A college education is a huge investment that requires students and parents to conduct series due diligence beyond the schools’ football record and party vibe.
So, it’s handy that payscale.com is out with its latest College ROI Report.
The searchable database ranks about 1350 U.S. colleges based on the 20-year return on investment students can expect to earn. That ROI is defined as the difference between 20 years of median pay for a bachelors graduate as compared to a high school graduate, minus the total four-year cost of attending the college.
It will come as no surprise that the top of the chart is clogged with prestigious tech-centric schools, lead by the California Institute of Technology. Cal Tech grads can expect a 20-year ROI of $973,000.
- California Institute of Technology
- MIT
- Harvey Mudd College (tie)
- SUNY – Maritime College – In-state (tie)
- SUNY – Maritime College – Out-of-state
- Stanford
- Colorado School of Mines
- Georgia Tech
- Princeton
- Carnegie Mellon University
Payscale is quick to note that young people shouldn’t select a college or career based solely earnings potential. But, as they explain, it’s a fact that some schools simply do a better job of setting up their grads for success by charging lower tuition and/or providing higher earnings potential.
