Public colleges and universities often get short shrift when people talk about the value of higher education. That’s because it’s so easy to be seduced by the brand-name of an ivy-covered institution of higher learning. But when it comes to getting the highest earning power for your tuition dollar — and a top-drawer education, to boot — you can’t do better than these schools.
(Photo Credit: Alan Levine/Flickr)
(Note: for the purposes of this list, we’re looking at in-state tuition. If you want to see the list with in-state and out-of-state calculations, go here — and get ready to see a lot of repeated names. To customize your own list, begin at the beginning on the front page of PayScale’s College ROI report.)
Total Cost of Education: $114,200
20-Year Net ROI: $783,400
Annual ROI: 11 percent
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Total Cost of Education: $92,250
20-Year Net ROI: $755,600
Annual ROI: 11.9 percent
3. Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Total Cost of Education: $96,560
20-Year Net ROI: $702,100
Annual ROI: 11.3 percent
4. South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Total Cost of Education: $90,330
20-Year Net ROI: $664,400
Annual ROI: 11.4 percent
5. Missouri University of Science and Technology (S&T)
Total Cost of Education: $98,170
20-Year Net ROI: $661,000
Annual ROI: 10.9 percent
6. University of California – Berkeley
Total Cost of Education: $133,900
20-Year Net ROI: $654,400
Annual ROI: 9.4 percent
7. California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) – San Luis Obispo
Total Cost of Education: $103,600
20-Year Net ROI: $611,700
Annual ROI: 10.3 percent
8. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Total Cost of Education: $137,700
20-Year Net ROI: $588,500
Annual ROI: 8.8 percent
9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech)
Total Cost of Education: $76,410
20-Year Net ROI: $588,400
Annual ROI: 11.6 percent
10. Texas A&M University – Main Campus
Total Cost of Education: $91,040
20-Year Net ROI: $566,700
Annual ROI: 10.6 percent
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