Top 50 Best Bachelor's Degree Programs in the US by ROI

The 50 highest return-on-investment Bachelor's Degree programs in America — ranked by estimated 20-year net ROI across all majors and states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

#	College	Major	State	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost
1	California Institute of Technology Grad rate: 93.6%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	CA	+$3,891,708	$253,305	$83,598	Full ROI →
2	Harvard University Grad rate: 97.5%	Statistics.	MA	+$3,636,792	$240,408	$82,842	Full ROI →
3	Carnegie Mellon University Grad rate: 92.0%	Computer Science.	PA	+$2,839,817	$201,541	$80,514	Full ROI →
4	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	PA	+$2,752,998	$197,810	$85,738	Full ROI →
5	Brown University Grad rate: 95.5%	Computer Science.	RI	+$2,499,771	$184,762	$84,986	Full ROI →
6	Princeton University Grad rate: 97.3%	Computer Engineering.	NJ	+$2,471,980	$181,687	$80,440	Full ROI →
7	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Finance and Financial Management Services.	PA	+$2,200,100	$170,021	$85,738	Full ROI →
8	University of California-Berkeley Grad rate: 93.5%	Computer Science.	CA	+$2,198,383	$161,399	$42,708	Full ROI →
9	University of California-Berkeley Grad rate: 93.5%	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.	CA	+$2,182,998	$160,666	$42,708	Full ROI →
10	Yale University Grad rate: 97.0%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	CT	+$2,178,367	$168,803	$85,120	Full ROI →
11	Stanford University Grad rate: 94.0%	Computer Science.	CA	+$2,124,813	$165,375	$82,162	Full ROI →
12	Harvey Mudd College Grad rate: 92.9%	Mathematics and Computer Science.	CA	+$2,112,046	$166,134	$84,896	Full ROI →
13	Harvard University Grad rate: 97.5%	Computer Science.	MA	+$2,106,552	$163,896	$82,842	Full ROI →
14	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Grad rate: 95.5%	Computer Science.	MA	+$2,094,320	$163,496	$79,850	Full ROI →
15	Vanderbilt University Grad rate: 92.7%	Computer Science.	TN	+$2,085,557	$164,139	$84,412	Full ROI →
16	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Grad rate: 68.5%	Computer Engineering.	WA	+$2,082,360	$152,099	$24,462	Full ROI →
17	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Computer Engineering.	WA	+$2,059,080	$152,099	$30,282	Full ROI →
18	Harvey Mudd College Grad rate: 92.9%	Computer Science.	CA	+$1,982,574	$159,657	$84,896	Full ROI →
19	Cornell University Grad rate: 95.2%	Computer Science.	NY	+$1,968,893	$158,076	$83,196	Full ROI →
20	University of California-Los Angeles Grad rate: 92.6%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	CA	+$1,949,683	$147,842	$36,643	Full ROI →
21	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Grad rate: 95.5%	Mathematics.	MA	+$1,937,895	$155,540	$79,850	Full ROI →
22	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Grad rate: 85.3%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	CA	+$1,917,308	$143,849	$29,918	Full ROI →
23	Stanford University Grad rate: 94.0%	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.	CA	+$1,916,372	$154,251	$82,162	Full ROI →
24	University of the Pacific Grad rate: 70.5%	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.	CA	+$1,794,723	$146,417	$68,173	Full ROI →
25	Washington University in St Louis Grad rate: 94.1%	Computer Science.	MO	+$1,788,731	$149,178	$83,476	Full ROI →
26	Rice University Grad rate: 94.7%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	TX	+$1,751,965	$145,256	$74,110	Full ROI →
27	Stanford University Grad rate: 94.0%	Engineering-Related Fields.	CA	+$1,663,952	$141,630	$82,162	Full ROI →
28	University of Louisiana at Monroe Grad rate: 50.7%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	LA	+$1,661,292	$129,775	$23,552	Full ROI →
29	University of Chicago Grad rate: 95.2%	Computer Science.	IL	+$1,656,016	$142,172	$86,856	Full ROI →
30	University of Kansas Grad rate: 68.0%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	KS	+$1,632,546	$129,963	$25,215	Full ROI →
31	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	WA	+$1,628,018	$131,592	$30,282	Full ROI →
32	University of Hawaii at Hilo Grad rate: 42.0%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	HI	+$1,622,569	$128,695	$20,914	Full ROI →
33	Wagner College Grad rate: 64.9%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	NY	+$1,617,502	$137,299	$63,007	Full ROI →
34	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Grad rate: 95.5%	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.	MA	+$1,615,447	$139,548	$79,850	Full ROI →
35	Texas Southern University Grad rate: 22.5%	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs.	TX	+$1,603,424	$127,151	$24,899	Full ROI →
36	Neumann University Grad rate: 50.2%	Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other.	PA	+$1,602,483	$134,718	$56,670	Full ROI →
37	California State University-East Bay Grad rate: 45.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,601,706	$127,920	$22,803	Full ROI →
38	Samuel Merritt University	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,562,090	$121,792	N/A	Full ROI →
39	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Computer Science.	PA	+$1,543,403	$137,229	$85,738	Full ROI →
40	CUNY City College Grad rate: 56.6%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	NY	+$1,539,244	$121,665	$13,514	Full ROI →
41	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Grad rate: 63.4%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	ND	+$1,502,411	$123,115	$23,391	Full ROI →
42	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Computer Science.	NC	+$1,501,619	$134,542	$82,749	Full ROI →
43	Columbia University in the City of New York Grad rate: 95.1%	Computer Science.	NY	+$1,501,456	$135,658	$86,042	Full ROI →
44	Brigham Young University Grad rate: 80.4%	Management Information Systems and Services.	UT	+$1,473,604	$119,856	$20,879	Full ROI →
45	Creighton University Grad rate: 79.5%	Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General.	NE	+$1,472,726	$129,668	$61,046	Full ROI →
46	Howard University Grad rate: 69.2%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	DC	+$1,465,240	$125,552	$51,450	Full ROI →
47	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Grad rate: 81.3%	Computer Science.	IN	+$1,457,661	$131,382	$74,226	Full ROI →
48	Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Grad rate: 40.6%	Air Transportation.	NM	+$1,441,292	$118,920	$18,503	Full ROI →
49	Santa Clara University Grad rate: 88.5%	Computer Engineering.	CA	+$1,436,648	$131,051	$77,768	Full ROI →
50	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Grad rate: 68.5%	Computer Science.	WA	+$1,416,392	$118,800	$24,462	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 the Best Bachelor's Degree by State

Browse the highest ROI Bachelor's Degree programs ranked in every US state.