These four-year colleges have a 40-year net present value of more than $1.8 million.

Here are schools that offer the best returns.

Students and families are increasingly asking whether college is worth the cost. With tuition and fees at some colleges topping $65,000 per year, families seeking to understand the short-term and long-term value of a degree can turn to 2022 research from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, which lists the return on investment for 4,500 colleges. In the long term, colleges that award bachelor's degrees offer the highest returns, while in the short term, community colleges and certificate programs offer better returns. The following list presents in ascending order the 20 four-year schools with the highest 40-year net present value, a metric that compares the cost of college to a student's potential future earnings. It includes only institutions ranked among the U.S. News Best National Universities, which are committed to research and offer undergraduate majors in addition to master's and doctoral programs, and Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, which emphasize undergraduate study and award a majority of degrees in liberal arts fields.

Claremont McKenna College (National Liberal Arts Colleges)

The return on investment of a degree from Claremont McKenna College in California is $1,889,000 after 40 years. The school is a part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, so students can take classes at any member institution. Tuition and fees at Claremont McKenna College were $60,715 in 2022-2023, and among 2021 graduates who borrowed to pay for college, the average total indebtedness was $17,774.

U.S. News National Liberal Arts Colleges rank: 9 (tie)

Dartmouth College (National Universities)

A bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College has a net present value of $1,895,000 after 40 years. The New Hampshire college charged $62,430 for tuition and fees in 2022-2023, and borrowers in the graduating class of 2021 left with an average total of $23,217 in debt.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 12

Yale University (National Universities)

Yale University in Connecticut offers students who earn a bachelor's degree a return on investment of $1,917,000 after 40 years, according to Georgetown researchers. The university charged $62,250 for tuition and fees in 2022-2023, and student loan borrowers who graduated in 2021 left with an average of $14,383 in debt.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 3 (tie)

Colorado School of Mines (National Universities)

Though not as highly ranked by U.S. News as the other institutions on this list, Colorado School of Mines offers one of the highest returns on investment among colleges reviewed. After 40 years, a bachelor's degree from this school has a net present value of $1,922,000. The cost of tuition and fees was $19,538 for in-state students and $40,838 for out-of-state students in 2022-2023, and the average total indebtedness among borrowers in the 2021 graduating class was $30,680.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 89 (tie)

Boston College (National Universities)

A bachelor's degree from Boston College boasts a net present value of $1,924,000 after 40 years. The Massachusetts college charged $64,176 for tuition and fees in 2022-2023. The average total indebtedness among borrowers in the 2021 graduating class was $23,075.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 36 (tie)

Santa Clara University (National Universities)

Santa Clara University offers bachelor's degree-holders a return on investment of $1,940,000 after 40 years. Tuition and fees at the California college were $57,534 in 2022-2023, and the average total indebtedness of those in the 2021 graduating class who borrowed to pay for college was $23,847.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 55 (tie)

Columbia University (National Universities)

In the long term, researchers calculated the return on investment of a degree from Columbia University in New York to be $1,946,000 after 40 years. Tuition and fees cost $65,524 in 2022-2023, and the median federal loan debt among borrowers who completed an undergraduate degree at this private school in 2021 was $21,500.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 18 (tie)

Georgia Institute of Technology (National Universities)

Georgia Institute of Technology | Rob Felt

Many of the schools with the highest long-term returns are private colleges, but a degree from this public institution has a net present value of $1,947,000 after 40 years. Georgia Institute of Technology's in-state tuition and fees were $11,764 in 2022-2023, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $32,876 in the same year. Borrowers in the 2021 graduating class had an average total indebtedness of $27,633.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 44 (tie)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (National Universities)

A degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a technological research university in New York, has a net present value of $1,949,000 after 40 years. The cost of tuition and fees in 2022-2023 was $60,051, with an average of $23,080 in need-based scholarships or grants awarded to first-year students. However, the average indebtedness of 2021 graduates was $41,862.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 51 (tie)

Duke University (National Universities)

