Forbes Top Universities: Degrees from these 25 colleges come with six-figure paycheques and the best ROI

Princeton University has topped Forbes’ 2027 list of 25 US colleges offering the strongest return on investment, based on graduate earnings, education costs, student debt and financial aid. Seven colleges from the City University of New York (CUNY) system also feature among the top 10.

The ranking assesses how quickly students can recover the net cost of their degree through post-graduation earnings. Forbes used the price-to-earnings premium developed by think tank Third Way, which accounts for the cost of a degree after grants and scholarships.

It also considered each college’s debt-to-percent-borrowed index. This combines the median federal loan debt per borrower with the share of students who took federal loans. The data covers the 2024-25 academic year, the latest available.


The list comes as the unemployment rate for recent US graduates aged 22 to 27 reached 5.7% in June, up from 4.9% a year earlier. The rising cost of higher education has also increased concerns over student debt. At some private colleges, the total annual cost, including tuition, housing, food, books and other expenses, is now close to or above $100,000.

Princeton tops the ranking

Princeton moved up from third place in the previous list to take the top position. Its graduates earn a median salary of $121,773 10 years after completing their studies.

The university’s financial aid programme also improves its return on investment. Princeton covers tuition, food and housing for most families earning less than $150,000 a year. Families earning up to $250,000 generally receive enough aid to cover tuition.

CUNY colleges dominate the top 10

CUNY colleges occupy seven of the top 10 positions. Their strong performance is linked to low tuition fees, the ability of many students to live at home and access to jobs across New York City.

For New York residents, tuition and fees at most CUNY colleges are below $10,000 a year. Median salaries 10 years after graduation are close to or above $100,000 at several institutions.

Top 25 US colleges for return on investment

Rank	College	Tuition and fees	Median salary after 10 years
1	Princeton University	$62,688	$121,773
2	CUNY Hunter College	$7,382 in-state; $15,332 out-of-state	$99,517
3	CUNY Brooklyn College	$7,452 in-state; $15,402 out-of-state	$103,370
4	CUNY Queens College	$7,358 in-state; $15,488 out-of-state	$104,801
5	CUNY Lehman College	$7,410 in-state; $15,360 out-of-state	$96,130
6	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	$7,464 in-state; $15,414 out-of-state	$113,835
7	Stanford University	$65,910	$126,916
8	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice	$7,470 in-state; $15,420 out-of-state	$96,701
9	CUNY City College	$7,340 in-state; $15,290 out-of-state	$105,796
10	California Institute of Technology	$65,898	$117,278
11	Rice University	$64,144	$109,721
12	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$62,396	$131,182
13	Harvard University	$61,676	$119,708
14	University of Florida	$6,381 in-state; $28,659 out-of-state	$106,402
15	California State University-Dominguez Hills	$7,449 in-state; $20,049 out-of-state	$94,317
16	University of Chicago	$70,662	$107,812
17	Williams College	$68,560	$111,600
18	Columbia University	$71,845	$117,010
19	California State University-Stanislaus	$8,246 in-state; $20,846 out-of-state	$101,548
20	California State University-Los Angeles	$7,160 in-state; $17,760 out-of-state	$93,973
21	Vanderbilt University	$67,498	$115,467
22	CUNY College of Staten Island	$7,490 in-state; $15,440 out-of-state	$98,624
23	Brigham Young University	$6,688	$114,493
24	California State University-Bakersfield	$8,090 in-state; $20,690 out-of-state	$101,611
25	Johns Hopkins University	$65,230	$111,678

Tuition and fee figures, along with earnings data, come from the US government’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and cover the 2024-25 academic year.

The list includes highly selective private universities, large public institutions and lower-cost colleges. Forbes said these institutions show that a strong financial return is possible through either high graduate earnings, lower education costs or substantial financial aid.