Money Moves

Colleges with the best bang for your buck

5.  SUNY Maritime

best bang for buck colleges 05 SUNY Maritime
5
  • 20-year return on investment: $967,000
  • Total 4-year cost: $89,000

If you're prone to getting sea sick, this school probably isn't for you. SUNY Maritime has its own training ship, the Empire State, docked at it's waterfront campus in the Bronx.

Graduates don't only get a full four-year academic degree, but they'll also get certified to work in well-paying jobs aboard commercial vessels as a Merchant Marine.

First published April 7, 2016: 7:15 AM ET
Source: PayScale
Based on survey data, PayScale 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 years. It took the difference in pay and subtracted the cost of attending school to determine the return on investment in 2015 dollars. The cost of attendance included tuition, room and board, and books -- and adjusted to account for the average grant awarded to students. Alumni who went on to graduate school were excluded from the data.

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