Best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 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
27
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$149,051
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$59,226
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Saint Mary's College of California
Grad rate: 70.4% |
CA | +$743,410 | $86,536 | $73,655 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Duquesne University
Grad rate: 76.6% |
PA | +$667,916 | $81,700 | $63,042 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Stony Brook University
Grad rate: 77.8% |
NY | +$520,532 | $70,944 | $29,174 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Georgetown University
Grad rate: 95.0% |
DC | +$468,148 | $73,877 | $84,696 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Harvard University
Grad rate: 97.5% |
MA | +$412,216 | $70,895 | $82,842 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Southern Methodist University
Grad rate: 82.8% |
TX | +$329,896 | $66,748 | $82,532 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate: 86.3% |
VA | +$302,200 | $60,314 | $32,040 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Chapman University
Grad rate: 81.9% |
CA | +$243,606 | $62,313 | $81,327 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Grad rate: 75.7% |
OK | +$226,994 | $56,233 | $28,833 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Fort Hays State University
Grad rate: 49.2% |
KS | +$171,532 | $52,488 | $19,114 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Denver
Grad rate: 77.7% |
CO | +$133,880 | $56,196 | $75,020 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Spring Arbor University
Grad rate: 59.9% |
MI | +$106,164 | $51,626 | $43,178 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 13 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | +$89,540 | $46,477 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Smith College
Grad rate: 89.1% |
MA | +$73,452 | $53,886 | $82,134 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
University of Memphis
Grad rate: 48.8% |
TN | +$46,592 | $46,846 | $25,164 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Dartmouth College
Grad rate: 95.4% |
NH | +$37,136 | $52,237 | $83,802 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Grad rate: 27.4% |
AZ | +$28,080 | $43,404 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Texas Christian University
Grad rate: 84.7% |
TX | +$25,744 | $50,565 | $72,778 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
New York University
Grad rate: 87.8% |
NY | +$20,218 | $50,923 | $79,121 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
North Central College
Grad rate: 67.3% |
IL | +$4,814 | $47,721 | $54,803 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
University of Pennsylvania
Grad rate: 96.5% |
PA | +$2,984 | $50,723 | $85,738 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Baker University
Grad rate: 53.8% |
KS | -$13,534 | $46,135 | $48,117 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | -$28,014 | $43,404 | $28,047 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Grad rate: 57.9% |
NC | -$47,096 | $41,608 | $19,628 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
University of Chicago
Grad rate: 95.2% |
IL | -$90,252 | $46,173 | $86,856 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Duke University
Grad rate: 96.2% |
NC | -$106,758 | $44,937 | $82,749 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 | Goddard College | VT | -$345,006 | $28,376 | $36,263 | N/A | 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 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Degrees by State
Browse Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.