10-16-2010, 01:59 PM
For the list of all 852 colleges studied:
Colleges Worth Your Investment - Full List
Note these are ranked by 30 year ROI, not annual return percentage. Which means, for example, that for two schools with the same 30 year return, the school with the higher tuition expense will have a lower annual percentage return.
Top 20
Rank School Name School Type Average Cost for College in 2009 30 Year ROI (2010 Dollars) Annual ROI
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Private $189,300 $1,688,000 12.6%
2 California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Private $181,100 $1,644,000 12.6%
3 Harvard University Private $189,600 $1,631,000 12.5%
4 Harvey Mudd College Private $187,700 $1,627,000 12.5%
5 Dartmouth College Private $188,400 $1,587,000 12.4%
6 Stanford University Private $191,800 $1,565,000 12.3%
7 Princeton University Private $187,700 $1,517,000 12.3%
8 Yale University Private $194,200 $1,392,000 11.9%
9 University of Notre Dame Private $181,900 $1,384,000 12.1%
10 University of Pennsylvania Private $191,300 $1,361,000 11.8%
11 Duke University Private $187,600 $1,319,000 11.8%
12 Lehigh University Private $180,400 $1,308,000 11.9%
13 Union College, New York Private $186,500 $1,262,000 11.7%
14 Amherst College Private $188,200 $1,259,000 11.6%
15 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Private $184,900 $1,224,000 11.6%
16 University of California, Berkeley Public (In-State) $118,900 $1,223,000 13.1%
17 Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Private $190,600 $1,220,000 11.5%
18 Colgate University Private $187,700 $1,167,000 11.4%
19 Columbia University Private $192,200 $1,161,000 11.3%
20 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Private $227,300 $1,158,000 10.8%
Bottom 20
833 University of Texas at Tyler Public (Out-of-State) $101,000 $75,300 6.3%
834 Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Private $130,800 $65,400 5.7%
835 North Carolina Central University Public (Out-of-State) $114,300 $65,100 5.9%
836 Montana State University - Billings Public (Out-of-State) $115,600 $64,500 5.9%
837 Norfolk State University Public (Out-of-State) $132,200 $63,900 5.7%
838 Morehead State University Public (Out-of-State) $99,830 $62,700 6%
839 St. Ambrose University Private $148,400 $61,000 5.5%
840 University of Arkansas - Little Rock (UALR) Public (In-State) $86,250 $48,300 5.9%
841 Northeastern State University Public (In-State) $55,670 $48,000 6.5%
842 Chicago State University (CSU) Public (In-State) $92,780 $44,700 5.7%
843 Cameron University Public (In-State) $66,500 $44,300 6.1%
844 University of Arkansas - Little Rock (UALR) Public (Out-of-State) $118,300 $41,600 5.4%
845 Chicago State University (CSU) Public (Out-of-State) $120,500 $41,000 5.3%
846 Northeastern State University Public (Out-of-State) $81,500 $40,200 5.7%
847 Campbell University Private $141,800 $40,100 5.2%
848 Cameron University Public (Out-of-State) $91,190 $39,300 5.6%
849 Davenport University Private $92,710 $34,100 5.4%
850 Black Hills State University Public (In-State) $67,020 $6,960 4.6%
851 Shaw University Private $98,730 $2,400 4.4%
852 Black Hills State University Public (Out-of-State) $86,240 $998 4.3%
Looking for the best annual percentage return on your investment, without regard to your 30 year total return? These look like the 20 best:
31 Georgia Institute of Technology Public (In-State) $79,140 $1,111,000 14.20%
38 University of Virginia (UVA) Public (In-State) $74,410 $1,038,000 14.10%
77 Brigham Young University (BYU) Private $58,450 $797,000 14.10%
27 Colorado School of Mines Public (In-State) $95,740 $1,132,000 13.60%
51 College of William and Mary Public (In-State) $74,720 $895,000 13.60%
16 University of California, Berkeley Public (In-State) $118,900 $1,223,000 13.10%
47 University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Public (In-State) $94,100 $961,200 13.10%
58 University of Michigan Public (In-State) $84,690 $875,400 13.10%
62 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Public (In-State) $83,270 $854,300 13.10%
112 University of Florida (UF) Public (In-State) $70,150 $696,700 13%
149 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNCH) Public (In-State) $61,830 $615,100 13%
64 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (CalPoly) Public (In-State) $86,440 $844,000 12.90%
71 Texas A&M University Public (In-State) $88,540 $816,000 12.70%
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Private $189,300 $1,688,000 12.60%
2 California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Private $181,100 $1,644,000 12.60%
46 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Public (In-State) $106,600 $966,900 12.60%
134 University of Delaware Public (In-State) $71,670 $650,600 12.60%
143 James Madison University (JMU) Public (In-State) $69,510 $627,400 12.60%
3 Harvard University Private $189,600 $1,631,000 12.50%
4 Harvey Mudd College Private $187,700 $1,627,000 12.50%
Best deal looks like BYU. Fifth least expensive out of the 852 studied, but at 14.10% tied for second best annual return on investment. If money is tight, go Cougars.
