Special Report

Top Ranked Colleges That Pay Off the Least

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The growing student loan debt crisis is one of the most daunting public policy challenges of our time. In the last 10 years alone, total student loan debt more than doubled in the United States, overtaking both credit card debt and auto loans, and hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion.

This increase in debt is not attributable to growing enrollment. In fact, the number of Americans enrolled at undergraduate institutions fell by 7% — from 18.1 million in 2010 to 16.8 million in 2017. The more significant factor in the student debt crisis is the increasing cost of college — and the relatively low-paying careers that await some graduates. 

The cost of attending a four-year college has climbed faster each decade since the 1980s. In the 2018-2019 academic year, it costs an average of $48,510 to attend a private nonprofit college — a 96% increase from the average inflation-adjusted cost of $24,800 in the 1988-1989 academic year. This is how much college cost the year you were born

Meanwhile, at some of the nation’s top-ranked colleges and universities, over half of all alumni who took out loans earn less than $40,000 per year. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the median earnings, 10 years after matriculation, of former students who received federal financial aid while attending school as a percentage of annual tuition and fees to identify the 50 top-ranked colleges that pay off the least. Earnings data by institution came from the U.S. Department of Education

It is important to note that the earnings used to rank schools for this story are medians and are not representative of what all alumni earn. Earnings after graduation can often depend more on field of study than the institution itself. These are the highest- and lowest-paying college majors in America.

Click here to see the 50 top ranked colleges that pay off the least
Click here to read our methodology

Correction: Due to a data processing error, Union College and Emmanuel College were included in a previous version of this story. After their removal from this list, Sewanee-University of the South and Hartwick College have been added. Additionally, Wheaton College moved in rank from number 28 to number 21. Additionally, a previous version of this article incorrectly characterized median earnings as 10 years after graduation and cost of attendance as an average. In fact, the earnings figures noted are 10 years after enrollment and cost of attendance is full tuition and fees.  

Rex Hammock / Flickr

50. Sewanee-University of the South
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $45,500
> Annual cost of attendance: $45,120
> Location: Sewanee, TN
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,702

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

49. Hartwick College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $45,800
> Annual cost of attendance: $45,510
> Location: Oneonta, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,201

icpigallery / Flickr

48. Kalamazoo College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $48,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $48,516
> Location: Kalamazoo, MI
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,436

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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

47. Wesleyan University
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $54,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,614
> Location: Middletown, CT
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,976

romanboed / Flickr

46. Connecticut College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $54,900
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,820
> Location: New London, CT
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,817

Courtesy of Randolph College

45. Randolph College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $39,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $39,695
> Location: Lynchburg, VA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 663

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Adamsofen / Wikimedia Commons

44. Whitman College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $51,300
> Annual cost of attendance: $51,764
> Location: Walla Walla, WA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,510

Courtesy of Ohio Wesleyan University

43. Ohio Wesleyan University
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $45,300
> Annual cost of attendance: $45,760
> Location: Delaware, OH
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,565

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JenniferPhotographyImaging / Getty Images

42. Carleton College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $54,200
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,759
> Location: Northfield, MN
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,078

Courtesy of Guilford College

41. Guilford College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $36,400
> Annual cost of attendance: $36,965
> Location: Greensboro, NC
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,674

skyfaller / Flickr

40. Scripps College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $54,100
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,024
> Location: Claremont, CA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,059

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IngerAlHaosului / Wikimedia Commons

39. Whittier College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $46,800
> Annual cost of attendance: $47,886
> Location: Whittier, CA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,681

LawrenceSawyer / Getty Images

38. Mount Holyoke College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $48,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $49,998
> Location: South Hadley, MA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,210

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DebraMillet / Getty Images

37. Hobart and William Smith Colleges
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $53,500
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,255
> Location: Geneva, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,237

fdastudillo / Getty Images

36. Vassar College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $54,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $56,960
> Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,353

jkdatlanta / Flickr

35. Agnes Scott College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $39,400
> Annual cost of attendance: $41,160
> Location: Decatur, GA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 921

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Courtesy of Eckerd College

34. Eckerd College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $42,200
> Annual cost of attendance: $44,540
> Location: St. Petersburg, FL
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,957

Denisonfan / Wikimedia Commons

33. Denison University
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $48,800
> Annual cost of attendance: $51,960
> Location: Granville, OH
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,341

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Wolterk / Getty Images

32. Grinnell College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $49,100
> Annual cost of attendance: $52,392
> Location: Grinnell, IA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,712

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

31. Pitzer College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $48,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $52,236
> Location: Claremont, CA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,112

stcroixriverway_nps / Flickr

30. Northland College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $33,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $36,183
> Location: Ashland, WI
> Undergraduate enrollment: 635

