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.
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Answer a few quick questions to reorder the rankings based on what matters most to you.
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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 Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $15k | $81k | $50k | 43.7% | |
#9 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA | $18k | $76k | $43k | 88.8% | |
#10 | University Of Central Florida Orlando, FL | $11k | $58k | $34k | 39.5% | |
#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 | Cuny New York City College Of Technology Brooklyn, NY | $5k | $49k | $22k | 80.7% | |
#17 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA | $17k | $58k | $40k | 69.2% | |
#18 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | $14k | $76k | $22k | 69.2% | |
#19 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ | $14k | $61k | $44k | 87.4% | |
#20 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | $13k | $68k | $35k | 96.2% | |
#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 | University Of Florida Gainesville, FL | $5k | $72k | $33k | 24.0% | |
#25 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA | $16k | $47k | $35k | 62.3% |
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.
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.
