May 1 is National College Decision Day, the deadline for high school seniors to choose which college to attend.
When it comes to deciding where you’re going to study over the next four or so years, there are a lot of factors to consider, including location, class size and academic majors. But you may want to consider earning potential as well. After all, a college education is now the second-biggest expense you are likely to make in your lifetime.
To round up a list of the schools that produce the highest-earning alumni, CNBC Make It used the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. The tool provides a variety of data on thousands of colleges, including the median earnings of federally aided students 10 years after enrolling and the average annual cost of attending.
For our ranking, we restricted the list to bachelor’s degree-granting institutions and excluded special focus institutions.
Scroll down to see the colleges and universities where students go on to earn the most money. We also included the average annual cost of each school, which the U.S. Department of Education defines as “the average annual net price for federal aid recipients, after aid from the school, state, or federal government. For public schools, this is only the average cost for in-state students.”
25. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
- Average annual cost: $11,574
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $75,800
24. SUNY Maritime College
Average annual cost: $19,050
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $76,700
23. Lehigh University
- Average annual cost: $33,300
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $77,200
21. Duke University (TIE)
- Average annual cost: $34,137
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $77,900
21. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (TIE)
- Average annual cost: $34,841
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $77,900
20. Columbia University
- Average annual cost: $21,031
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $78,200
19. Kettering University
- Average annual cost: $34,029
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $78,600
18. United States Merchant Marine Academy
- Average annual cost: $6,125
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $78,900
17. California State University Maritime Academy
Average annual cost: $15,206
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $79,000
16. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- Average annual cost: $36,068
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $79,200
15. Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- Average annual cost: $17,224
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $79,300
14. Princeton University
- Average annual cost: $8,848
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $80,500
13. Bentley University
- Average annual cost: $32,713
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $80,600
12. DigiPen Institute of Technology
- Average annual cost: $36,816
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $81,300
11. Carnegie Mellon University
- Average annual cost: $34,857
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $81,800
10. Colorado School of Mines
- Average annual cost: $24,929
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $82,100
9. University of Pennsylvania
- Average annual cost: $25,225
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $82,400
8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Average annual cost: $37,002
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $82,600
7. Yale University
- Average annual cost: $20,910
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $83,200
6. Maine Maritime Academy
- Average annual cost: $23,175
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $84,000
5. Stanford University
- Average annual cost: $13,857
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $85,700
4. Stevens Institute of Technology
- Average annual cost: $32,869
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $87,300
3. Georgetown University
- Average annual cost: $30,580
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $90,100
2. Harvard University
- Average annual cost: $17,882
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $90,900
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Average annual cost: $22,968
- Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $94,200