Money Magazine Ranks Best Colleges For The Value — Here They Are

Money magazine has named Princeton University the best college for your money based on quality of education, affordability and outcomes in its annual school rankings. Money ranked 727 of the best colleges and the usual suspects topped the list, with Princeton ranking first, Stanford University coming in fifth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranking sixth and the University of Pennsylvania ranking 14th.

The magazine pared down its rankings by only including institutions that had at least 500 students, had sufficient, reliable data that could be analyzed, and weren't strapped for cash. The colleges also had graduation rates that were at least the median for its institutional category — public, private or historically black college or university — or had a high “value-added” graduation rate.

Here are the best colleges for the money in America

1. Princeton University - Princeton, NJ
2. University of California-San Diego - La Jolla, CA
3. University of California-Irvine - Irvine, CA
4. University of California-Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA
5. Stanford University - Stanford, CA
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge, MA
7. University of California-Berkeley - Berkeley, CA
8. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College - New York, NY
9. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - Ann Arbor, MI
10. University of Virginia-Main Campus - Charlottesville, VA

Here’s the breakdown of the top five colleges:

Princeton University

• Overall rank: 1
• Median SAT/ACT score: 1500/34
• Estimated price 2018-19 without aid: $67,700
• Est. price 2018-19 with average grant: $19,000
• Percent with need who get grants: 100 percent
• Average student debt: $7,500
• Early career earnings: $69,800

University of California-San Diego

• Overall rank: 2
• Median SAT/ACT score: 1310/30
• Estimated price 2018-19 without aid: $32,900
• Est. price 2018-19 with average grant: $15,900
• Percent with need who get grants: 95 percent
• Average student debt: $18,500
• Early career earnings: $58,600

University of California-Irvine

• Overall rank: 3
• Median SAT/ACT score: 1200/27
• Estimated price 2018-19 without aid: $34,700
• Est. price 2018-19 with average grant: $14,800
• Percent with need who get grants: 96 percent
• Average student debt: $17,000
• Early career earnings: $54,900

University of California-Los Angeles

• Overall rank: 4
• Median SAT/ACT score: 1320/31
• Estimated price 2018-19 without aid: $34,700
• Est. price 2018-19 with average grant: $15,300
• Percent with need who get grants: 96 percent
• Average student debt: $16,300
• Early career earnings: $57,500

Stanford University

• Overall rank: 5
• Median SAT/ACT score: 1480/33
• Estimated price 2018-19 without aid: $70,800
• Est. price 2018-19 with average grant: $17,900
• Percent with need who get grants: 98 percent
• Average student debt: $12,500
• Early career earnings: $73,300

MONEY used research and expert advice on education quality, financing, and value to create its rankings. Princeton University in New Jersey ranked No. 1 overall with a median SAT/ACT score of 1500/34 and an estimated price without aid of $67,700. Money says every student at Princeton who needs a grant gets one, and the average recipient sees the estimated price fall to $19,000.

The average Princeton grad accrues just $7,500 in student debt — less than half that of the No. 2 school, University of California-San Diego — and sees early career earnings of nearly $70,000.

If you’re looking for early returns on your investment, you may want to try MIT or Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. MIT grads see early earnings of $81,500 and Harvey Mudd alumni are just a hair below at $81,000.

When it comes to graduating and not owing money, CUNY is the place to be, with six campuses falling in the top 10 for lowest average student debt. CUNY graduates in New York City, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens typically owe between $10,000 and $12,000. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College in New York City ranked 8th overall in Money’s rankings.

If you’re looking for the best public universities, California seems to be the place to be. The Golden State is home to the four top public colleges in the country — all campuses of the University of California — and 19 of the top 50. By comparison, no other state had more than five.

Money acknowledged that money isn’t everything when it comes to college, noting that what students actually learn remains somewhat of a mystery.

“The various assessments of college student learning are controversial, few colleges use them and very few of the ones that do release the results publicly,” the authors wrote.

The researchers said they couldn’t find “good data on basic indicators” for academic rigor, such as the number of pages of writing and reading required per assignment. The authors also highlighted that they didn’t adjust the earnings data to cost of living, so some colleges located in poorer areas or areas with low costs of living may be ranked too low.

Click here to see the full rankings.

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