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-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 | University Of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX | $11k | $59k | $32k | 75.3% | |
#13 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $27k | $89k | $40k | 7.1% | |
#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 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA | $22k | $70k | $52k | 76.3% | |
#22 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | $18k | $78k | $63k | 9.8% | |
#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.
