Best ROI: Schools Under 5,000 Students

Small schools (under 5,000 students) with excellent ROI. Smaller class sizes don't have to mean smaller returns.

50 schools ranked

#SchoolROI
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
99
2Rice University
Houston, TX
98
3Babson College
Wellesley, MA
96
4Williams College
Williamstown, MA
96
5Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
95
6California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA
94
7Colby College
Waterville, ME
94
8Bentley University
Waltham, MA
94
9Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
94
10Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albany, NY
94
11The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
New York, NY
94
12United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY
93
13Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
92
14Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA
92
15Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
92
16Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
92
17Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA
92
18Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ
92
19Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
92
20Lafayette College
Easton, PA
92
21Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
92
22SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, NY
91
23Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
91
24University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA
91
25University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, FL
91
26California State University Maritime Academy
Vallejo, CA
90
27Pomona College
Claremont, CA
90
28Amherst College
Amherst, MA
90
29MCPHS University
Boston, MA
90
30Barnard College
New York, NY
90
31Davidson College
Davidson, NC
90
32Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Terre Haute, IN
89
33New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM
89
34Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
89
35University of Portland
Portland, OR
89
36Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, WI
89
37Neumont College of Computer Science
Salt Lake City, UT
89
38Kettering University
Flint, MI
88
39University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
Saint Louis, MO
88
40Clarkson University
Potsdam, NY
88
41Ohio Northern University
Ada, OH
88
42Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA
88
43Chamberlain University-Michigan
Troy, MI
88
44Trinity College
Hartford, CT
87
45Mount Carmel College of Nursing
Columbus, OH
87
46Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
87
47Haverford College
Haverford, PA
87
48University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT
87
49University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT
87
50Chamberlain University-Missouri
St. Louis, MO
87

How We Rank

Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.

Full methodology →