Colleges Worth Your Investment - Full List
Note these are ranked by 30 year ROI, not annual return percentage. Which means, for example, that for two schools with the same 30 year return, the school with the higher tuition expense will have a lower annual percentage return.
Top 20
Rank School Name School Type Average Cost for College in 2009 30 Year ROI (2010 Dollars) Annual ROI
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Private $189,300 $1,688,000 12.6%
2 California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Private $181,100 $1,644,000 12.6%
3 Harvard University Private $189,600 $1,631,000 12.5%
4 Harvey Mudd College Private $187,700 $1,627,000 12.5%
5 Dartmouth College Private $188,400 $1,587,000 12.4%
6 Stanford University Private $191,800 $1,565,000 12.3%
7 Princeton University Private $187,700 $1,517,000 12.3%
8 Yale University Private $194,200 $1,392,000 11.9%
9 University of Notre Dame Private $181,900 $1,384,000 12.1%
10 University of Pennsylvania Private $191,300 $1,361,000 11.8%
11 Duke University Private $187,600 $1,319,000 11.8%
12 Lehigh University Private $180,400 $1,308,000 11.9%
13 Union College, New York Private $186,500 $1,262,000 11.7%
14 Amherst College Private $188,200 $1,259,000 11.6%
15 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Private $184,900 $1,224,000 11.6%
16 University of California, Berkeley Public (In-State) $118,900 $1,223,000 13.1%
17 Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Private $190,600 $1,220,000 11.5%
18 Colgate University Private $187,700 $1,167,000 11.4%
19 Columbia University Private $192,200 $1,161,000 11.3%
20 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Private $227,300 $1,158,000 10.8%
Bottom 20
833 University of Texas at Tyler Public (Out-of-State) $101,000 $75,300 6.3%
834 Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Private $130,800 $65,400 5.7%
835 North Carolina Central University Public (Out-of-State) $114,300 $65,100 5.9%
836 Montana State University - Billings Public (Out-of-State) $115,600 $64,500 5.9%
837 Norfolk State University Public (Out-of-State) $132,200 $63,900 5.7%
838 Morehead State University Public (Out-of-State) $99,830 $62,700 6%
839 St. Ambrose University Private $148,400 $61,000 5.5%
840 University of Arkansas - Little Rock (UALR) Public (In-State) $86,250 $48,300 5.9%
841 Northeastern State University Public (In-State) $55,670 $48,000 6.5%
842 Chicago State University (CSU) Public (In-State) $92,780 $44,700 5.7%
843 Cameron University Public (In-State) $66,500 $44,300 6.1%
844 University of Arkansas - Little Rock (UALR) Public (Out-of-State) $118,300 $41,600 5.4%
845 Chicago State University (CSU) Public (Out-of-State) $120,500 $41,000 5.3%
846 Northeastern State University Public (Out-of-State) $81,500 $40,200 5.7%
847 Campbell University Private $141,800 $40,100 5.2%
848 Cameron University Public (Out-of-State) $91,190 $39,300 5.6%
849 Davenport University Private $92,710 $34,100 5.4%
850 Black Hills State University Public (In-State) $67,020 $6,960 4.6%
851 Shaw University Private $98,730 $2,400 4.4%
852 Black Hills State University Public (Out-of-State) $86,240 $998 4.3%
Looking for the best annual percentage return on your investment, without regard to your 30 year total return? These look like the 20 best:
31 Georgia Institute of Technology Public (In-State) $79,140 $1,111,000 14.20%
38 University of Virginia (UVA) Public (In-State) $74,410 $1,038,000 14.10%
77 Brigham Young University (BYU) Private $58,450 $797,000 14.10%
27 Colorado School of Mines Public (In-State) $95,740 $1,132,000 13.60%
51 College of William and Mary Public (In-State) $74,720 $895,000 13.60%
16 University of California, Berkeley Public (In-State) $118,900 $1,223,000 13.10%
47 University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Public (In-State) $94,100 $961,200 13.10%
58 University of Michigan Public (In-State) $84,690 $875,400 13.10%
62 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Public (In-State) $83,270 $854,300 13.10%
112 University of Florida (UF) Public (In-State) $70,150 $696,700 13%
149 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNCH) Public (In-State) $61,830 $615,100 13%
64 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (CalPoly) Public (In-State) $86,440 $844,000 12.90%
71 Texas A&M University Public (In-State) $88,540 $816,000 12.70%
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Private $189,300 $1,688,000 12.60%
2 California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Private $181,100 $1,644,000 12.60%
46 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Public (In-State) $106,600 $966,900 12.60%
134 University of Delaware Public (In-State) $71,670 $650,600 12.60%
143 James Madison University (JMU) Public (In-State) $69,510 $627,400 12.60%
3 Harvard University Private $189,600 $1,631,000 12.50%
4 Harvey Mudd College Private $187,700 $1,627,000 12.50%
Best deal looks like BYU. Fifth least expensive out of the 852 studied, but at 14.10% tied for second best annual return on investment. If money is tight, go Cougars.