Its tough enough finding a first job or a new job during a pandemic, but in good times or bad, a degree from a college or university with name recognition can open doors closed to other job applicants.
That's value for any scholar's investment dollar, especially when students now pay as much as $22,000-$75,000 per year for tuition, room and board at a four-year college.
To determine the top-performing schools at the lowest possible cost to undergraduates, WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared more than 1,000 institutions of higher learning across 30 key measurements that include post-attendance metrics and the share of former students outearning high school graduates.
WalletHub then grouped the resulting data set into the following seven categories and point values: student selectivity (25 points); cost and financing (20 points); faculty resources (10 points); campus safety (5 points); campus experience (5 points); education outcomes (20 points); and career outcomes (15 points).
Here, in ascending order, are 2021’s top 10 best-value colleges and universities.
10. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Penn.
Founded in 1740, this Ivy League research university is one of America’s oldest institutions of higher learning. The University of Pennsylvania was tied for fourth highest graduation rate, and ranked fifth in education outcomes; sixth in career outcomes; and 12th in student selectivity, but 992nd in cost and financing. Total Score: 74.95.
9. Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Duke is one of three research universities that anchor North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Duke ranked third in both faculty resources and education outcomes, and ninth in both career outcomes and student selectivity, but 973rd in cost and financing. Total Score: 75.18.
8. Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
Established in 1851 to serve the former Northwest Territory, Northwestern is a private research university located in a suburban setting. Northwestern ranked fourth in faculty resources, 15th in student selectivity; 19th in education outcomes; and 133rd in campus safety – the second-lowest of the top 10, but 952nd in cost and financing. Total Score: 75.4.
7. Rice University, Houston
William Marsh Rice University, more familiarly known as Rice University, is a private research university situated on a 300-acre campus adjacent to Texas Medical Center. Rice University ranks seventh in faculty resources and eleventh in student selectivity, but 904th in cost and financing. Total Score: 76.96.
6. Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
Stanford University, officially known as Leland Stanford Junior University, is located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley. Stanford ranked first in highest admission rate; second in highest post-attendance median salary; third in student selectivity; and fifth in lowest student loan default rate, but 925th in cost and financing. Total Score: 77.12.
5. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
The California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) is a science and engineering research and education institution founded in 1891. Cal Tech ranks first in both student selectivity and faculty resources; third in highest return on educational investment; and fourth in career outcomes, but 818th in campus safety and 959th in cost and financing. Total Score: 77.65.
4. Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
Founded in 1746, this private Ivy League research university is the fourth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Princeton ranks first in both highest graduation rate and education outcomes; fourth in lowest student loan debt; and fifth in highest return on educational investment, but 858th in cost and financing. Total Score: 78.41.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) is an elite private research university located on an urban campus along the Charles River. M.I.T. ranks first with highest post-attendance median salary; second with highest return on educational investment; second in career outcomes; and fourth in student selectivity, but 928th in cost and financing. Total Score: 78.44.
2. Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Founded in 1701, this private Ivy League research university is the third-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Yale is tied for second with the highest graduation rate, and also ranks second in education outcomes. The school ranks fourth with the highest admission rate, but 913th in costs and financing. Total Score: 78.57.
1. Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Established in 1836, this Ivy League research university is the nation’s oldest institution of higher learning. Harvard ranks fourth in highest post-attendance median salary; fifth in student selectivity; and 115th in campus safety – the lowest ranking of the top 10, but 900th in cost and financing, Total Score: 78.6.
