Top 25 Colleges for ROI (2026 stats)
TL;DR
California Institute of Technology tops EDsmart Data's 10-year ROI list at $595,878: median earnings in years 6–10 after enrolling, minus the full net price of a degree. The median bachelor's-granting college returns $152,024. 6 of the top 25 are public universities.
Key Facts
- #1 for 10-year ROI: California Institute of Technology ($595,878)
- 25th place ROI: $330,076
- Median bachelor's college ROI: $152,024
- Public universities in the top 25: 6
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Top 25 colleges by 10-year return on investment
Engineering-heavy schools dominate
Our analysis finds the top 25 colleges return at least $330,076 over 10 years, 117% more than the median bachelor's-granting college.
Bachelor's-predominant colleges with at least 500 undergraduates.
Top 25 colleges for ROI in the U.S.
| Rank · College | State | Type | 10-year ROI | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs after entry) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. California Institute of Technology | CA | Private nonprofit | $595,878 | $16,075 | $128,566 |
| 2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | Private nonprofit | $582,508 | $20,111 | $143,372 |
| 3. Stanford University | CA | Private nonprofit | $491,118 | $13,807 | $124,080 |
| 4. Princeton University | NJ | Private nonprofit | $490,486 | $6,128 | $110,066 |
| 5. Harvey Mudd College | CA | Private nonprofit | $490,267 | $35,924 | $138,687 |
| 6. United States Merchant Marine Academy | NY | Public | $443,240 | $6,174 | $90,610 |
| 7. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | Public | $417,020 | $12,116 | $102,772 |
| 8. Harvard University | MA | Private nonprofit | $408,944 | $19,066 | $101,817 |
| 9. Carnegie Mellon University | PA | Private nonprofit | $381,661 | $31,944 | $114,862 |
| 10. Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | Private nonprofit | $375,459 | $21,590 | $102,491 |
| 11. Cal Poly Maritime Academy | CA | Public | $366,819 | $20,555 | $94,784 |
| 12. University of Pennsylvania | PA | Private nonprofit | $359,630 | $28,699 | $111,371 |
| 13. University of Chicago | IL | Private nonprofit | $359,160 | $14,860 | $91,885 |
| 14. Claremont McKenna College | CA | Private nonprofit | $356,148 | $28,849 | $104,736 |
| 15. Johns Hopkins University | MD | Private nonprofit | $355,394 | $18,809 | $87,555 |
| 16. University of California-Berkeley | CA | Public | $353,372 | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 17. Rice University | TX | Private nonprofit | $344,734 | $13,370 | $89,718 |
| 18. Yale University | CT | Private nonprofit | $344,204 | $23,777 | $100,533 |
| 19. Cornell University | NY | Private nonprofit | $338,556 | $28,690 | $104,043 |
| 20. Vanderbilt University | TN | Private nonprofit | $338,065 | $15,846 | $91,565 |
| 21. Massachusetts Maritime Academy | MA | Public | $336,008 | $21,582 | $82,392 |
| 22. University of Notre Dame | IN | Private nonprofit | $335,073 | $26,780 | $99,980 |
| 23. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | Public | $332,190 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| 24. West Coast University-Miami | FL | Private for-profit | $331,776 | $32,539 | $102,672 |
| 25. West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | CA | Private for-profit | $330,076 | $32,879 | $102,672 |
Median 10-year ROI by college type
Public colleges deliver the best typical return
At the median, public colleges return $175,050, versus $138,730 for private nonprofits and $95,600 for for-profit colleges.
All bachelor's-predominant colleges with ROI data and 500+ undergraduates.
What the data shows
The colleges with the highest returns share two traits: graduates who move into high-paying technical and financial jobs, and net prices kept in check by generous aid. California Institute of Technology's graduates earn $128,566 ten years after entry against a net price of $16,075 a year.
ROI here is a whole-college figure. A school's engineering program and its fine arts program can produce very different returns, so pair this list with field-level data before choosing.
Methodology
10-year ROI = cumulative median earnings in years 6–10 after entry (years 7 and 9 interpolated) minus total net price (average annual net price × 5 years for bachelor's-predominant colleges). Earnings and net price are College Scorecard institution fields; earnings cover federal-aid recipients who are working and not enrolled.
The list includes bachelor's-predominant colleges with at least 500 undergraduates and complete data. The same calculation powers EDsmart Data's ROI rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Which college has the best ROI?
California Institute of Technology has the highest 10-year ROI in our analysis at $595,878, based on College Scorecard earnings and net price.
What is a typical college ROI after 10 years?
The median bachelor's-granting college returns $152,024 over 10 years after subtracting the full net price.
How is 10-year ROI calculated?
We add median earnings for years 6 through 10 after a student first enrolls, then subtract the average annual net price multiplied by five years of attendance for bachelor's colleges.
Are public colleges a better investment?
At the median, yes: public colleges return $175,050 versus $138,730 for private nonprofits. 6 of the top 25 are public.
Data sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard institution and field-of-study files (latest release in our extract)