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 1257 institutions with the data to compute it, Canada College (Redwood City, CA) leads, recouping its net cost in about 0 yrs.

#	Institution	Years to recoup	Net price / yr	Earnings premium
1	Canada CollegeCA	0 yrs	$32	$11,641
2	College of San MateoCA	0.1 yrs	$536	$15,726
3	CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNY	0.3 yrs	$3,033	$37,934
4	Skyline CollegeCA	0.4 yrs	$1,738	$17,256
5	United States Merchant Marine AcademyNY	0.5 yrs	$6,174	$52,573
6	CUNY Hunter CollegeNY	0.5 yrs	$2,984	$25,126
7	University of Florida-OnlineFL	0.5 yrs	$4,815	$37,815
8	CUNY City CollegeNY	0.5 yrs	$3,776	$28,002
9	CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNY	0.5 yrs	$3,103	$22,715
10	CUNY Lehman CollegeNY	0.6 yrs	$3,148	$19,976
11	St Petersburg CollegeFL	0.7 yrs	$1,471	$8,784
12	CUNY Queens CollegeNY	0.7 yrs	$4,195	$24,726
13	University of FloridaFL	0.7 yrs	$6,541	$37,815
14	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNY	0.7 yrs	$3,203	$18,158
15	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusGA	0.7 yrs	$12,116	$67,483
16	California State University-Los AngelesCA	0.8 yrs	$3,967	$20,765
17	Irvine Valley CollegeCA	0.8 yrs	$2,090	$10,710
18	California State University-San BernardinoCA	0.8 yrs	$4,564	$21,531
19	New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNM	0.9 yrs	$9,873	$43,923
20	CUNY York CollegeNY	0.9 yrs	$4,456	$18,908
21	California State University-StanislausCA	1 yrs	$6,067	$24,742
22	Macomb Community CollegeMI	1 yrs	$1,618	$6,544
23	University of California-BerkeleyCA	1 yrs	$13,481	$54,000
24	West Valley CollegeCA	1 yrs	$3,423	$13,242
25	California State University-FullertonCA	1.1 yrs	$6,555	$24,505
26	University of California-San DiegoCA	1.1 yrs	$12,470	$46,497
27	University of Michigan-Ann ArborMI	1.1 yrs	$13,138	$48,596
28	California State University-BakersfieldCA	1.1 yrs	$5,652	$20,563
29	California State University-East BayCA	1.1 yrs	$9,320	$32,955
30	University of Washington-Tacoma CampusWA	1.1 yrs	$10,163	$35,852
31	University of Arkansas GranthamAR	1.1 yrs	$8,370	$29,426
32	University of California-Los AngelesCA	1.1 yrs	$12,548	$44,065
33	Texas A & M International UniversityTX	1.2 yrs	$3,637	$12,633
34	Schoolcraft Community College DistrictMI	1.2 yrs	$2,260	$7,670
35	California State University-FresnoCA	1.2 yrs	$7,000	$22,798
36	University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNC	1.2 yrs	$11,655	$37,897
37	Chipola CollegeFL	1.3 yrs	$1,133	$3,605
38	Indiana University-KokomoIN	1.3 yrs	$3,968	$12,470
39	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA	1.3 yrs	$16,665	$52,322
40	Joliet Junior CollegeIL	1.3 yrs	$1,672	$5,183
41	Santiago Canyon CollegeCA	1.3 yrs	$2,129	$6,510
42	Michigan Technological UniversityMI	1.3 yrs	$14,182	$43,146
43	Middlesex CollegeNJ	1.3 yrs	$2,288	$6,948
44	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL	1.3 yrs	$14,355	$43,348
45	Saddleback CollegeCA	1.3 yrs	$4,152	$12,428
46	University of California-IrvineCA	1.3 yrs	$14,251	$42,289
47	San Jose State UniversityCA	1.4 yrs	$13,760	$40,542
48	California State University-NorthridgeCA	1.4 yrs	$7,021	$20,669
49	San Diego Miramar CollegeCA	1.4 yrs	$3,337	$9,778
50	University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusCT	1.4 yrs	$10,875	$31,773

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 with 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 (2022 ACS 5-year). Compiled by Ibex Insights. For informational planning only, not financial advice. See the methodology.