	Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL · Private	$30,375	$63,704	2.1x	4.2 yrs
88	Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ · Private	$28,313	$59,513	2.1x	4.6 yrs
89	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT · Private	$27,606	$58,087	2.1x	4.8 yrs
90	AdventHealth University Orlando, FL · Private	$27,887	$58,788	2.11x	4.7 yrs
91	West Coast University-Los Angeles North Hollywood, CA · For-Profit	$46,120	$97,371	2.11x	3 yrs
92	Whitman College Walla Walla, WA · Private	$28,150	$59,340	2.11x	4.6 yrs
93	Roanoke College Salem, VA · Private	$23,983	$50,770	2.12x	6.1 yrs
94	Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA · Private	$25,717	$54,600	2.12x	5.2 yrs
95	The University of Findlay Findlay, OH · Private	$24,367	$51,703	2.12x	5.8 yrs
96	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Private	$36,818	$78,031	2.12x	3.4 yrs
97	Long Island University Brookville, NY · Private	$24,775	$52,757	2.13x	5.6 yrs
98	Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA · Private	$25,646	$54,576	2.13x	5.2 yrs
99	Simmons University Boston, MA · Private	$26,374	$56,053	2.13x	5 yrs
100	St. John Fisher University Rochester, NY · Private	$26,544	$56,461	2.13x	4.9 yrs

Underpriced Colleges

Hidden gems with exceptional value - high earnings at low net price.

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