Best value among public universities, by years to recoup cost

These 50 public universities return the cost of attendance fastest: years to recoup the four-year net price from the annual earnings premium a graduate earns over a typical high-school graduate in the same state. Of 526 institutions with the data to compute it, CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (New York, NY) leads, recouping its net cost in about 0.3 yrs.

#	Institution	Years to recoup	Net price / yr	Earnings premium
1	CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNY	0.3 yrs	$3,033	$35,422
2	United States Merchant Marine AcademyNY	0.5 yrs	$6,174	$50,061
3	CUNY Hunter CollegeNY	0.5 yrs	$2,984	$22,614
4	University of Florida-OnlineFL	0.6 yrs	$4,815	$34,995
5	CUNY City CollegeNY	0.6 yrs	$3,776	$25,490
6	CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNY	0.6 yrs	$3,103	$20,203
7	CUNY Lehman CollegeNY	0.7 yrs	$3,148	$17,464
8	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusGA	0.7 yrs	$12,116	$64,931
9	University of FloridaFL	0.7 yrs	$6,541	$34,995
10	CUNY Queens CollegeNY	0.8 yrs	$4,195	$22,214
11	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNY	0.8 yrs	$3,203	$15,646
12	California State University-Los AngelesCA	0.9 yrs	$3,967	$17,829
13	New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNM	1 yr	$9,873	$41,164
14	California State University-San BernardinoCA	1 yr	$4,564	$18,595
15	University of California-BerkeleyCA	1.1 yrs	$13,481	$51,064
16	CUNY York CollegeNY	1.1 yrs	$4,456	$16,396
17	California State University-StanislausCA	1.1 yrs	$6,067	$21,806
18	University of California-San DiegoCA	1.1 yrs	$12,470	$43,561
19	University of Michigan-Ann ArborMI	1.1 yrs	$13,138	$45,871
20	California State University-FullertonCA	1.2 yrs	$6,555	$21,569
21	University of California-Los AngelesCA	1.2 yrs	$12,548	$41,129
22	California State University-East BayCA	1.2 yrs	$9,320	$30,019
23	University of Arkansas GranthamAR	1.3 yrs	$8,370	$26,616
24	University of Washington-Tacoma CampusWA	1.3 yrs	$10,163	$31,916
25	California State University-BakersfieldCA	1.3 yrs	$5,652	$17,627
26	University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNC	1.3 yrs	$11,655	$34,854
27	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA	1.3 yrs	$16,665	$49,386
28	Texas A & M International UniversityTX	1.4 yrs	$3,637	$10,430
29	Michigan Technological UniversityMI	1.4 yrs	$14,182	$40,421
30	California State University-FresnoCA	1.4 yrs	$7,000	$19,862
31	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL	1.4 yrs	$14,355	$40,089
32	University of California-IrvineCA	1.4 yrs	$14,251	$39,353
33	San Jose State UniversityCA	1.5 yrs	$13,760	$37,606
34	Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMO	1.5 yrs	$16,298	$44,350
35	University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusCT	1.5 yrs	$10,875	$29,271
36	Farmingdale State CollegeNY	1.5 yrs	$10,867	$29,232
37	University of California-DavisCA	1.5 yrs	$14,741	$39,456
38	California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCA	1.5 yrs	$11,531	$30,520
39	Cal Poly Maritime AcademyCA	1.5 yrs	$20,555	$53,402
40	University of Washington-Bothell CampusWA	1.5 yrs	$12,319	$31,916
41	Florida International UniversityFL	1.6 yrs	$9,288	$23,656
42	University of Illinois ChicagoIL	1.6 yrs	$10,974	$27,775
43	California State University-NorthridgeCA	1.6 yrs	$7,021	$17,733
44	California State University-SacramentoCA	1.6 yrs	$9,338	$23,494
45	New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNJ	1.6 yrs	$16,504	$41,503
46	SUNY Maritime CollegeNY	1.6 yrs	$22,367	$55,402
47	The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyTX	1.7 yrs	$4,831	$11,664
48	University of Maryland-College ParkMD	1.7 yrs	$15,678	$37,747
49	Indiana University-KokomoIN	1.7 yrs	$3,968	$9,506
50	College of Staten Island CUNYNY	1.7 yrs	$5,579	$12,952

Payback years = (average annual net price x 4) divided by (median earnings 10 years after entry minus the state median earnings of a high-school graduate, U.S. Census Bureau ACS). It is a transparent value signal, not an Ibex endorsement, a guarantee of any individual outcome, or a quality rating. Earnings reflect all students who entered, not only graduates, and net price is the average across income, so an individual’s figures will differ. Schools whose graduates do not out-earn a state high-school graduate, or that do not report net price or earnings, are excluded. Limited to institutions that mainly award bachelor’s or graduate degrees (four years of cost would overstate a certificate or associate program) and enroll at least 400 undergraduates. Per-school detail and peers appear on each institution’s profile.

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Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (2024-25); state earnings baselines from the U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2020-24). Compiled by Ibex Insights. For informational planning only, not financial advice. See the methodology.