College Rankings 2013

20 Colleges with the Best Return on Investment (photos)

Based on future earnings, these are the schools that are well worth the cost of a degree.

By The Daily BeastOct 16, 2013

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/best-ROI_bk1gxr — To figure out which degrees hold the most earnings potential, The Daily Beast analyzed data on starting and mid-career salaries for schools across the country, according to Payscale.com, as well as the average cost of a degree for each school. Each of the three factors was weighted equally to create the final ranking. However, only colleges with a six-year graduation rate of at least 75% were eligible to land on the list. After all, an investment in college only pays off if you get a degree, and we wanted to highlight schools where the educational investment will reliably end in graduation.

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-harvey-mudd_uuambw — Claremont, California

6-Year Grad Rate: 84.1%

Average Net Price: $30,171

Average Starting Salary: $73,300

Average Midcareer Salary: $143,000
John Linden for Harvey Mudd College

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-mit_gpuaay — Cambridge, Massachusetts

6-Year Grad Rate: 92.9%

Average Net Price: $20,660

Average Starting Salary: $68,600

Average Midcareer Salary: $118,000
Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor, via Getty

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-california-institute-technology_lzhtts — Pasadena, California

6-Year Grad Rate: 86.7%

Average Net Price: $25,382

Average Starting Salary: $68,400

Average Midcareer Salary: $124,000
Ted Soqui/Corbis

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-cooper-union_fritvb — New York, New York

6-Year Grad Rate: 75.7%

Average Net Price: $16,794

Average Starting Salary: $61,400

Average Midcareer Salary: $116,000
Mario Tama/Getty

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-stanford-university_f7rby9 — Stanford, California

6-Year Grad Rate: 96.1%

Average Net Price: $21,421

Average Starting Salary: $61,300

Average Midcareer Salary: $119,000
Paul Sakuma/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-princeton-university_ngowir — Princeton, New Jersey

6-Year Grad Rate: 95.5%

Average Net Price: $18,813

Average Starting Salary: $56,100

Average Midcareer Salary: $12,1000
Mel Evans/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-harvard-university_ro50ix — Cambridge, Massachusetts

6-Year Grad Rate: 97.4%

Average Net Price: $18,277

Average Starting Salary: $55,300

Average Midcareer Salary: $119,000
Elise Amendola/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-uc-berkeley_fuplkp — Berkeley, California

6-Year Grad Rate: 90.5%

Average Net Price: $15,589

Average Starting Salary: $54,700

Average Midcareer Salary: $111,000
Paul Sakuma/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-stevens-institute-technology_ejj66b — Hoboken, New Jersey

6-Year Grad Rate: 79%

Average Net Price: $28,387

Average Starting Salary: $64,900

Average Midcareer Salary: $124,000
Jeffrey Vock

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-colgate-university_qv04bg — Hamilton, New York

6-Year Grad Rate: 91.6%

Average Net Price: $18,647

Average Starting Salary: $51,800

Average Midcareer Salary: $117,000
Andrew M. Daddio/Colgate University via AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-university-pennsylvania_ptbkp2 — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

6-Year Grad Rate: 95.8%

Average Net Price: $20,592

Average Starting Salary: $57,200

Average Midcareer Salary: $109,000
Rusty Kennedy/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-rice_vikd6b — Houston, Texas

6-Year Grad Rate: 91.6%

Average Net Price: $19,675

Average Starting Salary: $55,700

Average Midcareer Salary: $109,000

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-williams-college_seihbx — Williamstown, Massachusetts

6-Year Grad Rate: 95.3%

Average Net Price: $16,493

Average Starting Salary: $50,400

Average Midcareer Salary: $111,000
Ian Bradshaw/Williams College

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-yale-university_yufcfd — New Haven, Connecticut

6-Year Grad Rate: 96.6%

Average Net Price: $18,934

Average Starting Salary: $50,000

Average Midcareer Salary: $117,000
Jessica Hill/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-lehigh-university_a75ftd — Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

6-Year Grad Rate: 86.9%

Average Net Price: $24,510

Average Starting Salary: $58,500

Average Midcareer Salary: $111,000
Aimin Tang/Getty

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-columbia-university_jb9wga — New York, New York

6-Year Grad Rate: 92.8%

Average Net Price: $19,073

Average Starting Salary: $57,600

Average Midcareer Salary: $99,600
Daniel Barry/Bloomberg, via Getty

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-university-of-virginia_osesns — Charlottesville, Virginia

6-Year Grad Rate: 93.9%

Average Net Price: $11,590

Average Starting Salary: $51,000

Average Midcareer Salary: $95,700

Lance King/Replay Photos via Getty

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-brown-university_xjeayb — Providence, Rhode Island

6-Year Grad Rate: 95.2%

Average Net Price: $22,743

Average Starting Salary: $52,300

Average Midcareer Salary: $119,000
Steven Senne/AP

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-texas-am-university-college-station_i7wjiq — College Station, Texas

6-Year Grad Rate: 80.7%

Average Net Price: $11,550

Average Starting Salary: $51,900

Average Midcareer Salary: $94,300
Scott Halleran/Getty

galleries/2013/10/16/20-colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-photos/2013-college-rankings-amherst-college_ckh7hk — Amherst, Massachusetts

6-Year Grad Rate: 96.3%

Average Net Price: $17,574

Average Starting Salary: $53,000

Average Midcareer Salary: $104,000
Shana Sureck

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