The top 50 US colleges that pay off the most

Each year, high school students across the U.S. march through campuses on guided tours, pore over course catalogs, and frantically check mailboxes and inboxes for letters granting them admission to the next phase of life: college.

Most are facing significant financial questions. Research consistently demonstrates that college graduates earn more than their peers without degrees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans with a bachelor’s degree have median weekly earnings of $1,173, compared with just $712 a week for those who have a high school diploma. Still, experts urge high school students to think carefully before taking on significant amounts of debt to finance a college degree.

College costs can be difficult to estimate, and even for college applicants with the foresight to research things like debt balances at graduation and average alumni salaries, outcomes can be challenging to quantify. Sticker prices published by universities do not include grants, scholarships or loans. Financial aid awards can change from year to year. Housing, travel, books and other personal expenses can add up quickly.

And less than half, 41%, of first-time, full-time college students earn their bachelor’s degree in four years. Many of them end up paying for more than four years of college, driving up the cost of attendance significantly.

CNBC Make It set out to capture the information students would need to balance these considerations. The result is our first list of the U.S. colleges that pay off the most, a ranking that spotlights 50 schools that provide students the highest average salaries for their tuition dollars.

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We started by identifying the true net cost of each college for the typical American student — including tuition, fees, books, supplies and other expenses — after subtracting scholarships and grants. Using data from Tuition Tracker, a tool created by education-focused nonprofit news organization The Hechinger Report, we looked at the net cost for students from families making between $48,001 and $75,000, an income range established by the Department of Education. We chose to focus on this bracket because it includes the median U.S. household income, $61,372.

The Hechinger Report calculates net cost by subtracting federal, state, local and institutional grants and scholarships from the sticker price for first-time, full-time (and, at public universities, in-state) undergraduates based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Then, using data from PayScale’s College Salary Report, we divided net cost by graduates’ expected annual earnings, which was calculated based on the median salary of graduates with less than five years of experience as well as those with 10 or more years of experience. The ranking gives greater weight to workers’ earnings in the years immediately after college, when individuals are the most impacted by college costs and student debt. (You can read our full methodology here.)

We excluded tuition-free institutions from the list, including military schools like West Point and U.S. Naval Academy, because the cost of post-college military service introduces an additional factor that’s challenging to measure against other schools.

Stanford University takes first place on the list. According to The Hechinger Report, the net cost for a student from a family that earns between $48,001 and $75,000 is $4,061 per year. Stanford graduates with more than 10 years of experience report average salaries of $143,100.

According to PayScale, 51% of Stanford students major in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field, a factor that contributes to high average salaries among graduates. And Stanford is known for providing robust financial aid. The average scholarship and grant total for students from families making less than $65,000 a year is $74,095 per year. Students from families making between $65,000 and $95,000 receive $65,050 on average in scholarships and grant aid.

While Princeton, Harvard and Yale get top marks, a wide range of schools from across the U.S. are represented here. State schools like the University of Washington-Seattle, small liberal arts colleges like Pomona College and STEM-focused schools like MIT also appear on this list, indicating that you don’t have to attend the Ivy League to get a great return on your college investment.

Here is CNBC Make It’s 2019 list of the top 50 U.S. colleges that pay off the most:

Stanford University, often referred to as a “West Coast Ivy,” is located near Silicon Valley in Stanford, California. The highly selective school is known for its strong science, technology and engineering programs as well as its successful athletics programs. Stanford enrolls approximately 7,083 undergraduate students.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $4,061
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $76,500
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $143,100
Salary average, early and mid career: $109,800

Princeton University was founded in 1746, making it the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Undergraduate Princeton students study one of 37 concentrations and must be proficient in at least one language other than English. Known for its strong engineering program, approximately 25% of undergraduates at the Ivy League school study in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $4,557
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $72,700
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $141,300
Salary average, early and mid career: $107,000

The University of Chicago is a private, nonprofit university in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The school is known for its strong STEM programs, but the curriculum also requires students to complete courses in three areas: humanities, civilization studies and the arts; natural sciences; and social sciences.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $4,536
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $61,600
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $117,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $89,550

California Institute of Technology, known as CalTech, is a private, nonprofit engineering university located in Pasadena, California. The CalTech curriculum emphasizes STEM education and all students are required to take math, physics, chemistry, biology and scientific communication courses.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $6,781
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $83,400
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $143,100
Salary average, early and mid career: $113,250

