Colleges that reward the investment: It's not what you think

Comparing colleges by economic value of their degrees

by Mitchell Hartman, Marketplace
Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Question: What do Cal Tech, Concord’s Community College in New Hampshire, MIT, Carleton College in Minnesota, Lee College in Texas, and Pueblo Community College in Colorado, all have in common?

Answer: They are ranked in the top twenty schools in the country for “adding value” to a student’s college years.

According to a new analysis by the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, these and other top-ranked colleges and universities give students an economic boost in terms of long-term career success and earning power, compared to similar two- and four-year institutions.

Brookings researchers crunched the numbers on thousands of schools that provide associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, comparing graduates’ mid-career salaries and rates of student-loan repayment, as well as schools' financial aid and career-services offerings.

“With tuition continuing to rise ever-higher," says Brookings lead author Jonathan Rothwell, "public policymakers and students are interested in answering the question: What is the college going to do for me? What contribution is the college going to make to my future career?”

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