Best Public Colleges by ROI

Top 50 public institutions by return on investment. See methodology.

Top 10 Public Schools by ROI

#SchoolStateNet Price10yr EarningsDebtROI Score
1CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNY$3,033$75,971$11,51261.6
2CUNY Hunter CollegeNY$2,984$63,163$11,00051.9
3CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNY$3,103$60,752$11,00048.0
4CUNY Lehman CollegeNY$3,148$58,013$10,95045.1
5CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNY$3,203$56,195$11,00042.9
6CUNY City CollegeNY$3,776$66,039$11,99042.7
7CUNY Queens CollegeNY$4,195$62,763$10,29836.4
8California State University-Los AngelesCA$3,967$59,211$13,00036.3
9University of Florida-OnlineFL$4,815$71,588$15,00036.2
10United States Merchant Marine AcademyNY$6,174$90,610$8,83335.7
11Ohio University-Eastern CampusOH$3,925$52,581$21,05632.5
12Texas A & M International UniversityTX$3,637$48,386$15,00032.3
13California State University-San BernardinoCA$4,564$59,977$14,71531.9
14CUNY York CollegeNY$4,456$56,945$11,00030.9
15Indiana University-KokomoIN$3,968$49,917$16,96130.4
16University of FloridaFL$6,541$71,588$15,00026.4
17California State University-BakersfieldCA$5,652$59,009$16,60025.1
18California State University-StanislausCA$6,067$63,188$13,54025.0
19The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyTX$4,831$49,620$12,95024.7
20CUNY New York City College of TechnologyNY$5,127$49,365$10,53323.1
21California State University-FullertonCA$6,555$62,951$13,75023.0
22College of Staten Island CUNYNY$5,579$53,501$14,35023.0
23Ohio University-Zanesville CampusOH$5,746$52,581$21,05621.9
24Ohio University-Chillicothe CampusOH$5,755$52,581$21,05621.8
25California State University-FresnoCA$7,000$61,244$14,50520.9
26Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusGA$12,116$102,772$21,67220.2
27Indiana University-NorthwestIN$5,130$43,361$21,71020.1
28California State University-NorthridgeCA$7,021$59,115$13,87220.1
29CUNY Medgar Evers CollegeNY$5,718$46,498$10,98819.3
30Dalton State CollegeGA$5,012$40,251$12,93719.1
31Purdue University NorthwestIN$6,079$48,318$21,22918.9
32Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusNM$4,904$38,550$16,50018.6
33New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNM$9,873$76,489$19,08518.4
34University of Akron Wayne CollegeOH$6,032$46,600$23,25018.3
35University of Washington-Tacoma CampusWA$10,163$78,466$14,61518.3
36California State University-East BayCA$9,320$71,401$16,54418.1
37University of Michigan-FlintMI$7,007$53,230$25,00018.0
38University of Arkansas GranthamAR$8,370$63,496$21,95618.0
39California State University-SacramentoCA$9,338$64,876$15,00016.4
40University of California-BerkeleyCA$13,481$92,446$13,00016.1
41University of Maine at Fort KentME$7,482$51,077$20,16016.1
42University of California-San DiegoCA$12,470$84,943$15,50016.0
43University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusCT$10,875$73,997$21,50016.0
44Louisiana State University-ShreveportLA$7,022$47,477$22,50015.9
45University of Houston-VictoriaTX$8,109$54,467$18,97315.8
46New College of FloridaFL$7,195$48,082$17,37515.7
47University of New Hampshire at ManchesterNH$9,992$66,479$26,81415.6
48California State University-Dominguez HillsCA$8,615$57,162$13,80715.6
49University of California-Los AngelesCA$12,548$82,511$14,00015.4
50Florida International UniversityFL$9,288$60,249$16,50015.2

Rankings based solely on federal data. Data: College Scorecard.