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JamesBrey / Getty Images

29. Lawrence University
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $44,100
> Annual cost of attendance: $47,475
> Location: Appleton, WI
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,473

Bill_Dally / Getty Images

28. Occidental College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $50,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,686
> Location: Los Angeles, CA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,055

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philly_18_percent_gray / Flickr

27. College of Wooster
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $46,300
> Annual cost of attendance: $50,250
> Location: Wooster, OH
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,980

Peter Flass / Wikimedia Commons

26. Skidmore College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $49,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,270
> Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,680

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Beyond My Ken / Wikimedia Commons

25. The New School
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $44,500
> Annual cost of attendance: $48,631
> Location: New York, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 7,203

Courtesy of St. Lawrence University

24. St. Lawrence University
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $50,100
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,846
> Location: Canton, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,414

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Lewis & Clark College / Wikimedia Commons

23. Lewis & Clark College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $46,200
> Annual cost of attendance: $50,934
> Location: Portland, OR
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,106

Courtesy of Hollins University

22. Hollins University
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $35,400
> Annual cost of attendance: $39,035
> Location: Roanoke, VA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 645

kickstand / Getty Images

21. Wheaton College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $48,400
> Annual cost of attendance: $52,626
> Location: Norton, MA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,688

MonsieurNapoléon / Wikimedia Commons

20. Smith College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $46,200
> Annual cost of attendance: $52,404
> Location: Northampton, MA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,521

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cogdog / Flickr

19. Macalester College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $47,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,348
> Location: St. Paul, MN
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,136

curtsm / Flickr

18. Kenyon College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $48,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,930
> Location: Gambier, OH
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,677

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Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

17. Hendrix College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $39,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $45,790
> Location: Conway, AR
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,238

Courtesy of Wells College

16. Wells College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $35,100
> Annual cost of attendance: $40,700
> Location: Aurora, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 488

mattclare / Flickr

15. Knox College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $39,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $46,554
> Location: Galesburg, IL
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,356

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firepile / Flickr

14. Beloit College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $42,400
> Annual cost of attendance: $50,040
> Location: Beloit, WI
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,402

Mark Lee / Wikimedia Commons

13. Colorado College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $45,400
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,470
> Location: Colorado Springs, CO
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,107

User:Cacophony / Wikimedia Commons

12. Reed College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $42,200
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,200
> Location: Portland, OR
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,415

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Courtesy of Sarah Lawrence College

11. Sarah Lawrence College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $43,000
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,900
> Location: Bronxville, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,399

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Earlham College / Wikimedia Commons

10. Earlham College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $35,000
> Annual cost of attendance: $46,450
> Location: Richmond, IN
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,060

uschools / Getty Images

9. Oberlin College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $40,800
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,052
> Location: Oberlin, OH
> Undergraduate enrollment: 2,827

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nancykennedy / Getty Images

8. Bard College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $39,700
> Annual cost of attendance: $54,680
> Location: Annandale on Hudson, NY
> Undergraduate enrollment: 1,930

juliarosepethtel / Flickr

7. Warren Wilson College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $25,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $36,280
> Location: Asheville, NC
> Undergraduate enrollment: 589

smi23le / Wikimedia Commons

6. St. John’s College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $36,900
> Annual cost of attendance: $53,218
> Location: Annapolis, MD
> Undergraduate enrollment: 458

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jeffreywarren / Flickr

5. Marlboro College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $27,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $40,840
> Location: Marlboro, VT
> Undergraduate enrollment: 183

Courtesy of St. John's College

4. St. John’s College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $33,500
> Annual cost of attendance: $53,218
> Location: Santa Fe, NM
> Undergraduate enrollment: 322

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Courtesy of Bard College at Simon's Rock

3. Bard College at Simon’s Rock
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $32,500
> Annual cost of attendance: $55,732
> Location: Great Barrington, MA
> Undergraduate enrollment: 400

Courtesy of College of the Atlantic

2. College of the Atlantic
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $24,600
> Annual cost of attendance: $43,542
> Location: Bar Harbor, ME
> Undergraduate enrollment: 349

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Courtesy of Bennington College

1. Bennington College
> Median earnings 10 yrs. after entry: $29,500
> Annual cost of attendance: $53,860
> Location: Bennington, VT
> Undergraduate enrollment: 775

Methodology

To identify the 50 top-ranked colleges and universities that pay off the least, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid that are working and not enrolled in school 10 years after matriculation from the U.S. Department of Education, last updated in May 2019. We ranked the schools based on the average earnings as a percent of annual tuition and fees. We only considered schools from U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 rankings of the best national universities and liberal arts colleges, with the exception of U.S. service academies and universities for which data was not available. Tuition and fees data is for the 2018-2019 school year and also came from U.S. News & World Report. For public institutions, in-state tuition is listed.

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