That piece of sheepskin with the fancy Latin writing on it, pronouncing you to be a graduate of your alma mater, is not just a memento of the past four years to be framed and hung on the wall; it’s a physical representation of the tens of thousands of dollars in hard-earned cash and student loans that paid for it. 

Before you or your high school graduate invest in a college or university education, make sure that the return on investment is worth the money paid for it. GradReports, an online reporting service that rates colleges based on several metrics, examined how the numbers stack up by using its proprietary Salary Score to compare the median alumni salaries of over 4.6 million college graduates in the first year after graduation. The scores were weighted by student enrollment across the same 10 academic programs, to determine salary scores for more than 2,281 schools and 885 degrees.

GradReports found that 86 of the top 100 schools for earning potential were private colleges or universities, and the top 19 schools were private nonprofit institutions. The reporting service also found that only six out of eight Ivy League schools were listed among the top 25 schools for earning potential, proving that while prestigious universities often produce highly paid graduates, there are many non-elite institutions whose graduates earn comparable salaries across a range of academic majors, too.

Here, in ascending order, are 2021's top 10 performing U.S. colleges by Salary Score.

10. Dominican University of California, San Rafael, Calif.

Founded in 1890 by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, Dominican is located 12 miles north of San Francisco. It is one of the oldest universities in California. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $45,850, and the school earned a Salary Score of 97.21 out of 100.

9. Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

Founded in 1885, Stanford is a private research university that offers qualified candidates an alternative to an Ivy League education. Admission is highly compertitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $51,354, and the school earned a Salary Score of 97.52 out of 100.

8. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie, this private research university began granting four-year degrees in 1912. Admission is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $55,465, and the school earned a Salary Score of 97.66 out of 100.

7. Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, Calif.

Established in 1851, Santa Clara is a private Jesuit university located in California’s Silicon Valley. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $51,711, and the school earned a Salary Score of 98.23 out of 100.

6. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Founded by John Carroll in 1789, Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States. Admission is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $54,104, and the school earned a Salary Score of 98.68 out of 100.

5. Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.

Dartmouth College is a private Ivy League research university established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock. Admission to this elite school is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $55,453, and the school earned a Salary Score of 98.84 out of 100.

4. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.

UPenn is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1740, making it one of the country’s oldest institutions of higher learning. Admission is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $55,584, and the school earned a Salary Score of 98.85 out of 100.

3. Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

Yale University is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School. Admission is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $53,430, and the school earned a Salary Score of 98.90 out of 100.

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.

Founded in 1861, M.I.T. is a private land-grant research university located on an urban campus extending over a mile alongside the Charles River. Admission is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $51,832, and the school earned a Salary Score of 99.13 out of 100.

1. Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Harvard is a prestigious private Ivy League research university established in 1636 with a worldwide reputation for excellence. Admission is highly competitive. Undergraduates pay a reported annual tuition of $50,420, and the school earned a Salary Score of 99.54 out of 100.