See the 2025 ‘Best Value Colleges’ in America: study

(NEXSTAR) – While high school seniors often dream about their ideal college, finding the best value school is equally important. Surprisingly, the latest "Best Value Colleges" ranking by Niche includes several Ivy League schools among the top 25.

Niche, an education data and review site, defined value through 15 different factors, many of which were measured post-graduation. Key factors included the average return on investment by age 30, economic mobility index, average net price, graduation rate, loan default rate, and median earnings one and six years after graduation.

For the second consecutive year, Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, claimed the top spot. With a student body of around 900 in 2024, the small private college is known for its low acceptance rate of approximately 13%. Graduates of Harvey Mudd earn a starting salary of over $72,000, according to Niche.

Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, secured second place. Larger and more competitive than Harvey Mudd, Stanford had over 7,700 students in 2024 and an acceptance rate of just 4%. Stanford alumni had an average starting salary of just over $70,000 last year.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) rounded out the top three, boasting the highest starting salary among the top institutions. MIT graduates earn an average starting salary of over $82,000. While academically prestigious, some students have expressed less enthusiasm for MIT's athletics programs.

Choosing a college is a significant decision, often complicated by hefty price tags that can exceed $95,000 at some private institutions this year, according to the Associated Press.

Here are the rest of the top schools for best value, according to Niche:

| University                                   | Metro Area               | State |

|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------|

| Harvey Mudd College                         | Los Angeles Area         | CA    |

| Stanford University                         | San Francisco Bay Area   | CA    |

| Massachusetts Institute of Technology        | Boston Area              | MA    |

| California Institute of Technology           | Los Angeles Area         | CA    |

| Yale University                              | New Haven Area           | CT    |

| Harvard University                           | Boston Area              | MA    |

| Claremont McKenna College                    | Los Angeles Area         | CA    |

| Pomona College                               | Los Angeles Area         | CA    |

| Princeton University                         | Princeton Area           | NJ    |

| University of Pennsylvania                   | Philadelphia Area        | PA    |

| Williams College                             | Williamstown Area        | MA    |

| Dartmouth College                            | Hanover Area             | NH    |

| Rice University                              | Houston Area             | TX    |

| Duke University                              | Raleigh Area             | NC    |

| Georgia Institute of Technology              | Atlanta Area             | GA    |

| CUNY Baruch College                          | New York City Area       | NY    |

| Carnegie Mellon University                    | Pittsburgh Area          | PA    |

| Columbia University                          | New York City Area       | NY    |

| Johns Hopkins University                     | Baltimore Area           | MD    |

| New Mexico Tech                              | Socorro Area             | NM    |

| Lehman College – City University of New York (CUNY) | New York City Area | NY    |

| Georgetown University                        | Washington, D.C. Area    | DC    |

| Amherst College                              | Springfield, MA Area     | MA    |

| California State University – Maritime Academy | San Francisco Bay Area  | CA    |

Niche’s data scientists utilized information from the U.S. Department of Education, the Census Bureau, and student surveys to compile the “Best Value Colleges” rankings. For more details on the methodology, visit Niche’s website.

Niche provides annual rankings on various education-related topics, from the best campuses to top party schools in America.

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