We have gathered, updated and combined a list of top 25 overall best colleges that are worth your review for a possible “admission” investment. The question begs to be asked – Does it make sense for students and parents invest in a top/elite college education despite the tough labor market? When choosing a college, compare the the costs and figure out which school’s tuition costs will return the biggest dividends for you after graduation – where the student is likely to get hired with a reasonable paying job.
These findings have been compiled from over 852 public, private, universities, institutions across the country. Return On Investment (ROI ) is calculated using the cost of college, tuition and fees, estimated median pay for the college graduate, percentage of applicants admitted, average financial aid packages offered, plus four-to-six years to compensate for time spent in school. We are using a 30-year returns which are based on real terms and the annual ROI figures include a 4.3% yearly wage inflation*.
Overall, the best value proved to be public schools attended by in-state students, yielding a 9.7% average net annualized ROI. The worst deal was attending an out-of-state public school, yielding an annualized net ROI of 8.4%. The net annualized return for private universities was 9.1%.*
Related Charts for Top Ranked Colleges That Offer Best Return on Investment:
Top 25 Best Private Colleges | Top 25 Best Public Colleges
Below is the chart of the top 25 overall best schools for return on investment.
|
Rank
|
School Name
|
Avg. Cost for College in 2009
|
30 Year ROI (2010 Dollars)
|
Annual ROI
|
% of Applicants Admitted | % of students returning sophomore year | Avg. financial aid package | Avg. non-need based aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
|
$189,300
|
$1,688,000
|
12.6%
|
11%
|
97%
|
$35,919
|
Not reported
|
|
2
|
California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
|
$181,100
|
$1,644,000
|
12.6%
|
15%
|
-
|
$30,960
|
$16,849
|
|
3
|
Harvard University
|
$189,600
|
$1,631,000
|
12.5%
|
7%
|
98%
|
$41,295
|
Not reported
|
|
4
|
Harvey Mudd College
|
$187,700
|
$1,627,000
|
12.5%
|
34%
|
91%
|
$31,455
|
$9,842
|
|
5
|
Dartmouth College
|
$188,400
|
$1,587,000
|
12.4%
|
13%
|
98%
|
36,946
|
$450
|
|
6
|
Stanford University
|
$191,800
|
$1,565,000
|
12.3%
|
8%
|
98%
|
$40,204
|
$3,319
|
|
7
|
Princeton University
|
$187,700
|
$1,517,000
|
12.3%
|
10%
|
98%
|
$34,804
|
Not reported
|
|
8
|
Yale University
|
$194,200
|
$1,392,000
|
11.9%
|
8%
|
99%
|
$39,282
|
Not reported
|
|
9
|
University of Notre Dame
|
$181,900
|
$1,384,000
|
12.1%
|
29%
|
98%
|
$34,802
|
$11,536
|
|
10
|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$191,300
|
$1,361,000
|
11.8%
|
18%
|
98%
|
$33,773
|
Not reported
|
|
11
|
Duke University
|
$187,600
|
$1,319,000
|
11.8%
|
19%
|
97%
|
Not reported
|
Not reported
|
|
12
|
Lehigh University
|
$180,400
|
$1,308,000
|
11.9%
|
33%
|
94%
|
$32,081
|
$10,139
|
|
13
|
Union College, New York
|
$186,500
|
$1,262,000
|
11.7%
|
41%
|
91%
|
$35,815
|
$10,016
|
|
14
|
Amherst College
|
$188,200
|
$1,259,000
|
11.6%
|
15%
|
-
|
$37,077
|
Not reported
|
|
15
|
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
|
$184,900
|
$1,224,000
|
11.6%
|
63%
|
95%
|
$23,404
|
$12,764
|
|
16
|
University of California, Berkeley
|
$118,900
|
$1,223,000
|
13.1%
|
22%
|
97%
|
$20,400
|
$5,120
|
|
17
|
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
|
$190,600
|
$1,220,000
|
11.5%
|
36%
|
95%
|
$28,678
|
$10,643
|
|
18
|
Colgate University
|
$187,700
|
$1,167,000
|
11.4%
|
32%
|
95%
|
$39,758
|
Not reported
|
|
19
|
Columbia University
|
$192,200
|
$1,161,000
|
11.3%
|
10%
|
99%
|
$38,196
|
Not reported
|
|
20
|
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
|
$227,300
|
$1,158,000
|
10.8%
|
43%
|
91%
|
$33,062
|
$13,043
|
|
21
|
Georgetown University
|
$199,800
|
$1,147,000
|
11.2%
|
20%
|
96%
|
$35,530
|
Not reported
|
|
22
|
Bowdoin College
|
$188,500
|
$1,146,000
|
11.3%
|
19%
|
96%
|
$35,544
|
$1,000
|
|
23
|
Brown University
|
$189,800
|
$1,138,000
|
11.3%
|
11%
|
97%
|
$33,802
|
$14,000
|
|
24
|
Villanova University
|
$183,700
|
$1,137,000
|
11.4%
|
46%
|
94%
|
$30,122
|
$8,492
|
|
25
|
Rice University
|
$159,400
|
$1,132,000
|
11.8%
|
22%
|
97%
|
$28,494
|
$17,340
|
Sources: *PayScale ; CollegeBoard
Updated: July 23, 2010