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

The 50 highest return-on-investment Master'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	Ohio State University-Main Campus Grad rate: 87.9%	Dentistry.	OH	+$4,456,040	$267,734	$29,320	Full ROI →
2	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Grad rate: 45.6%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	CO	+$4,107,862	$249,730	$23,369	Full ROI →
3	Texas A&M University-College Station Grad rate: 83.7%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	TX	+$3,981,350	$244,276	$32,085	Full ROI →
4	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Finance and Financial Management Services.	PA	+$3,980,004	$249,574	$85,738	Full ROI →
5	Columbia University in the City of New York Grad rate: 95.1%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	NY	+$3,910,136	$246,111	$86,042	Full ROI →
6	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	NC	+$3,873,898	$238,213	$25,181	Full ROI →
7	The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	TX	+$3,756,420	$229,821	N/A	Full ROI →
8	Saint Louis University Grad rate: 80.5%	Dentistry.	MO	+$3,720,470	$234,936	$69,125	Full ROI →
9	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	International/Global Studies.	PA	+$3,686,024	$234,875	$85,738	Full ROI →
10	Ohio State University-Main Campus Grad rate: 87.9%	Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other.	OH	+$3,679,520	$228,908	$29,320	Full ROI →
11	The University of Tennessee Health Science Center	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	TN	+$3,624,480	$223,224	N/A	Full ROI →
12	Virginia Commonwealth University Grad rate: 64.9%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	VA	+$3,599,948	$225,432	$34,346	Full ROI →
13	Columbia University in the City of New York Grad rate: 95.1%	Law.	NY	+$3,588,316	$230,020	$86,042	Full ROI →
14	University of Pikeville Grad rate: 37.1%	Medicine.	KY	+$3,576,358	$224,145	$33,271	Full ROI →
15	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.	PA	+$3,540,624	$227,605	$85,738	Full ROI →
16	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Real Estate.	PA	+$3,485,464	$224,847	$85,738	Full ROI →
17	Northwestern University Grad rate: 96.2%	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies.	IL	+$3,409,232	$221,242	$87,804	Full ROI →
18	University of Chicago Grad rate: 95.2%	Law.	IL	+$3,371,548	$219,263	$86,856	Full ROI →
19	Indiana University-Indianapolis Grad rate: 55.1%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	IN	+$3,364,288	$212,436	$22,216	Full ROI →
20	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Law.	PA	+$3,356,724	$218,410	$85,738	Full ROI →
21	Northwestern University Grad rate: 96.2%	Business/Commerce, General.	IL	+$3,307,912	$216,176	$87,804	Full ROI →
22	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other.	PA	+$3,287,064	$214,927	$85,738	Full ROI →
23	University of California-San Francisco	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies.	CA	+$3,279,820	$205,991	N/A	Full ROI →
24	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	WA	+$3,238,736	$206,965	$30,282	Full ROI →
25	Stanford University Grad rate: 94.0%	Law.	CA	+$3,212,416	$210,837	$82,162	Full ROI →
26	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Grad rate: 84.8%	Computer Science.	IL	+$3,202,592	$205,343	$32,134	Full ROI →
27	New York University Grad rate: 87.8%	Law.	NY	+$3,184,438	$209,134	$79,121	Full ROI →
28	Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	IL	+$3,180,720	$201,036	N/A	Full ROI →
29	University of New England Grad rate: 60.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	ME	+$3,156,448	$205,893	$60,706	Full ROI →
30	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Health and Medical Administrative Services.	PA	+$3,149,184	$208,033	$85,738	Full ROI →
31	University of Detroit Mercy Grad rate: 70.5%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	MI	+$3,113,162	$201,665	$40,069	Full ROI →
32	Northwestern University Grad rate: 96.2%	Law.	IL	+$3,110,152	$206,288	$87,804	Full ROI →
33	Stanford University Grad rate: 94.0%	Computer Science.	CA	+$3,059,536	$203,193	$82,162	Full ROI →
34	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Grad rate: 66.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	MN	+$3,057,600	$200,367	$54,870	Full ROI →
35	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Grad rate: 93.2%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	MI	+$3,047,770	$197,723	$33,345	Full ROI →
36	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	International Business.	NC	+$3,030,142	$201,782	$82,749	Full ROI →
37	Albany Medical College	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	NY	+$3,014,900	$192,745	N/A	Full ROI →
38	Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine	Education, Other.	PA	+$3,001,480	$192,074	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Central Connecticut State University Grad rate: 51.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CT	+$2,998,916	$194,357	$24,112	Full ROI →
40	University of Illinois Chicago Grad rate: 60.9%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	IL	+$2,983,624	$193,881	$26,998	Full ROI →
41	University of California-San Diego Grad rate: 87.7%	Computer Science.	CA	+$2,976,850	$194,475	$36,325	Full ROI →
42	Harvard University Grad rate: 97.5%	Law.	MA	+$2,975,176	$199,043	$82,842	Full ROI →
43	University of Virginia-Main Campus Grad rate: 95.3%	Law.	VA	+$2,943,996	$193,013	$38,132	Full ROI →
44	Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Grad rate: 47.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	LA	+$2,929,532	$191,208	$27,314	Full ROI →
45	University of Florida Grad rate: 90.7%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	FL	+$2,918,662	$190,105	$21,719	Full ROI →
46	University of California-Berkeley Grad rate: 93.5%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	CA	+$2,906,524	$191,597	$42,708	Full ROI →
47	University of Louisville Grad rate: 61.4%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	KY	+$2,887,874	$189,478	$30,843	Full ROI →
48	Northwestern University Grad rate: 96.2%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	IL	+$2,883,612	$194,961	$87,804	Full ROI →
49	South University-Savannah Grad rate: 18.6%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	GA	+$2,882,154	$189,224	$31,163	Full ROI →
50	Marquette University Grad rate: 81.3%	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other.	WI	+$2,876,874	$192,167	$63,233	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 Master's Degree by State

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