Colleges With the Highest Median Earnings per Dollar of Net Price

These colleges pair strong median earnings with a low average net price. 347 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify for this list, and colleges with a missing value for the fields used here are left out rather than guessed. The table below shows the top 20, led by CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (New York).

Across all 347 qualifying colleges the earnings ÷ net price runs from 0.5× (Manhattan School of Music) to 25.0× (CUNY Bernard M Baruch College), with a median of 3.2×. For comparison, the median across the 347 colleges in the full dataset that report it is 3.2×.

Top 20 colleges: best earnings-to-net-price ratio

Top 20 of 347 colleges. Source: College Scorecard, May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26).
#	College	State	Earnings ÷ net price	Median earnings	Net price	Graduation rate
1	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	NY	25.0×	$75,971	$3,033	72.1%
2	CUNY Hunter College	NY	21.2×	$63,163	$2,984	56.9%
3	Princeton University	NJ	18.0×	$110,066	$6,128	97.6%
4	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	14.9×	$59,211	$3,967	53.0%
5	United States Merchant Marine Academy	NY	14.7×	$90,610	$6,174	82.4%
6	Texas A & M International University	TX	13.3×	$48,386	$3,637	46.5%
7	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	13.1×	$59,977	$4,564	54.9%
8	University of Florida	FL	10.9×	$71,588	$6,541	91.1%
9	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	10.3×	$49,620	$4,831	50.9%
10	CUNY New York City College of Technology	NY	9.6×	$49,365	$5,127	21.5%
11	California State University-Fullerton	CA	9.6×	$62,951	$6,555	70.2%
12	Stanford University	CA	9.0×	$124,080	$13,807	91.9%
13	California State University-Fresno	CA	8.7×	$61,244	$7,000	57.0%
14	Georgia Institute of Technology	GA	8.5×	$102,772	$12,116	94.0%
15	California State University-Northridge	CA	8.4×	$59,115	$7,021	57.0%
16	California Institute of Technology	CA	8.0×	$128,566	$16,075	94.4%
17	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	NM	7.7×	$76,489	$9,873	57.0%
18	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	7.1×	$143,372	$20,111	96.4%
19	Berea College	KY	7.1×	$43,150	$6,106	58.2%
20	California State University-Sacramento	CA	6.9×	$64,876	$9,338	56.3%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution, May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26). Data fetched 2026-10-14. Open any row for the full college profile.

What the data shows

Of the 347 qualifying colleges, 167 are public and 180 are private nonprofit. Within the table, California appears 8 times, New York appears 4 times, Texas appears 2 times. The median median earnings among the 20 listed colleges that report it is $64,020, against $62,870 for the whole dataset. The median net price among the 20 listed colleges that report it is $6,358, against $19,857 for the whole dataset. 13 of the 20 listed colleges report an SAT range, and the midpoints of those ranges have a median near 1250.

How to read this list

The ratio divides median earnings 10 years after entry by average net price, using only colleges that report both figures and an average net price of at least $1,000. A higher ratio means more earnings for each dollar of net price.

Each column in the table means the following.

Earnings ÷ net price: median earnings divided by average net price. A computed measure, not an official statistic.
Median earnings: the median yearly earnings of aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry. Period: Treasury AY2009-10/AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020-21, inflation adjusted.
Net price: the average yearly cost for students who received federal aid, after grants and scholarships. Period: AcadYr 2021-22.
Graduation rate: the share of first-time, full-time students who finished a bachelor's degree at the same college within six years. Period: Fall 2016 or AcadYr 2016-17 entry cohort, as applicable.

Caveats

This is a crude value measure of our own, not an official statistic. It ignores debt, time to degree and major, and the two inputs come from different cohorts and years.

Colleges with a missing value for the ranking field are excluded, so a college missing from the list may simply not have reported the number.
This is a sort on one number, not a quality ranking. A college lower in the table can be a better fit for you.
The figures describe past student cohorts and reporting years, listed below. Verify current numbers with the college itself before you decide.

Where to go next

To see how your own score compares, read what a 1250 SAT or a 28 ACT means for a college list, then check college costs by state for price context.

All college rankings What a 1250 SAT means What a 28 ACT means College costs by state College match by score How to read Scorecard data Colleges With 85%+ Retention and Net Price Under $20,000 Colleges With the Highest Share of Pell Grant Recipients Smallest Colleges by Undergraduate Enrollment Colleges With the Highest Acceptance Rates Most Selective Colleges by Acceptance Rate

Frequently asked questions

Which college ranks first for best earnings-to-net-price ratio?

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College is first on this list, with earnings ÷ net price of 25.0×. It leads 347 qualifying colleges in the dataset, so check what the number measures before treating it as a recommendation.

How many colleges are on the best earnings-to-net-price ratio list?

347 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify, and the table shows the top 20. Colleges with a missing value are excluded.

Does a higher place on this list mean a better college?

No. The list sorts on one number. It does not measure teaching, fit, program strength or what you would pay, so use it to find colleges to look at and then check each profile and the college's own website.

Methodology and source

Colleges are drawn from the 354-college dataset built from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26); fetched 2026-10-14). Selection: Four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduates: every college admitting 55% or fewer applicants, plus the 150 largest by undergraduate enrollment. Colleges that do not report test ranges are included with ranges shown as not reported. Reporting periods for the fields on this page: AcadYr 2021-22; Fall 2016 or AcadYr 2016-17 entry cohort, as applicable; Treasury AY2009-10/AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020-21, inflation adjusted. Full definitions are on the methodology page, and the numbers are available as an open download.

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