Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

TBS Staff Writers
By
Updated on June 5, 2023
Ranking of accredited private colleges & universities with best return on investment (ROI), with high-value schools that offer a real deal in education.

Are you ready to discover your college program?

When most people think private college, the dollar signs start filling their heads. However, just because a college or university is private does not mean it can’t be an excellent higher education value. A private college that opens doors to a notable graduate school or to a renowned company may, in fact, provide a greater return for one’s education dollar. We’re here to make that research easier.

What follows is the undergraduate private colleges with the best ROI. As with the public colleges, the emphasis for return on investment is for student/family yearly incomes of $48,000 or less. Colleges listed here are private, nonprofit, and grant bachelor’s degrees.

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Accredited Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

#1 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Stanford University

  • Location-markerStanford, CA
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$52,857
  • Out-of-state$52,857
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$52,479
  • Out-of-state$52,479
  • Retention Rate99%
  • Acceptance Rate4%
  • Students Enrolled17,249
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment5%
  • AccreditationYes
#2 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Location-markerCambridge, MA
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$53,450
  • Out-of-state$53,450
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$53,450
  • Out-of-state$53,450
  • Retention Rate99%
  • Acceptance Rate7%
  • Students Enrolled11,520
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment0%
  • AccreditationYes
#3 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Princeton University

  • Location-markerPrinceton, NJ
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$51,870
  • Out-of-state$51,870
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$51,870
  • Out-of-state$51,870
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate6%
  • Students Enrolled8,419
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
  • AccreditationYes
#4 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Harvard University

  • Location-markerCambridge, MA
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$47,730
  • Out-of-state$47,730
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$48,008
  • Out-of-state$48,008
  • Retention Rate97%
  • Acceptance Rate5%
  • Students Enrolled31,655
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment18%
  • AccreditationYes
#5 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Brigham Young University

  • Location-markerProvo, UT
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$5,790
  • Out-of-state$5,790
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$7,290
  • Out-of-state$7,290
  • Retention Rate90%
  • Acceptance Rate67%
  • Students Enrolled34,318
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment12%
  • AccreditationYes
#6 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

University of Pennsylvania

  • Location-markerPhiladelphia, PA
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$51,156
  • Out-of-state$51,156
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$36,254
  • Out-of-state$36,254
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate8%
  • Students Enrolled26,675
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment6%
  • AccreditationYes
#7 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Rice University

  • Location-markerHouston, TX
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$48,330
  • Out-of-state$48,330
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$48,791
  • Out-of-state$48,791
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate9%
  • Students Enrolled7,282
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment5%
  • AccreditationYes
#8 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Brigham Young University-Idaho

  • Location-markerRexburg, ID
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$4,208
  • Out-of-state$4,208
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-StateN/A
  • Out-of-stateN/A
  • Retention Rate70%
  • Acceptance Rate96%
  • Students Enrolled39,145
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment70%
  • AccreditationYes
#9 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Yale University

  • Location-markerNew Haven, CT
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$55,500
  • Out-of-state$55,500
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$43,300
  • Out-of-state$43,300
  • Retention Rate99%
  • Acceptance Rate6%
  • Students Enrolled13,609
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment0%
  • AccreditationYes
#10 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Brown University

  • Location-markerProvidence, RI
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$57,112
  • Out-of-state$57,112
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$57,112
  • Out-of-state$57,112
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate7%
  • Students Enrolled10,333
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
  • AccreditationYes
#11 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Dartmouth College

  • Location-markerHanover, NH
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$55,605
  • Out-of-state$55,605
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$55,605
  • Out-of-state$55,605
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate8%
  • Students Enrolled6,606
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment2%
  • AccreditationYes
#12 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Vanderbilt University

  • Location-markerNashville, TN
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$50,800
  • Out-of-state$50,800
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$48,624
  • Out-of-state$48,624
  • Retention Rate97%
  • Acceptance Rate9%
  • Students Enrolled13,131
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment8%
  • AccreditationYes
#13 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Washington and Lee University

  • Location-markerLexington, VA
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$53,730
  • Out-of-state$53,730
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-StateN/A
  • Out-of-stateN/A
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate19%
  • Students Enrolled2,264
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
  • AccreditationYes
#14 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Cornell University

  • Location-markerIthaca, NY
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$56,550
  • Out-of-state$56,550
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$29,500
  • Out-of-state$29,500
  • Retention Rate97%
  • Acceptance Rate11%
  • Students Enrolled24,027
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment4%
  • AccreditationYes
#15 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Duke University

  • Location-markerDurham, NC
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$55,880
  • Out-of-state$55,880
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$55,680
  • Out-of-state$55,680
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate8%
  • Students Enrolled16,686
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment6%
  • AccreditationYes
#16 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Columbia University in the City of New York

  • Location-markerNew York, NY
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$57,763
  • Out-of-state$57,763
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$47,600
  • Out-of-state$47,600
  • Retention Rate99%
  • Acceptance Rate5%
  • Students Enrolled31,456
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment6%
  • AccreditationYes
#17 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

University of Chicago

  • Location-markerChicago, IL
  • 4 year
  • Campus
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$57,642
  • Out-of-state$57,642
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$60,300
  • Out-of-state$60,300
  • Retention Rate99%
  • Acceptance Rate6%
  • Students Enrolled17,452
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment0%
  • AccreditationYes
#18 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

University of Notre Dame

  • Location-markerNotre Dame, IN
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$55,046
  • Out-of-state$55,046
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$54,908
  • Out-of-state$54,908
  • Retention Rate98%
  • Acceptance Rate16%
  • Students Enrolled12,683
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment3%
  • AccreditationYes
#19 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Johns Hopkins University

  • Location-markerBaltimore, MD
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$55,350
  • Out-of-state$55,350
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$55,350
  • Out-of-state$55,350
  • Retention Rate97%
  • Acceptance Rate11%
  • Students Enrolled27,079
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment46%
  • AccreditationYes
#20 Private Colleges with the Best Return on Investment

Washington University in St. Louis

  • Location-markerSaint Louis, MO
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Average Undergrad Tuition
  • In-State$54,250
  • Out-of-state$54,250
Average Graduate Tuition
  • In-State$54,250
  • Out-of-state$54,250
  • Retention Rate97%
  • Acceptance Rate14%
  • Students Enrolled16,191
  • Institution TypePrivate
  • Percent Online Enrollment6%
  • AccreditationYes

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