The 25 private colleges with the best return on investment

Dartmouth Hall at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
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- 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

#25. Dartmouth College
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A building at Yale University.
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- 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

#24. Yale University
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Gasson Hall on the Boston College campus.
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- 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

#23. Boston College
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Campus of Santa Clara University (SCU), a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California.
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- 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

#22. Santa Clara University
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Entrance to Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.
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- 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

#21. Kettering University
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Campus of Columbia University.
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- 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

#20. Columbia University in the City of New York
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Entrance sign of Rose‑Hulman Institute of Technology.
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- 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

#19. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
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Modern glass university building at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
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- 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

#18. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Entrance sign of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
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- 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

#17. Duke University
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Building in Lehigh University mountain campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
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- 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

#16. Lehigh University
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A Gothic building at Georgetown University.
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- 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

#15. Georgetown University
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Brick building facade of Stevens Insitute of Technology.
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- 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

#14. Stevens Institute of Technology
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President Biden delivers a speech at SJU.
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- 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

#13. University of the Sciences
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- 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

#12. Carnegie Mellon University
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- 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

#11. Princeton University
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- 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

#10. Stanford University
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- 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

#9. University of Pennsylvania
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Main campus of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
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- 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

#8. Babson College
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Aerial view of Bentley University main campus in downtown Waltham, Massachusetts.
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- 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

#7. Bentley University
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Entrance sign to Harvey Mudd College.
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- 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

#6. Harvey Mudd College
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- 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

#5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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- 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

#4. California Institute of Technology
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The exterior of a Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science building.
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- 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

#3. MCPHS University
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- 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

#2. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
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- 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.

#1. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
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Beautiful fall colors outside Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University.
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