Verified data from IPEDS & College Scorecard
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Best Colleges: Low Debt, High Earnings

Schools where graduates carry low debt but earn strong salaries — the best return on investment.

Methodology: Schools where median debt < $25k and 10-year earnings > $45k, ranked by earnings-to-debt ratio.
1

New Mexico Military Institute

Roswell, NM · Public

Grad44%Net Price$5k/yr10yr Earnings$57kMedian Debt$6kAcceptance53%
2

De Anza College

Cupertino, CA · Public

Grad68%Net Price$5k/yr10yr Earnings$57kMedian Debt$6k
3

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA · Private

Grad96%Net Price$20k/yr10yr Earnings$143kMedian Debt$15kAcceptance5%
4

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA · Public

Grad35%Net Price$-1k/yr10yr Earnings$45kMedian Debt$5k
5

Oakton College

Des Plaines, IL · Public

Grad37%Net Price$6k/yr10yr Earnings$48kMedian Debt$5k
6

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD · Private

Grad94%Net Price$18k/yr10yr Earnings$88kMedian Debt$10kAcceptance6%
7

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA · Private

Grad92%Net Price$25k/yr10yr Earnings$85kMedian Debt$10kAcceptance14%
8

Pratt Community College

Pratt, KS · Public

Grad45%Net Price$8k/yr10yr Earnings$52kMedian Debt$7k
9

Mt San Antonio College

Walnut, CA · Public

Grad45%Net Price$3k/yr10yr Earnings$46kMedian Debt$6k
10

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA · Private

Grad91%Net Price$27k/yr10yr Earnings$105kMedian Debt$14kAcceptance10%
11

Yale University

New Haven, CT · Private

Grad96%Net Price$28k/yr10yr Earnings$101kMedian Debt$13kAcceptance4%
12

Irvine Valley College

Irvine, CA · Public

Grad57%Net Price$2k/yr10yr Earnings$49kMedian Debt$7k
13

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA · Private

Grad98%Net Price$17k/yr10yr Earnings$102kMedian Debt$14kAcceptance4%
14

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, IL · Public

Grad37%Net Price$8k/yr10yr Earnings$45kMedian Debt$6k
15

San Diego Miramar College

San Diego, CA · Public

Grad48%Net Price$-3k/yr10yr Earnings$48kMedian Debt$7k
16

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

Grad93%Net Price$15k/yr10yr Earnings$92kMedian Debt$13kAcceptance11%
17

Flint Hills Technical College

Emporia, KS · Public

Grad68%Net Price$16k/yr10yr Earnings$47kMedian Debt$7k
18

Williams College

Williamstown, MA · Private

Grad94%Net Price$15k/yr10yr Earnings$89kMedian Debt$13kAcceptance8%
19

Middlesex Community College

Bedford, MA · Public

Grad23%Net Price$4k/yr10yr Earnings$51kMedian Debt$7k
20

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private

Grad95%Net Price$39k/yr10yr Earnings$103kMedian Debt$16kAcceptance13%
21

Pomona College

Claremont, CA · Private

Grad93%Net Price$19k/yr10yr Earnings$78kMedian Debt$12kAcceptance7%
22

Northwestern Health Sciences University

Bloomington, MN · Private

0Net Price$30k/yr10yr Earnings$49kMedian Debt$8k
23

Southern California University of Health Sciences

Whittier, CA · Private

Grad50%Net Price$46k/yr10yr Earnings$71kMedian Debt$11k
24

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private

Grad96%Net Price$19k/yr10yr Earnings$92kMedian Debt$15kAcceptance4%
25

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private

Grad95%Net Price$27k/yr10yr Earnings$89kMedian Debt$15kAcceptance8%
26

Rockland Community College

Suffern, NY · Public

Grad29%Net Price$9k/yr10yr Earnings$50kMedian Debt$8k
27

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

Grad93%Net Price$14k/yr10yr Earnings$83kMedian Debt$14kAcceptance9%
28

Scripps College

Claremont, CA · Private

Grad83%Net Price$39k/yr10yr Earnings$78kMedian Debt$14kAcceptance38%
29

Frederick Community College

Frederick, MD · Public

Grad37%Net Price$3k/yr10yr Earnings$46kMedian Debt$8k
30

Amherst College

Amherst, MA · Private

Grad94%Net Price$18k/yr10yr Earnings$78kMedian Debt$14kAcceptance9%

Median debt: College Scorecard. Earnings: College Scorecard. Rankings reflect available federal data and do not constitute endorsement.