We rank colleges by outcomes after graduation — balancing financial returns, affordability, access, and economic mobility.
Our North Star
This ranking reflects what tends to matter most after graduation — earnings, affordability, access, and long-term outcomes — not name recognition alone.
We've adjusted the rankings to reflect a balanced view across financial returns, affordability, access, and mobility. Schools that offer strong outcomes across these dimensions now appear higher.
All schools remain visible — we've simply reordered them to reflect what you care about most.
Clarify what matters
Answer a few quick questions to reorder the rankings based on what matters most to you.
We'll ask a few quick questions to understand how you're thinking — you can skip anything.
What matters most to you when choosing a college right now?
| Select | Rank | Institution | Net Cost | Med. Earnings | Debt | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | University Of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | $13k | $81k | $37k | 25.6% | |
#2 | University Of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $12k | $69k | $39k | 78.5% | |
#3 | Cuny Hunter College New York, NY | $2k | $63k | $31k | 54.0% | |
#4 | The University Of Texas At Arlington Arlington, TX | $15k | $63k | $30k | 81.3% | |
#5 | Florida International University Miami, FL | $9k | $60k | $30k | 58.8% | |
#6 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $4k | $59k | $26k | 91.9% | |
#7 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | $6k | $60k | $27k | 98.3% | |
#8 | University Of Central Florida Orlando, FL | $11k | $58k | $34k | 39.5% | |
#9 | University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $15k | $81k | $50k | 43.7% | |
#10 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA | $18k | $76k | $43k | 88.8% | |
#11 | $12k | $72k | $31k | 73.7% | ||
#12 | $14k | $63k | $40k | 90.2% | ||
#13 | Cuny City College New York, NY | $3k | $66k | $28k | 58.1% | |
#14 | University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $15k | $84k | $49k | 17.9% | |
#15 | Cuny Queens College Queens, NY | $4k | $63k | $26k | 68.5% | |
#16 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA | $17k | $58k | $40k | 69.2% | |
#17 | Cuny New York City College Of Technology Brooklyn, NY | $5k | $49k | $22k | 80.7% | |
#18 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | $14k | $76k | $22k | 69.2% | |
#19 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | $13k | $68k | $35k | 96.2% | |
#20 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ | $14k | $61k | $44k | 87.4% | |
#21 | Cuny Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | $3k | $61k | $27k | 53.7% | |
#22 | University Of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | $16k | $83k | $51k | 44.8% | |
#23 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | $6k | $61k | $28k | 96.4% | |
#24 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA | $16k | $47k | $35k | 62.3% | |
#25 | University Of South Florida Tampa, FL | $10k | $58k | $33k | 41.0% |
Metrics Used
Current view: Selected Program
Metrics stay in the same order across views so you can compare easily.
Explore pre-built rankings by location or major field of study.