Founded in 1636, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the oldest college in the United States. Harvard is known for its historic legacy, famous alumni and generous financial aid, which the university is able to provide in part because of an endowment worth approximately $39.2 billion. Harvard students select “concentrations” instead of majors and one of the most popular is economics.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $6,577
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $72,600
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $142,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $107,600

Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is a private, Ivy League university. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest college in the United States. Yale teaches a liberal arts curriculum and requires students take classes in humanities and arts; sciences and social sciences; foreign languages; quantitative reasoning; and writing.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $6,551
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $68,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $135,400
Salary average, early and mid career: $101,850

Columbia University is a private Ivy League university in New York City. Founded in 1754, Columbia is the fifth-oldest college in the United States. Columbia students can choose from 80 areas of study but must take six required classes, such as Contemporary Civilization and Frontiers of Science, and must fulfill several requirements including taking a foreign language.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $6,592
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $69,200
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $127,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $98,350

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a STEM-focused private, nonprofit university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Instead of majors, MIT students choose a “course” to specialize in. Electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science are among the most popular courses at MIT.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $8,633
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $83,600
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $150,400
Salary average, early and mid career: $117,000

Pomona College is one of five private, nonprofit, liberal arts colleges in Claremont, California. The curriculum at the highly selective school is broad and requires students take at least one course in each of six areas: criticism, analysis and contextual study of works of the human imagination; social institutions and human behavior; history, values, ethics and cultural studies; physical and biological sciences; mathematical reasoning; and creation and performance of works of art and literature.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $6,975
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $60,500
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $119,900
Salary average, early and mid career: $90,200

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is a private university. The southern school, known for its strong athletic program, offers 4,000 courses each semester. The most popular major among Duke undergrads is computer science and 83% of students study more than just one major.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $7,880
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $68,700
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $133,100
Salary average, early and mid career: $100,900

Washington and Lee is a private liberal arts university located in Lexington, Virginia. The small southern university is composed of two undergraduate schools: the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics — which offers degrees in business administration, business administration and accounting, public accounting, economics and politics — as well as a liberal arts school referred to as “the College” that offers 40 different majors.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $8,962
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $63,200
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $130,400
Salary average, early and mid career: $96,800

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, is a private, nonprofit university. Undergraduate Vanderbilt students can earn bachelor’s degrees from the College of Arts and Science, the Blair School of Music, the School of Engineering and the Peabody College of Education and Human Development.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $8,451
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $63,800
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $118,400
Salary average, early and mid career: $91,100

Dartmouth College is a private, nonprofit, Ivy League university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, that enrolls approximately 4,400 undergraduate students and is known for its graduate programs, such as the Tuck School of Business.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,048
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $68,900
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $137,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $103,200

Founded in 1997, the Olin College of Engineering is a private, nonprofit, engineering college in Needham, Massachusetts. Located near Babson College and Wellesley College, Olin is known for its project-based engineering curriculum.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,706
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $81,900
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $134,200
Salary average, early and mid career: $108,050

Rice University is a private, nonprofit university located in Houston. Undergraduate students at Rice can study more than 50 different majors in the George R. Brown School of Engineering, the Shepherd School of Music, the School of Architecture, the School of Humanities, the School of Social Sciences and the Wiess School of Natural Sciences.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,080
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $69,200
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $133,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $101,400

This highly respected private, nonprofit, liberal arts college is based in Williamstown, Massachusetts. All Williams students take at least two writing-intensive courses as well several courses in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics. Williams enrolls approximately 2,020 undergraduate students.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,448
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $64,000
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $135,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $99,750

The University of Pennsylvania is a private university known for its business program. Undergraduate students at this Ivy League school can choose from more than 90 majors across four schools: the College for Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Nursing and the Wharton Business School.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,322
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $70,100
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $135,800
Salary average, early and mid career: $102,950

Bowdoin College is a private, nonprofit, liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine. Students at the small school must take at least one course in five areas: mathematical, computational or statistical reasoning; inquiry in the natural sciences; exploring social differences; international perspectives; and visual and performing arts.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $11,057
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $59,700
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $116,000
Salary average, early and mid career: $87,850

Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York, is a small, private, nonprofit college that educates students in naval architecture and marine engineering. During the 2018-2019 school year, the Webb Institute enrolled just 104 students.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,682
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $79,100
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $134,700
Salary average, early and mid career: $106,900

Brown University is an Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is known for its flexible “open curriculum ” that only requires that students complete at least 30 courses in eight semesters, complete at least one major and “demonstrate excellent skill in written English.”

