About CampusROI
We built the college comparison tool we wished existed when we were making the biggest financial decision of our lives.
The Problem
College is the largest financial decision most families make outside of buying a home. The average graduate carries over $30,000 in student debt. And the information available to help families make this decision? Reputation rankings, campus tours, and vibes.
The U.S. News rankings - the ones everyone obsesses over - factor in "peer assessment" (what other college administrators think), alumni giving rates, and class sizes. None of that tells you whether graduates earn enough to justify the cost.
Meanwhile, the government collects incredibly detailed data on what colleges actually cost, what graduates actually earn, and whether they can actually repay their loans. That data sits on a government website with a terrible user interface that nobody uses.
Our Approach
CampusROI treats college like what it is: an investment. We take public data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and calculate a straightforward ROI score for every four-year institution with sufficient data.
What we measure
- What graduates actually earn (6 and 10 years out)
- What college actually costs (after financial aid)
- How much debt graduates carry
- Whether graduates can repay their loans
- Whether students actually graduate
What we ignore
- Reputation and prestige
- Campus amenities
- Athletic programs
- Alumni network "value"
- Anything that can't be measured with data
By the Numbers
What This Isn't
ROI isn't everything. College is also about personal growth, building relationships, exploring ideas, and finding your path. A philosophy degree from a school with a low ROI score might still be the right choice for you. We're not here to tell anyone what to do.
What we are here to do is make sure the financial side of the equation is clear. If you're going to spend $200,000, you should know exactly what the data says about the return. Then you can make an informed decision that weighs the financial reality alongside everything else that matters to you.
Honest About Limitations
The College Scorecard data has a time lag. Earnings are measured 6 and 10 years after students first enrolled, meaning the most recent earnings data reflects students who started college roughly a decade ago. Industries change, salaries shift, and the economy evolves. We present the data as it is and note the vintage.
The data also measures median outcomes, not individual ones. Your experience at any school will depend on your major, your effort, your career choices, and some luck. Medians tell you what the typical graduate experiences - your mileage may vary.