- College is expensive, andtuition prices are always rising, as is the averagestudent-loan debt burden.
- Money’s 2019 ranking of the Best Colleges in America analyzed over 700 four-year colleges with a particular eye on value to determine which institutions are most worth the cost of attendance.
- The resulting top 25, determined from 19,000 cost and quality data points, include a mix of public universities (like the City University of New York, Baruch College at No. 2) and Ivy League schools (like Harvard University at No. 14).
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
There’s no way around it: Getting a college degree is expensive. But in many industries, having (at minimum) a Bachelor’s degree is mandatory.
As tuition prices continue to soar — right alongside thenational student-loan debt burden— many prospective college students and parents alike are wondering whether pursuing higher education is really worth the cost in the end.
In fact, asBusiness Insider’s Hillary Hoffower previously reported, an INSIDER and Morning Consult survey showed that nearly half of indebted millennials think college wasn’t worth taking out loans.
Read more:10 mind-blowing facts that show just how dire the student-loan crisis in America is
While there’s no shortage of rankings that attempt to determine the “best” college by a variety of metrics,Money’s 2019 ranking of the Best Colleges in America puts a particular focus on value to determine which institutions are most worth their price.
Money looked at data collected and analyzed by American Institutes for Research (AIR) researcherDr. Audrey Peek, research associate Deaweh Benson, and research assistant Merykokeb Belay, according to theirbreakdown of the ranking methodology. Using the 19,000 data points collected in the analysis, Money’s editorial staff made the final ranking decisions, considering 26 factors across categories including quality of education, affordability, and career earnings reported by alumni. The ranking factored in average aid amounts in determining the approximate “net” cost of tuition.
Read on to see which schools give graduates the most bang for their buck, according to Money, ranked in increasing order of value.
25. Massachusetts Maritime Academy — Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $15,500
Percentage of students who receive grants: 48%
Average student-loan debt: $26,930
Early career earnings: $67,200
Source:Money
24. Rice University — Houston, Texas
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $25,800
Percentage of students who receive grants: 61%
Average student-loan debt: $11,200
Early career earnings: $69,200
Source:Money
T23. University of Washington-Seattle Campus — Seattle, Washington
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $10,100
Percentage of students who receive grants: 44%
Average student-loan debt: $15,000
Early career earnings: $59,900
Source:Money
T23. California State University-Fullerton — Fullerton, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $9,100
Percentage of students who receive grants: 65%
Average student-loan debt: $14,800
Early career earnings: $49,400
Source:Money
21. University of Florida — Gainesville, Florida
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $16,300
Percentage of students who receive grants: 83%
Average student-loan debt: $16,200
Early career earnings: $54,200
Source:Money
20. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, Illinois
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $17,800
Percentage of students who receive grants: 51%
Average student-loan debt: $20,130
Early career earnings: $61,000
Source:Money
19. Duke University — Durham, North Carolina
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $23,500
Percentage of students who receive grants: 53%
Average student-loan debt: $9,200
Early career earnings: $68,700
Source:Money
18. Texas A & M University-College Station — College Station, Texas
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $20,900
Percentage of students who receive grants: 54%
Average student-loan debt: $18,520
Early career earnings: $59,000
Source:Money
17. Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $19,300
Percentage of students who receive grants: 52%
Average student-loan debt: $12,000
Early career earnings: $68,300
Source:Money
16. California Institute of Technology — Pasadena, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $26,100
Percentage of students who receive grants: 61%
Average student-loan debt: $12,180
Early career earnings: $83,400
Source:Money
15. Vanderbilt University — Nashville, Tennessee
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $24,900
Percentage of students who receive grants: 65%
Average student-loan debt: $14,500
Early career earnings: $63,800
Source:Money
14. Harvard University — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $18,200
Percentage of students who receive grants: 43%
Average student-loan debt: $6,100
Early career earnings: $72,600
Source:Money
13. California State University-Long Beach — Long Beach, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $10,300
Percentage of students who receive grants: 70%
Average student-loan debt: $15,000
Early career earnings: $51,100
Source:Money
12. University of California-Riverside — Riverside, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $13,200
Percentage of students who receive grants: 81%
Average student-loan debt: $19,000
Early career earnings: $54,000
Source:Money
11. University of California-Berkeley — Berkeley, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $19,400
Percentage of students who receive grants: 57%
Average student-loan debt: $13,200
Early career earnings: $68,300
Source:Money
10. University of Virginia — Charlottesville, Virginia
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $17,700
Percentage of students who receive grants: 42%
Average student-loan debt: $19,000
Early career earnings: $62,300
Source:Money
9. University of California-San Diego — San Diego, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $15,600
Percentage of students who receive grants: 58%
Average student-loan debt: $17,500
Early career earnings: $61,300
Source:Money
8. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $17,500
Percentage of students who receive grants: 52%
Average student-loan debt: $19,150
Early career earnings: $62,000
Source:Money
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $23,700
Percentage of students who receive grants: 68%
Average student-loan debt: $17,130
Early career earnings: $83,600
Source:Money
6. Stanford University — Stanford, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $17,700
Percentage of students who receive grants: 60%
Average student-loan debt: $11,450
Early career earnings: $76,500
Source:Money
5. University of California-Davis — Davis, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $17,600
Percentage of students who receive grants: 67%
Average student-loan debt: $14,000
Early career earnings: $59,400
Source:Money
4. University of California-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $15,800
Percentage of students who receive grants: 59%
Average student-loan debt: $15,000
Early career earnings: $60,000
Source:Money
3. Princeton University — Princeton, New Jersey
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $17,400
Percentage of students who receive grants: 58%
Average student-loan debt: $7,500
Early career earnings: $72,700
Source:Money
2. CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College — New York, New York
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $4,900
Percentage of students who receive grants: 55%
Average student-loan debt: $10,720
Early career earnings: $57,100
Source:Money
1. University of California-Irvine — Irvine, California
Estimated 2019-20 tuition, less average aid: $14,900
Percentage of students who receive grants: 66%
Average student-loan debt: $16,500
Early career earnings: $57,700
Source:Money
SEE ALSO:The 50 best colleges for your money
DON'T MISS:The 50 most underrated colleges in America
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