The 10 colleges that add the most value

As college financing experts, we write a lot about the value of a college’s return on investment–in other words, how much value you get for your money when you choose to attend a college.

In an era of sky-high college costs, it’s extremely important to consider a college’s ROI before committing to potentially take out tens–or even hundreds–of thousands of dollars in student loans to go there.

But it can be difficult for students and families to assess the value of a college before deciding whether or not to attend. Many factors, including the student’s major, will play a role in the long-term value of the degree.

That’s why we’re glad to see that MONEY has put together a list of the colleges that add the most value in addition to their annual list of The Best Colleges for Your Money.

Colleges that “do more with less”

It’s no surprise that elite private colleges like Stanford have high graduation rates or produce graduates with high salaries. But there are plenty of other colleges that “do more with less.”

They have smaller endowments and students have a variety of academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, yet they still have high graduation rates and graduate students with high salaries and low student debt.

Robert Morris University in Chicago topped the list, as MONEY determined the college added the most value for students due to its high graduation rates and graduate earnings, as well as low student loan debt.

These 10 colleges add the most value for students in terms of graduation rates, graduate earnings, and student debt.

The list also includes many colleges that might surprise you–and many you probably haven’t heard of, such as California State University-Stanislaus (#3) in Turlock, CA, Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, NJ (#5), and Fisk University in Nashville (#6).

Great colleges you can actually get into

These rankings really helpful for families who are tired of seeing rankings that focus on the very elite schools that accept only a tiny fraction of students who apply.

Most rankings are dominated by expensive Ivy League and elite schools, but these aren’t useful if a student has very little chance of being admitted.

But this list proves that there are plenty of colleges that are more accessible to the average student that offer a great return on your college investment.

Check out the full list at MONEY, and let us know your thoughts in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

And if you need help paying for college or finding affordable colleges like these, we can help. Give Rick & Andy a call at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us using this form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.