We rank colleges by outcomes after graduation — balancing financial returns, affordability, access, and economic mobility.
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This ranking reflects what tends to matter most after graduation — earnings, affordability, access, and long-term outcomes — not name recognition alone.
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| Select | Rank | Institution | Net Cost | Med. Earnings | Debt | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | University Of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | $12k | $85k | $39k | 24.5% | |
#2 | University Of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | $13k | $81k | $37k | 25.6% | |
#3 | Cuny Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | $3k | $76k | $31k | 50.5% | |
#4 | University Of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | $15k | $92k | $41k | 11.7% | |
#5 | University Of California-Davis Davis, CA | $15k | $81k | $37k | 41.6% | |
#6 | University Of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $14k | $83k | $38k | 8.7% | |
#7 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | $9k | $64k | $31k | 47.1% | |
#8 | University Of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $12k | $69k | $39k | 78.5% | |
#9 | $12k | $72k | $31k | 73.7% | ||
#10 | Florida International University Miami, FL | $9k | $60k | $30k | 58.8% | |
#11 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $4k | $59k | $26k | 91.9% | |
#12 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | $6k | $63k | $30k | 86.7% | |
#13 | The University Of Texas At Austin Austin, TX | $20k | $75k | $45k | 29.1% | |
#14 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | $8k | $59k | $27k | 93.2% | |
#15 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | $11k | $65k | $31k | 93.6% | |
#16 | The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX | $7k | $50k | $21k | 84.8% | |
#17 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | $14k | $79k | $31k | 80.2% | |
#18 | University Of California-Riverside Riverside, CA | $14k | $68k | $35k | 63.3% | |
#19 | University Of Central Florida Orlando, FL | $11k | $58k | $34k | 39.5% | |
#20 | University Of Houston Houston, TX | $14k | $62k | $36k | 69.5% | |
#21 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | $12k | $124k | $45k | 3.9% | |
#22 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | $6k | $61k | $28k | 96.4% | |
#23 | Cuny Hunter College New York, NY | $2k | $63k | $31k | 54.0% | |
#24 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX | $21k | $72k | $48k | 63.2% | |
#25 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | $6k | $60k | $27k | 98.3% |
Metrics Used
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Azimuth rankings are built using federal data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Our proprietary framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers, measures what traditional rankings ignore: actual graduate outcomes, debt burden, and economic mobility.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
