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The InkwellU.S. colleges · by the numbers
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College Scorecard · four-year colleges

Every U.S. college, side by side.

What a degree costs after aid, who gets in, who finishes and what graduates earn — for 1,782 four-year colleges in 54 states and territories.

Lowest net priceTop earningsLiberal artsHBCUsResearch universities
1,782colleges
$19,980median net price / yr
55%median graduation rate
$58,886median earnings, 10 yrs
Campus of California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CACalifornia Institute of Technology logo#1earnings, 10 yrs
Top of the earnings tablePasadena, CA
California Institute of Technology
Private nonprofitadmits 2.6%987 undergrads
90% grad
median earnings
$166,642
state by state

Where the colleges are — and what they cost

Each tile is a state. Switch the measure to see median net price, graduation rate or graduate earnings; click a state for its full list.

All states
Four-year colleges
fewermore
11 rankings, no opinions

Rankings built only from the numbers

All rankings
Highest-earning graduatesTop 100
  1. 1California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA · Private nonprofit$166,642
  2. 2Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CA · Private nonprofit$164,248
  3. 3Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · Private nonprofit$152,553
  4. 4Babson CollegeWellesley, MA · Private nonprofit$138,950
  5. 5Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · Private nonprofit$133,523
Lowest net price, 50%+ graduateTop 100
  1. 1CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNew York, NY · Public$657
  2. 2CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY · Public$950
  3. 3CUNY Hunter CollegeNew York, NY · Public$1,051
  4. 4CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY · Public$1,110
  5. 5CUNY Queens CollegeQueens, NY · Public$1,272
Best graduation rateTop 100
  1. 1Arizona College of Nursing-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · Private for-profit100%
  2. 2Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · Private nonprofit97%
  3. 3Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Private nonprofit97%
  4. 4University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · Private nonprofit97%
  5. 5Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Private nonprofit96%
Pell Grant access, 60%+ graduateTop 100
  1. 1Uta Mesivta of Kiryas JoelMonroe, NY · Private nonprofit89%
  2. 2Berea CollegeBerea, KY · Private nonprofit84%
  3. 3Arizona College of Nursing-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · Private for-profit67%
  4. 4College of the OzarksPoint Lookout, MO · Private nonprofit65%
  5. 5University of California-MercedMerced, CA · Public62%
by sector

Public, private nonprofit, for-profit

Medians across all colleges in each sector. Net price is after grants; earnings are ten years after entry.

SectorCollegesNet priceGraduationEarningsMedian debt
Public572$14,24152%$59,268$19,500
Private nonprofit1,088$23,03058%$59,100$23,250
Private for-profit122$32,05240%$44,016$28,667
Source: College Scorecard, most recent cohorts file (U.S. Department of Education).
since the colonial era

The oldest colleges, then and now

Founding years from Wikidata, campus photos from Wikimedia Commons — and today’s numbers from the Scorecard. 1,172 colleges have a campus photo, 1,033 a logo or seal; see the image credits.

Oldest 100
Campus of Harvard University, Cambridge, MA1636Harvard University logoHarvard UniversityCambridge, MA · $19,148 net price · 97% graduateCampus of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA1693William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · $18,880 net price · 88% graduateCampus of Yale University, New Haven, CT1701Yale University logoYale UniversityNew Haven, CT · $11,340 net price · 96% graduateCampus of Washington College, Chestertown, MD1723Washington College logoWashington CollegeChestertown, MD · $27,993 net price · 66% graduateCampus of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA1740University of Pennsylvania logoUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · $29,577 net price · 97% graduateCampus of Moravian University, Bethlehem, PA1742Moravian University logoMoravian UniversityBethlehem, PA · $35,264 net price · 74% graduate
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College types

Public collegesPrivate nonprofit collegesFor-profit collegesResearch universities (R1 & R2)Liberal arts collegesHBCUsHispanic-serving institutionsWomen's collegesReligiously affiliated colleges