Colleges with the best bang for your buck

5. Stevens Institute of Technology

college return investment stevens institute
  • 20-year return on investment: $838,500
  • Avg. total cost: $250,900
  • Avg. annual scholarships and grants: $25,506

Located just across the Hudson River from Manhattan in Hoboken, N.J., Stevens Institute of Technology also focuses on engineering, science and math.

Stevens' location makes it easy for the school to offer internship and co-op experiences with large companies based in New York City.

About 74% of the students in last year's class found full-time employment within six months after graduating, with an average salary of $64,700, according to a report from the school.

First published April 7, 2014: 7:15 AM ET
Source: PayScale
PayScale economists calculated the total median pay for a school's undergraduate alumnus over a 20-year career and compared it to that of a high school graduate who worked for 24 to 26 years. They then subtracted the college's average cost of attending -- including tuition, room and board, and books -- and took scholarships and grants into account. From that, they determined the school's return on investment (in 2013 dollars). Alumni who went onto graduate school or other higher education were excluded from the calculations.

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