The net present value of a bachelor's degree from Duke University in North Carolina after 40 years is $1,976,000. The cost of tuition and fees in 2022-2023 was $63,054 and student loan borrowers in the 2021 graduating class had an average total debt of $24,436.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 10 (tie)

Lehigh University (National Universities)

The net present value of a bachelor's from this Pennsylvania university topped just over $2 million – $2,019,000 – after 40 years. For the 2022-2023 academic year, Lehigh University charged $59,930, with an average debt of $20,076 among 2021 graduates who took out student loans.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 51 (tie)

Georgetown University (National Universities)

A bachelor's degree from Georgetown University has a net present value of $2,027,000 after 40 years. The Washington, D.C.-based institution listed tuition and fees at $62,052 in 2022-2023. Among 2021 graduates who borrowed student loans, the average total debt was $27,120.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 22 (tie)

Stevens Institute of Technology (National Universities)

While not as highly ranked by U.S. News as some of the other institutions on this list, a degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology was found to be highly valuable in the long term. The net present value of a bachelor's from this New Jersey institution was $2,047,000 after 40 years. In 2022-2023, tuition and fees cost $58,624, and borrowers in the 2021 graduating class had an average of $43,706 in total debt.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 83 (tie)

Carnegie Mellon University (National Universities)

A bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University was found to have a net present value of $2,119,000 after 40 years. The Pennsylvania university had a tuition price of $61,344 for the 2022-2023 school year. Forty percent of its graduating students borrowed, with the average debt being $30,652 for 2021 graduates.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 22 (tie)

Princeton University (National Universities)

The return on investment of a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in New Jersey is $2,126,000 after 40 years. Tuition and fees were $57,410 in 2022-2023. The average indebtedness of 2021 graduates was far lower compared to other schools on this list at $10,299.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 1

Stanford University (National Universities)

The return on investment from a degree at Stanford University in California has a net present value of $2,200,000 after 40 years. In 2022-2023, tuition and fees cost $56,169. Students in the 2021 graduating class who borrowed to pay for college had an average total indebtedness of $23,318.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 3 (tie)

University of Pennsylvania (National Universities)

Photo by Eric Sucar. Office of University Communication

A bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania has a net present value of $2,211,000 after 40 years, according to the Georgetown report. The private university charged $63,452 for tuition and fees in 2022-2023, and student loan borrowers in the 2021 graduating class had an average of $26,481 in total debt.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 7 (tie)

Harvey Mudd College (National Liberal Arts Colleges)

Among liberal arts colleges, Harvey Mudd College tops the charts when it comes to return on investment. A degree from this California college boasts a net present value of $2,370,000 after 40 years. Tuition and fees cost $62,817 in 2022-2023, and student loan borrowers in the 2021 graduating class had $27,423 in debt, on average.

U.S. News National Liberal Arts Colleges rank: 29 (tie)

California Institute of Technology (National Universities)

A bachelor's degree from the California Institute of Technology has a net present value of $2,490,000 after 40 years. Tuition and fees at Caltech were $60,864 in 2022-2023, and the average total indebtedness among student loan borrowers in the 2021 graduating class was $16,787.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 9

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (National Universities)

Patrick Gilloory | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alongside Caltech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology had the highest return on investment in the long term on this list. The net present value of an MIT degree after 40 years is $2,490,000. The cost of tuition and fees was $57,986 in 2022-2023. Students in the 2021 graduating class who borrowed student loans to pay for college left with $26,339 in debt, on average.

U.S. News National Universities rank: 2

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Colleges that pay off in the long term

National Universities with the best return on investment:

California Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University
Princeton University
Carnegie Mellon University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Georgetown University
Lehigh University
Duke University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
Columbia University
Santa Clara University
Boston College
Colorado School of Mines
Yale University
Dartmouth College

National Liberal Arts Colleges with the best return on investment:

Harvey Mudd College
Claremont McKenna College

Updated on Nov. 28, 2022: This slideshow was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

source: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/slideshows/national-universities-liberal-arts-colleges-with-the-best-roi?onepage

Colleges With the Best Return on Investment

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