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Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025) - CEW Georgetown

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The predominant credential awarded at an institution is important because we use it to assume how long a student attended a particular institution. If the institution predominantly grants associate’s degrees, then we assume the student attended for three years, whereas if the institution predominantly awards bachelor’s degrees, then we assume the student attended for five years. (Three and five years are roughly the national average time to completion of associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees, respectively.) We calculate ROI at intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 years following initial enrollment at an institution. The ROI is the cumulative sum of earnings minus the total out-of-pocket costs based on the average net price. For example, we calculate the 10-year ROI for a predominantly bachelor’s degree-granting institution as follows: 10-year ROI = year 6 earnings + year 7 earnings + year 8 earnings + year 9 earnings + year 10 earnings – average net price x 5 Because the College Sc

Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025) Data Tool FAQs Download PDF Summary Using new data from the College Scorecard, we ranked 4,600 colleges and universities by return on investment. This data tool includes the ROI across multiple years, allowing for comparisons by institution across years, as well as comparisons by type of degrees in individual years. For best results, please view on desktop. Frequently asked questions How is ROI calculated? We use the following variables from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard: students’ median earnings 6 years, 8 years, and 10 years after th

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