Here are the top 25 universities ranked by the best 30-year return on investment (ROI). Beside is the average mid-career salary from an undergraduate of the respective institution.
The rankings below are the full rankings from Credible’s university guides.
| Ranking | University | 30 Year ROI | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvey Mudd College | $2,113,000 | $135,000 |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | $1,991,000 | $127,000 |
| 3 | Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) | $1,622,000 | $117,000 |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | $1,606,000 | $118,000 |
| 5 | SUNY – Maritime College | $1,586,000 | $109,000 |
| 6 | Colorado School of Mines | $1,574,000 | $105,000 |
| 9 | Stevens Institute of Technology | $1,461,000 | $112,000 |
| 10 | Stanford University | $1,432,000 | $114,000 |
| 11 | Georgia Institute of Technology | $1,389,000 | $102,000 |
| 12 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) | $1,354,000 | $99,800 |
| 13 | Claremont McKenna College | $1,341,000 | $102,000 |
| 14 | Harvard University | $1,334,000 | $111,000 |
| 15 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | $1,316,000 | $98,100 |
| 15 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) | $1,316,000 | $102,000 |
| 18 | Santa Clara University | $1,282,000 | $108,000 |
| 19 | Dartmouth College | $1,262,000 | $111,000 |
| 21 | Williams College | $1,254,000 | $113,000 |
| 21 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) | $1,254,000 | $105,000 |
| 23 | University of Notre Dame | $1,250,000 | $111,000 |
| 24 | Princeton University | $1,234,000 | $137,000 |
| 25 | South Dakota School of Mines & Technology | $1,228,000 | $99,500 |
| 25 | Babson College | $1,228,000 | $117,000 |
Full rankings from Payscale:
College Education ROI Rankings