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,697
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $65,400
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $131,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $98,500

Haverford College is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Haverford’s liberal arts curriculum requires that students study in areas such as meaning, interpretation and creative expression or analysis and the social world: individuals, institutions and cultures.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,110
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $56,100
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $131,400
Salary average, early and mid career: $93,750

Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864 by Quakers, Swarthmore is part of a tri-college consortium with Bryn Mawr and Haverford College and also offers cross-registration with the University of Pennsylvania.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,638
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $63,800
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $129,200
Salary average, early and mid career: $96,500

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Engineering, also referred to as “The Cooper Union,” is a private college located in New York City comprised of three schools specializing in architecture, art and engineering.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,743
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $65,900
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $128,300
Salary average, early and mid career: $97,100

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates College is a private liberal arts college. Bates has a unique academic calendar that features two semesters and one “short term,” a five-week period that allows students to focus on one single class.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,108
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $57,500
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $120,300
Salary average, early and mid career: $88,900

Located in Middletown, Connecticut, Wesleyan University is a private, liberal arts school that enrolls roughly 3,000 undergraduate students. Wesleyan’s flexible curriculum requires that students study each of four “competencies” — mapping (navigating complex environments), expressing (writing and communication), mining (empirical analysis and interpretation) and engaging (negotiating cultural contexts).

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $11,996
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $59,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $114,700
Salary average, early and mid career: $87,000

The University of Washington, Seattle, is the flagship school of the University of Washington school system. The large public university offers more than 180 majors and is known for its computer science program.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $8,984
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $59,900
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $111,800
Salary average, early and mid career: $85,850

Also a member of the University of Washington school system, the University of Washington, Bothell, is a public university that offers roughly 55 degree programs and enrolls just 5,411 undergraduate students.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $8,767
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $58,200
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $104,100
Salary average, early and mid career: $81,150

Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public college located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, that offers bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees in marine engineering fields. Many MMA students choose to volunteer for military service, though it is not a requirement.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,235
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $67,200
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $114,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $90,900

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, is the flagship campus of the University of Michigan school system. The public university offers 263 degree programs, enrolls 29,026 undergraduate students and is known for its athletics program.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,106
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $62,000
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $107,900
Salary average, early and mid career: $84,950

Georgia Institute of Technology, often referred to as “Georgia Tech,” is a public university located in Atlanta. The school offers technology-focused education to more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six colleges and 28 schools focusing on business, computing, design, engineering, the liberal arts and sciences.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,284
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $70,800
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $131,900
Salary average, early and mid career: $101,350

Purdue University’s campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, is the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The public university enrolls 32,672 undergraduate students. Known for its strong engineering program, 28% of undergraduate students at Purdue study in the College of Engineering.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $10,828
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $60,200
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $105,800
Salary average, early and mid career: $83,000

Founded in 1693, the College of William and Mary is the second-oldest college in the country. The public university, which is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, is often referred to as a “Public Ivy.” The school offers a joint degree program with University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $11,320
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $57,100
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $113,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $85,350

Michigan Technological University is a public university located in Houghton, Michigan. The technology-focused school is made up of seven colleges and schools including a College of Computing, a College of Engineering and a School of Business and Economics.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,080
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $64,600
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $110,200
Salary average, early and mid career: $87,400

One of the most selective schools in the University of California school system, the University of California, Los Angeles, is known for its strong athletics department. The most popular majors at UCLA are biology, business economics, political science, psychology and psychobiology.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $12,416
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $60,000
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $118,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $89,250

Baruch College is one of 13 four-year colleges in The City University of New York school system. The public university is known for its business program and enrolls approximately 15,024 undergraduate students. The most popular majors at Baruch include accounting, finance and marketing.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $11,473
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $57,100
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $107,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $82,350

University of California, San Diego, is part of the University of California school system and is located in La Jolla, California. The public university enrolls approximately 30,285 undergraduate students and is known both for its fine arts program and its engineering program.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,367
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $61,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $126,800
Salary average, early and mid career: $94,050

Part of the University of California system, University of California, Riverside, is a public university that offers more than 80 undergraduate majors across five schools. Located east of Los Angeles, UCR enrolls roughly 20,581 undergraduate students.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $11,685
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $54,000
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $109,300
Salary average, early and mid career: $81,650

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a public university that offers associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees primarily in science and engineering. NMT is located in Socorro, New Mexico, approximately 75 miles south of Albuquerque and is known for its chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science programs.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,756
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $62,500
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $121,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $92,00

STEM-focused Missouri University of Science and Technology, often called Missouri S&T, is a public land grant university based in Rolla, Missouri. The school’s mission is to integrate “education, research and application to create and convey knowledge that serves our state and helps solve the world’s great challenges.”

