College tuition may be raising at a rate much higher than inflation, but some schools may be worth the extra cost. Payscale analyzed more than 700 schools to determine students’ tuition return on investment (ROI) -
California Institute of Technology (Caltech):
Type: Private
Category: Engineering
2010 Cost: $198,700
30 Year Net ROI: $1,713,000
Annual ROI: 12.2%
Harvey Mudd College:
Type: Private
Category: Engineering
2010 Cost: $203,300
30 Year Net ROI: $1,622,000
Annual ROI: 11.9%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology:
Type: Private
Category: Engineering
2010 Cost: $201,000
30 Year Net ROI: $1,518,000
Annual ROI: 11:7%
Princeton University:
Type: Private
Category: Ivy League
2010 Cost: $198,700
30 Year Net ROI: $1,494,000
Annual ROI: 11.7%
Stanford University:
Type: Private
Category: Private, Research
2010 Cost: $210,400
30 Year Net ROI: $1,478,000
Annual ROI: 11.5% (Linda A. Cicero 2005)
Dartmouth College:
Type: Private
Category: Ivy League
2010 Cost: $202,300
30 Year Net ROI: $1,477,000
Annual ROI: 11.6% (Joseph Mehling '69)
Duke University:
Type: Private
Category: Private, Research
2010 Cost: $201,300
30 Year Net ROI: $1,419,000
Annual ROI: 11.5% (Duke University)
Harvard University:
Type: Private
Category: Ivy League
2010 Cost: $202,600
30 Year Net ROI: $1372,000
Annual ROI: 11.4%
University of Notre Dame:
Type: Private
Category: Private, Research
2010 Cost: $194,500
30 Year Net ROI: $1,356,000
Annual ROI: 11.5% (University of Notre Dame)
University of Pennsylvania:
Type: Private
Category: Ivy League
2010 Cost: $203,900
30 Year Net ROI: $1,355,000
Annual ROI: 11.3%