Best Engineering, General Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
34
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$363,625
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$12,948
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Montgomery College
Grad rate: 27.9% |
MD | +$776,800 | $82,281 | $14,410 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Anne Arundel Community College
Grad rate: 26.5% |
MD | +$764,924 | $82,301 | $20,548 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Pima Community College
Grad rate: 19.6% |
AZ | +$667,848 | $76,284 | $8,916 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Bristol Community College
Grad rate: 21.3% |
MA | +$587,857 | $73,599 | $11,846 | $15,134 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Northern Virginia Community College
Grad rate: 36.3% |
VA | +$562,833 | $72,365 | $15,821 | $9,500 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Amarillo College
Grad rate: 28.9% |
TX | +$555,498 | $70,916 | $11,411 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
UCNJ Union College of Union County New Jersey
Grad rate: 35.0% |
NJ | +$514,990 | $69,699 | $13,752 | $8,508 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Chattanooga State Community College
Grad rate: 21.7% |
TN | +$512,857 | $70,078 | $13,214 | $16,500 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Normandale Community College
Grad rate: 18.7% |
MN | +$512,012 | $69,360 | $17,594 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Tidewater Community College
Grad rate: 28.7% |
VA | +$488,480 | $68,780 | $15,291 | $12,250 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
San Antonio College
Grad rate: 23.7% |
TX | +$449,808 | $65,648 | $11,576 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Grad rate: 28.2% |
VA | +$446,087 | $66,205 | $11,919 | $10,500 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Tulsa Community College
Grad rate: 25.2% |
OK | +$440,479 | $66,391 | $12,522 | $16,516 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Hudson Valley Community College
Grad rate: 31.0% |
NY | +$436,082 | $65,777 | $13,654 | $9,000 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Monroe Community College
Grad rate: 21.8% |
NY | +$429,288 | $65,504 | $14,196 | $9,185 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Essex County College
Grad rate: 18.3% |
NJ | +$421,058 | $64,235 | $11,821 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Sinclair Community College
Grad rate: 31.2% |
OH | +$406,888 | $64,003 | $10,381 | $9,192 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
College of the Canyons
Grad rate: 43.4% |
CA | +$379,294 | $61,989 | $10,243 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Brookdale Community College
Grad rate: 28.7% |
NJ | +$370,702 | $62,072 | $15,369 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Suffolk County Community College
Grad rate: 24.1% |
NY | +$364,968 | $61,411 | $11,626 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Wake Technical Community College
Grad rate: 31.3% |
NC | +$340,128 | $61,441 | $16,798 | $11,182 | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Springfield Technical Community College
Grad rate: 23.9% |
MA | +$339,534 | $60,399 | $14,223 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Grad rate: 28.9% |
MO | +$321,336 | $59,483 | $14,162 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Northwest Vista College
Grad rate: 30.9% |
TX | +$316,712 | $58,922 | $10,864 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
Austin Community College District
Grad rate: 16.1% |
TX | +$312,871 | $59,797 | $11,156 | $15,375 | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Ivy Tech Community College
Grad rate: 33.3% |
IN | +$305,198 | $58,649 | $13,891 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 |
Oklahoma City Community College
Grad rate: 19.2% |
OK | +$300,199 | $58,947 | $11,439 | $11,750 | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
Century College
Grad rate: 21.0% |
MN | +$223,034 | $55,712 | $15,084 | $15,583 | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
Orange Coast College
Grad rate: 45.2% |
CA | +$160,558 | $51,347 | $13,191 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
Grad rate: 24.9% |
NY | +$136,906 | $50,064 | $12,187 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
Central New Mexico Community College
Grad rate: 28.2% |
NM | +$43,668 | $45,274 | $10,906 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
South Texas College
Grad rate: 26.8% |
TX | -$43,070 | $40,597 | $7,505 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
Elgin Community College
Grad rate: 38.9% |
IL | -$104,434 | $37,762 | $9,837 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Grad rate: 45.7% |
MS | -$378,133 | $24,941 | $12,908 | $8,250 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Engineering, General Degrees by State
Browse Engineering, General programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.