Which Colleges Have The Best Return On Investment?

College costs a lot, and no one wants to waste four or five years going deep in debt and not get anything for their money.

Payscale has extensive data on which schools give you the most bang for your buck, as well as the least.

We broke it down to give you the list of schools that are worth the money, and the ones who are a total waste of time.

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Comments

[hasharris]

10:24 PM on 07/30/2012

College of the Ozarks is a work-study school. Every student who goes there has the opportunity to graduate debt-free. I am not sure how they are calculating that it costs $104,000 to attend. Perhaps that is what the education is worth, but I don't know of anyone who graduated from there in debt. It doesn't make sense that it is on the list.

[inisheer1972]

01:53 PM on 05/16/2012

What about online schools: good list of cheap ones here: http://www.successdegrees.com/goodlowcostonlinebachelorsandassociatesdegrees.html

[Mappie]

12:03 PM on 04/24/2012

so with this reasoning, my donation to Cancer research is a "total waste of time" since I get a 0 ROI

[mdennis7352]

05:57 PM on 04/23/2012

One of the reasons that the best ROI colleges are on the list is that mommy and daddy were rich to begin with for you to go to these schools (yes I know not everyone) and have connections for Biff to get a job after they earn their degree and/or these Ivy league schools get them connections because of their long history of graduates who made it big. Not the only or most important factor but it does give an ivy league school or the like the advantage over some of these small private, expensive and lesser known schools. And don't say all the kids were brilliant to get in, and I am being equal opportunity both W and Gore went Ivy league and were dumb#$# as students and perfect examples of my point.

[bdonate764]

03:35 PM on 04/23/2012

I'm 77. It was easy 55 yrs ago. Now, it is more difficult. Do research on what is needed now or when one graduates. Then , go to college or learn a trade whichever is more relevant. If everyone sat at a computer, there would be no one in the building trades ! My Dad was an immigrant and he worked as a bricklayer throughout the depression ....never had to look for work. He didn't even have a car. His father said obey the law in your new country and do honest work. He did and raised 4 children who are college graduates. Easier said then done but it works.

[viciousvirago]

03:33 PM on 04/23/2012

Dad paid $l30,000 in the 70's for my undergrad and medical school. When I informed him that I wanted to go to Geogetown in d.c. instead, he answered "Five generations have gone to Harvard and that's where you're going. End of story." So I went and did well. I'm glad I was wrong.

[gollin]

02:53 PM on 04/23/2012

Banned? Dumbfounding! Why?

[e-mail]

"We broke it down to give you the list of schools that are worth the money, and the ones who are a total waste of time."

Now wait a second! "Total waste of time"? Speaking as a member of the Society of Nevertheless Employed English Majors, I do vaguely recall that college is supposed to give you more than a ROI! There are quality of life issues! Also, in my case there was a girlfriend and wife issue. And a profession, stuff like that.

And anyhow, it's "the ones WHICH are a total waste of time!" So there! "Schools that" followed by "schools who"? On whom was college wasted no matter how much

[niceguy71653]

02:22 PM on 04/23/2012

Too bad they didn't rank community colleges. Most are around $50-75 an hour. 60 hours = $3000 to $4500. You can work part time and graduate with no debt, especially considering tax rebates, even if you owe no tax. You can get many decent jobs with an AAS that would make the returns of the colleges and universities pale in comparison.

[generalp22]

02:18 PM on 04/23/2012

See: http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/bs_collegeROI_0621.html for a longer list...

[generalp22]

02:14 PM on 04/23/2012

How could they leave out Universities of Chicago, Wharton and Harvard? I know Chicago does better than this!

[niceguy71653]

02:18 PM on 04/23/2012

Click back through again.

[johnhdao]

03:43 PM on 04/23/2012

Wharton is not a separate university. It's the business school of the Univ. of Pennsylvania , which is on the list.

[vxenon67]

02:12 PM on 04/23/2012

its not the college you go to, its the subject you learn. Albert Einstein is a Physicist what college did he go to and he wasn't a great student.

[usmc ok]

05:18 PM on 05/22/2012

Exactly, the college that were ranked as least successful offer a wider range of degrees in the arts which do not generally pay as well as traditional business degrees.

While a person with a degree in ancient stick figure etchings may have a "college degree", it is not going to produce the same income as a degree in finance. Young people are being led astry by feel good counselors who urge them to follow their dreams, not matter what they are. That's all well and good, but there are a lot of unemployed college graduates out there because companies are not hiring people with degrees in art history, ancient languages or "general studies".

[geechi71]

01:51 PM on 04/23/2012

So where are all of these schools that promise an exciting career in medical billing and coding, medical assisting, or criminal justice? How come the schools that I see advertised during the Jerry Springer show, not on this list?

[ModerateCommenter]

02:39 PM on 04/23/2012

Because they're not real colleges. You don't see them here for the exact same reason as the US government regulations require them to state (in small print, of course) "credits unlikely to transfer"

[amblc888]

01:13 PM on 04/23/2012

hey lets get in debt to go to college, then we can all work at mcdonalds and on a farm. that's the way it go's nowadays.

[Goldie Treasure]

05:25 PM on 05/15/2012

If you pick a useless major.

[magnumxe]

01:02 PM on 04/23/2012

First of all you have to take something besides Bull Chit courses, like business Admin.etc. just so you can say you went to college and have a sheep skin, then get out and have to take a job at micky dee's or some department store. Time would be well spent in a trade school if that's all your shooting for. Wise up and take something that will pay you back plus.

[m320753]

01:50 PM on 04/23/2012

i've been saying that for years. a man with a trade always has fod on the table

[niceguy71653]

02:19 PM on 04/23/2012

With fod you'll never go hungry!!!

[tncsf]

12:38 PM on 04/23/2012

This article make absolutely no sense.

For instance, Harvey Mudd College's ROI of 11.2% works out to about an annual salary of $48,900, about what the average truck driver or bartender now earns without a college education.

So how exactly is that a good investment of time and money?