2026 NATIONAL REPORT

The DegreeVerdict College Value Report

What happens when currently operating colleges are compared with the same cost, earnings and payoff framework?

Federal data through June 10, 20262,491 eligible collegesDownload the CSV ↓
MEDIAN ANNUAL NET PRICE$14,971

Average net price after grants and scholarships, measured across eligible colleges.

MEDIAN YEAR-5 EARNINGS$50,896

Observed federal earnings five years after completion.

POSITIVE 10-YEAR SCENARIO9%

Share with a positive modeled payoff under the same assumptions.

WHAT WE FOUND

Price and earnings both matter—and neither tells the whole story.

Low price can create an excellent payoff even when earnings are not nationally exceptional. High earnings can overcome a higher price. The strongest results combine both, but the model is a comparison tool rather than a promise about any individual student.

Technical and community colleges can appear near the top because their published annual net prices are low. That is a real feature of the input data, but it does not make every institution or pathway comparable. Use the ranking to identify candidates, then inspect credential mix, completion and program-level outcomes.

REPRODUCIBLE RANKING

Highest modeled college payoff

Operating main campuses with at least 500 students, valid net price and observed year-5 earnings.

#CollegeAnnual net priceYear-5 earnings10-year payoff10-year ROI
1Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · Private nonprofit$20,111$148,383$773,386+297%
2California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA · Private nonprofit$16,075$136,775$673,450+276%
3Stanford UniversityStanford, CA · Private nonprofit$13,807$132,900$643,772+274%
4Ohlone CollegeFremont, CA · Public$11,130$126,289$588,370+262%
5Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CA · Private nonprofit$35,924$154,095$767,254+237%
6Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · Private nonprofit$6,128$113,450$479,988+235%
7Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Private nonprofit$19,066$124,581$539,546+211%
8Contra Costa CollegeSan Pablo, CA · Public$9,490$103,363$365,670+168%
9Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA · Public$12,116$104,923$370,766+162%
10Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY · Private nonprofit$21,590$112,647$410,110+154%
11United States Merchant Marine AcademyKings Point, NY · Public$6,174$96,303$308,334+151%
12Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit$31,944$121,367$455,894+148%
13University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Private nonprofit$14,860$103,328$343,840+144%
14Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · Private nonprofit$18,809$107,088$365,644+143%
15Cal Poly Maritime AcademyVallejo, CA · Public$20,555$108,075$368,530+141%
16University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · Private nonprofit$28,699$115,598$411,184+139%
17Maine Maritime AcademyCastine, ME · Public$23,414$107,211$348,454+127%
18University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · Public$13,481$95,520$271,276+116%
19SUNY Maritime CollegeThroggs Neck, NY · Public$22,367$102,795$308,482+114%
20Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA · Private nonprofit$28,849$108,186$336,464+114%
21Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · Private nonprofit$29,519$108,126$333,184+112%
22Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MA · Public$21,582$98,832$271,992+102%
23Babson CollegeWellesley, MA · Private nonprofit$40,514$113,760$345,544+101%
24Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · Private nonprofit$28,690$104,057$295,810+100%
25Duke UniversityDurham, NC · Private nonprofit$29,612$104,271$294,262+99%
26CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNew York, NY · Public$3,033$81,296$170,828+89%
27Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · Private nonprofit$15,846$90,815$214,766+88%
28Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, MO · Private nonprofit$21,786$94,543$228,286+85%
29Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA · Private nonprofit$37,930$105,451$272,790+82%
30Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ · Private nonprofit$41,346$107,922$283,836+82%
31Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO · Public$16,298$89,551$200,318+82%
32St Paul's School of Nursing-QueensRego Park, NY · Private for-profit$26,315$96,734$232,080+81%
33Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, VA · Private nonprofit$23,781$94,782$222,696+81%
34California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA · Public$16,665$89,413$197,470+80%
35Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · Public$28,690$98,029$235,530+80%
36Kettering UniversityFlint, MI · Private nonprofit$34,660$102,107$252,430+79%
37New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ · Public$16,504$89,013$194,114+79%
38Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY · Private nonprofit$36,228$102,764$252,728+78%
39Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Private nonprofit$23,777$93,562$210,512+77%
40New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologySocorro, NM · Public$9,873$83,712$167,628+76%
41University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit$26,780$94,900$211,880+74%
42Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI · Public$14,182$85,800$171,272+72%
43University of California, San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · Public$12,470$84,593$166,050+72%
44Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit$36,931$101,331$235,586+72%
45Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · Private nonprofit$29,167$95,985$213,182+72%
46University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI · Public$13,138$84,656$164,008+71%
47Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA · Private nonprofit$43,071$104,714$244,856+70%
48Helene Fuld College of NursingNew York, NY · Private nonprofit$47,181$106,863$249,906+68%
49Western Governors UniversitySalt Lake City, UT · Private nonprofit$12,548$83,319$152,998+66%
50Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit$40,815$101,620$222,940+65%
METHODOLOGY

How the comparison works

  1. Include currently operating main campuses with at least 500 students.
  2. Require an annual average net price between $1,000 and $100,000.
  3. Require observed year-5 earnings between $10,000 and $300,000.
  4. Apply the same published DegreeVerdict ten-year payoff scenario to every college.
  5. Do not substitute zero for missing or privacy-suppressed values.

Average net price is institution-wide and differs by family income. Earnings describe past federal cohorts. The model does not adjust for selection, completion risk, taxes, inflation, wage growth or nonfinancial benefits.

Read the complete methodology →