25 Colleges with the Worst Return on Investment (Photos)

#25

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

6-Year Graduation Rate: 75%

Average Net Price: $27,297

Average Starting Salary: $42,100

Average Mid-Career Salary: $80,500

ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

#23

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

6-Year Graduation Rate: 75%

Average Net Price: $28,055

Average Starting Salary: $46,300

Average Mid-Career Salary: $84,000

Robert Rogers / Baylor University

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141030-least-5-puget_fx6fnx

#22

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, Washington

6-Year Graduation Rate: 77%

Average Net Price: $33,439

Average Starting Salary: $45,100

Average Mid-Career Salary: $85,000

Kevin Casey/Getty

#21

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado

6-Year Graduation Rate: 76%

Average Net Price: $32,188

Average Starting Salary: $48,700

Average Mid-Career Salary: $83,000

Wayne Armstrong

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/happiest-colleges---mount-holyoke_cmvwah

#20

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

6-Year Graduation Rate: 81%

Average Net Price: $25,659

Average Starting Salary: $41,300

Average Mid-Career Salary: $70,300

NANCY PALMIERI

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141030-least-15-seattle_rb9ywh

#19

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

6-Year Graduation Rate: 81%

Average Net Price: $22,540

Average Starting Salary: $36,500

Average Mid-Career Salary: $80,500

Mary Knox Merrill/Getty

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141028-worst-roi-schools-7-taylor_cal12h

#18

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana

6-Year Graduation Rate: 77%

Average Net Price: $25,183

Average Starting Salary: $39,800

Average Mid-Career Salary: $77,600

Wikimedia Commons

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141107-worst-roi-augustana_t0d7td

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

6-Year Graduation Rate: 78%

Average Net Price: $23,548

Average Starting Salary: $40,600

Average Mid-Career Salary: $69,900

ZUMA Press, Inc / Alamy

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141127-wheaton_vrnukm

#16

Wheaton College

Norton, Massachusetts

6-Year Graduation Rate: 82%

Average Net Price: $28,015

Average Starting Salary: $37,300

Average Mid-Career Salary: $82,500

via Instagram

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141028-worst-roi-schools-17-luther_aka36u

#15

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

6-Year Graduation Rate: 77%

Average Net Price: $24,566

Average Starting Salary: $45,700

Average Mid-Career Salary: $63,100

phthalogreen/Wikimedia Commons

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141028-worst-roi-schools-24-beloit_drghhx

#14

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

6-Year Graduation Rate: 78%

Average Net Price: $24,138

Average Starting Salary: $39,200

Average Mid-Career Salary: $74,100

Bob Knopes

#13

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

6-Year Graduation Rate: 82%

Average Net Price: $30,940

Average Starting Salary: $44,600

Average Mid-Career Salary: $69,800

AP Photo

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/lewis-clark_otgsci

#12

Lewis & Clark College

Portland, Oregon

6-Year Graduation Rate: 76%

Average Net Price: $26,296

Average Starting Salary: $38,700

Average Mid-Career Salary: $77,000

Steve Hambuchen / Lewis & Clark College

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141028-worst-roi-schools-10-whitworth_ybfoxt

#11

Whitworth University

Spokane, Washington

6-Year Graduation Rate: 76%

Average Net Price: $25,600

Average Starting Salary: $40,800

Average Mid-Career Salary: $74,500

Gregory Olsen/Getty

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141028-worst-roi-schools-13-calvin_z0ix0n

#10

Calvin College

Grand Rapids, Michigan

6-Year Graduation Rate: 77%

Average Net Price: $24,745

Average Starting Salary: $42,700

Average Mid-Career Salary: $74,500

ejd24/Wikimedia Commons

#9

Elon University

Elon, North Carolina

6-Year Graduation Rate: 83%

Average Net Price: $29,749

Average Starting Salary: $43,500

Average Mid-Career Salary: $72,100

Sara D. Davis/AP

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141030-worst-roi-schools-ithica_imyscw

#8

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York

6-Year Graduation Rate: 77%

Average Net Price: $32,429

Average Starting Salary: $44,000

Average Mid-Career Salary: $76,300

arthurohm / Flickr

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/130228-overlooked-colleges-wooster_s7kryl

#7

The College of Wooster

Wooster, Ohio

6-Year Graduation Rate: 76%

Average Net Price: $24,589

Average Starting Salary: $38,800

Average Mid-Career Salary: $70,400

PRNewsFoto/The College of Wooster via AP

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141030-least-15-seattle_xyx154

#6

Seattle University

Seattle, Washington

6-Year Graduation Rate: 78%

Average Net Price: $31,961

Average Starting Salary: $46,100

Average Mid-Career Salary: $77,900

Mary Knox Merrill/Getty

#5

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

6-Year Graduation Rate: 85%

Average Net Price: $35,790

Average Starting Salary: $40,200

Average Mid-Career Salary: $92,700

Scott Shaw/The Plain Dealer /Landov

galleries/2014/11/06/25-colleges-with-the-worst-return-on-investment-photos/141028-worst-roi-schools-6-sarah-lawrence_pwh7iv

#4

Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville, New York

6-Year Graduation Rate: 76%

Average Net Price: $29,666

Average Starting Salary: $39,000

Average Mid-Career Salary: $75,000

Andrew Lichtenstein

#3

Allegheny College

Meadville, Pennsylvania

6-Year Graduation Rate: 78%

Average Net Price: $25,208

Average Starting Salary: $36,200

Average Mid-Career Salary: $73,100

Wikimedia Commons

#2

Marist College

Poughkeepsie, New York

6-Year Graduation Rate: 80%

Average Net Price: $33,426

Average Starting Salary: $43,400

Average Mid-Career Salary: $75,100

25 Colleges with the Worst Return on Investment (Photos)

Graduates from these relatively costly schools might leave with diplomas, but the low-paying jobs they take after graduation won’t help much with those student loans.

Brandy Zadrozny