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1 / 25#25. Dartmouth College
- 40-year NPV: $1,895,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $91,627
- Net-price: $33,574
- Graduation rate: 95.0%
- Median debt: $14,500
The 25 private colleges with the best return on investment
For high school graduates, choosing the right college can be one of the most important decisions in their lives. The college experience can be a key step to figuring out who they are as adults and what they will do with the rest of their lives, but it can also be a daunting decision.
Enrolling in a private college is a financial investment, as well as an emotional one. American private colleges can be among the most expensive higher learning institutions in the world. However, according to a 2025 analysis from CollegeBoard, private school tuition costs are increasing more slowly than their public counterparts, up by just 4% over the past decade.
Even so, these prices are nothing to sneeze at. Per U.S. News & World Report, the average total for tuition and fees at private universities in the 2025-26 school year has nearly reached $45,000. But many universities are much more expensive. At Harvey Mudd College, for example, annual tuition alone costs almost $77,000, according to the college's own website. With nationwide student debt swelling to around $1.86 trillion as of the second quarter of 2026, making such a large investment in education and the future can be a reach for many students, so it's important to make sure they're getting their money's worth.
Stacker compiled a list of the 25 private colleges with the best return on investment using a 2022 study from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. Nonprofit private colleges that primarily issue bachelor's degrees were considered. Colleges are ranked by the highest 40-year return on investment, as measured by the net present value of costs plus projected earnings 40 years after enrollment.
A college's ROI factors in tuition and living expenses, student fees, food, and transportation, among other things. These elements are matched up against prospective careers, salary expectations, and potential earnings.
Here's a breakdown of some of the key factors that went into the researchers' calculations.
- 40-year NPV: What the sum of all earnings 40 years after enrollment is worth today, adjusted for the cost of education at the school.
- Median earnings after 10 years: Typical annual salary 10 years after enrollment.
- Net price: The average price students pay per year after scholarships and financial aid, including books and living expenses.
- Graduation rate: Share of students who complete bachelor's degrees within six years.
- Median debt: The typical amount of student debt graduates from this school hold.
Whether you're considering any of the private colleges on this list or you graduated from college many decades ago, keep reading to discover the 25 private colleges in America with the best return on investment.
Editor's note: Stock images were used for colleges and universities where specific imagery wasn't available via Getty Images or Shutterstock.
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2 / 25#24. Yale University
- 40-year NPV: $1,917,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $88,655
- Net-price: $17,549
- Graduation rate: 97.0%
- Median debt: $12,000
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3 / 25#23. Boston College
- 40-year NPV: $1,924,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $93,021
- Net-price: $35,899
- Graduation rate: 93.0%
- Median debt: $16,999
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4 / 25#22. Santa Clara University
- 40-year NPV: $1,940,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $93,291
- Net-price: $38,327
- Graduation rate: 91.0%
- Median debt: $16,999
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5 / 25#21. Kettering University
- 40-year NPV: $1,943,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $93,893
- Net-price: $37,518
- Graduation rate: 63.0%
- Median debt: $27,000
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6 / 25#20. Columbia University in the City of New York
- 40-year NPV: $1,946,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $89,871
- Net-price: $23,306
- Graduation rate: 96.0%
- Median debt: $19,250
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7 / 25#19. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- 40-year NPV: $1,947,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $94,131
- Net-price: $39,076
- Graduation rate: 84.0%
- Median debt: $22,577
Jay Yuan // Shutterstock
8 / 25#18. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- 40-year NPV: $1,949,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $93,416
- Net-price: $35,464
- Graduation rate: 85.0%
- Median debt: $21,000
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9 / 25#17. Duke University
- 40-year NPV: $1,976,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $93,115
- Net-price: $27,020
- Graduation rate: 95.0%
- Median debt: $12,500
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10 / 25#16. Lehigh University
- 40-year NPV: $2,019,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $95,033
- Net-price: $29,301
- Graduation rate: 89.0%
- Median debt: $20,024
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11 / 25#15. Georgetown University
- 40-year NPV: $2,027,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $96,375
- Net-price: $28,909
- Graduation rate: 95.0%
- Median debt: $14,493
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12 / 25#14. Stevens Institute of Technology
- 40-year NPV: $2,047,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $98,159
- Net-price: $37,588
- Graduation rate: 86.0%
- Median debt: $25,000
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13 / 25#13. University of the Sciences
- 40-year NPV: $2,080,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $98,779
- Net-price: $33,637
- Graduation rate: 77.0%
- Median debt: $26,920
Editor's Note: The University of the Sciences merged with Saint Joseph's University on June 1, 2022, and no longer operates as an independent institution. The ROI data shown here represents historical performance prior to the merger. Current students would attend Saint Joseph's University.
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14 / 25#12. Carnegie Mellon University
- 40-year NPV: $2,119,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $99,998
- Net-price: $34,508
- Graduation rate: 90.0%
- Median debt: $19,000
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15 / 25#11. Princeton University
- 40-year NPV: $2,126,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $95,689
- Net-price: $11,317
- Graduation rate: 97.0%
- Median debt: $10,355
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16 / 25#10. Stanford University
- 40-year NPV: $2,200,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $97,798
- Net-price: $11,496
- Graduation rate: 94.0%
- Median debt: $11,000
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17 / 25#9. University of Pennsylvania
- 40-year NPV: $2,211,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $103,246
- Net-price: $25,802
- Graduation rate: 96.0%
- Median debt: $14,000
Yingna Cai // Shutterstock
18 / 25#8. Babson College
- 40-year NPV: $2,242,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $106,595
- Net-price: $34,606
- Graduation rate: 92.0%
- Median debt: $20,500
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
19 / 25#7. Bentley University
- 40-year NPV: $2,247,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $107,974
- Net-price: $38,986
- Graduation rate: 89.0%
- Median debt: $23,250
Jim_Brown_Photography // Shutterstock
20 / 25#6. Harvey Mudd College
- 40-year NPV: $2,370,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $108,988
- Net-price: $32,727
- Graduation rate: 92.0%
- Median debt: $19,500
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21 / 25#5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- 40-year NPV: $2,490,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $111,222
- Net-price: $16,636
- Graduation rate: 95.0%
- Median debt: $12,000
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22 / 25#4. California Institute of Technology
- 40-year NPV: $2,490,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $112,166
- Net-price: $24,274
- Graduation rate: 93.0%
- Median debt: $9,867
Boston Globe // Getty Images
23 / 25#3. MCPHS University
- 40-year NPV: $2,509,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $118,171
- Net-price: $37,712
- Graduation rate: 73.0%
- Median debt: $25,000
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24 / 25#2. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- 40-year NPV: $2,608,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $119,112
- Net-price: $29,116
- Graduation rate: 68.0%
- Median debt: $25,000
f.t.Photographer // Shutterstock
25 / 25#1. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
- 40-year NPV: $2,680,000
- Median earnings after 10 years: $121,576
- Net-price: $27,282
- Graduation rate: 84.0%
- Median debt: $15,500
Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.
CORRECTION (Oct. 27): The original version of this article included incorrect images for some colleges.
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