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $14,066
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $66,700
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $116,400
Salary average, early and mid career: $91,550

University of California, Irvine, is one of 10 campuses in the University of California school system. In 2018, the public university enrolled approximately 29,736 undergraduate students. UCI is known for its engineering and criminal justice programs.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,820
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $57,700
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $121,800
Salary average, early and mid career: $89,750

Originally named the Montana State School of Mines, today Montana Tech is part of the University of Montana system with an emphasis on STEM. The public university is located in Butte, Montana, and is known for its engineering and nursing programs.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,133
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $61,900
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $107,200
Salary average, early and mid career: $84,550

California State University Maritime Academy, known as “Cal Maritime,” is one of 23 schools in the California State University system. Located in Vallejo, California, the university is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast and aims to prepare students for careers fields like engineering, transportation, international relations, business and global logistics.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $15,515
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $67,500
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $129,100
Salary average, early and mid career: $98,300

The University of Virginia, is a public university located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson, the public university enrolls approximately 16,777 undergraduate students and is known for its law and business schools as well as for its strong athletics program.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $14,374
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $62,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $119,900
Salary average, early and mid career: $91,100

The University of California, Santa Barbara, is a public university within the University of California school system. During the 2018-2019 school year, UCSB enrolled 25,976 undergraduate students. UCSB is known for its engineering, education and environmental studies programs.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $14,176
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $57,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $121,500
Salary average, early and mid career: $89,400

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, known as Cal Poly Pomona, is a public polytechnic university located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Cal Poly Pomona enrolls approximately 24,314 undergraduate students and is known for its business and engineering programs.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,335
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $56,000
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $111,600
Salary average, early and mid career: $83,800

University of California, Davis, known for its food and agriculture program, is a part of the University of California school system. The public university enrolls approximately 30,718 undergraduate students. The three most popular majors at UC Davis are psychology, managerial economics and economics.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $14,186
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $59,400
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $113,800
Salary average, early and mid career: $86,600

NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a public university that enrolls roughly 35,479 students. The public university is known for its veterinary medicine program.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,244
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $55,800
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $104,700
Salary average, early and mid career: $80,250

Part of the State University of New York system, SUNY Maritime College is located in the Bronx, New York. The public university enrolls roughly 1,635 undergraduate students and offers bachelor’s of engineering, bachelor’s of science, master’s of science and associate’s of applied science degrees.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $18,019
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $73,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $140,100
Salary average, early and mid career: $106,700

Located in Newark, Delaware, the University of Delaware is a public university. The school enrolls approximately 18,221 undergraduate students and is known for its chemical engineering program.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $13,909
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $56,700
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $105,700
Salary average, early and mid career: $81,200

University of California, Berkeley, is the flagship school of the University of California system. Located in Berkeley, California, near San Francisco, the university enrolls some 30,853 undergraduate students. The school is home to the Haas School of Business.

Average net cost (income $48,001-$75,000): $17,413
Median salary for alumni with 0-5 years of experience: $68,300
Median salary for alumni with 10+ years of experience: $132,300
Salary average, early and mid career: $100,300

Beyond school selection, there are several steps students can take to maximize the value of their time in college while minimizing the costs. Consider pursuing a degree in a high-paying field. Earning a degree in a STEM field can help students at any college prepare themselves for in-demand high-paying jobs. Students can keep costs low by keeping on pace with their requirements and graduating on time. Additional semesters of college can be expensive and in some cases, scholarship and grant aid does not apply for semesters beyond the standard four years.

But the most significant step students can take to ensure their college degree pays off is, simply, to complete their college degree. Just 60% of college students complete their bachelor’s in six years and many drop out altogether, and one of the worst outcomes for students is taking on loans for a degree they do not complete. The economic benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree are still significant, and if students study hard and play their cards right, college can pay off big time.

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