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-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | $15k | $92k | $41k | 11.7% | |
#2 | $14k | $63k | $40k | 90.2% | ||
#3 | University Of Central Florida Orlando, FL | $11k | $58k | $34k | 39.5% | |
#4 | Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice New York, NY | $3k | $56k | $28k | 57.2% | |
#5 | University Of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | $13k | $78k | $38k | 42.5% | |
#6 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ | $14k | $61k | $44k | 87.4% | |
#7 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | $21k | $67k | $57k | 83.9% | |
#8 | University Of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | $17k | $74k | $47k | 43.4% | |
#9 | Cuny New York City College Of Technology Brooklyn, NY | $5k | $49k | $22k | 80.7% | |
#10 | The University Of Texas At San Antonio San Antonio, TX | $11k | $57k | $34k | 88.5% | |
#11 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA | $29k | $64k | $56k | 82.9% | |
#12 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $27k | $89k | $40k | 7.1% | |
#13 | University Of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX | $11k | $59k | $32k | 75.3% | |
#14 | University Of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | $17k | $68k | $44k | 62.5% | |
#15 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT | $8k | $55k | $25k | — | |
#16 | University Of Arizona Tucson, AZ | $16k | $60k | $46k | 85.7% | |
#17 | Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA | $17k | $53k | $37k | 89.6% | |
#18 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA | $30k | $45k | $40k | 99.3% | |
#19 | University Of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | $24k | $72k | $48k | 57.8% | |
#20 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | $38k | $85k | $60k | 77.5% | |
#21 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | $18k | $78k | $63k | 9.8% | |
#22 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA | $22k | $70k | $52k | 76.3% | |
#23 | $18k | $58k | $40k | 92.5% | ||
#24 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | $21k | $63k | $56k | 80.3% | |
#25 | Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY | $10k | $46k | $35k | 78.1% |
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.
