Student Life

Top 15 Best Value Colleges of 2016

Elizabeth Hoyt

July 18, 2016

Top 15 Best Value Colleges of 2016
Are some colleges better investments than others?
A college education is a great investment in your future. You need a college education to further your career, not to mention, it helps you grow intellectually as an individual. But are some colleges a better investment than others? Yes, according to calculations by Payscale, a site that collects career and salary data.
Using specific methodology, Payscale researched and calculated different colleges’ return on investment (ROI). Apparently, the following schools are worth every penny. The following are this 2016's top 15 best value colleges, as listed by Payscale, along with the data collected that demonstrates why the school made the list.

1. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Pasadena, CA Cost of a 4-year degree (private): $230,000
20-Year Net ROI: $973,000

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Cambridge, MA Cost of a 4-year degree (private): $232,000
20-Year Net ROI: $972,000

3. (TIE)Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA Cost of a 4-year degree (private): $249,000
20-Year Net ROI: $945,000

3. (TIE)SUNY – Maritime College

Throggs Neck, NY Cost of a 4-year degree (In-State): $89,000
20-Year Net ROI: $945,000

5. SUNY – Maritime College

Throggs Neck, NY Cost of a 4-year degree (Out-of-State): $126,000
20-Year Net ROI: $908,000

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA Cost of a 4-year degree (Private): $240,000
20-Year Net ROI: $854,000

7. Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO Cost of a 4-year degree (In-State): $118,000
20-Year Net ROI: $846,000

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA Cost of a 4-year degree (In-State): $91,500
20-Year Net ROI: $833,000

9. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ Cost of a 4-year degree (Private): $224,000
20-Year Net ROI: $820,000

10. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

Pittsburgh, PA Cost of a 4-year degree (Private): $243,000
20-Year Net ROI: $811,000

11. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, CA Cost of a 4-year degree (In-State): $133,000
20-Year Net ROI: $806,000

12. Babson College

Wellesley, MA Cost of a 4-year degree (Private): $238,000
20-Year Net ROI: $794,000

13. Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, MA Cost of a 4-year degree (In-State): $86,900
20-Year Net ROI: $787,000

14. Kettering University

Flint, MI Cost of a 4-year degree (Private): $199,000
20-Year Net ROI: $785,000

15. Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO Cost of a 4-year degree (Out-of-State): $181,000
20-Year Net ROI: $783,000

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