Find value close to home
A better return.
State by state.
Start with your state. Each ranking compares colleges by the years it takes for graduate earnings above the high-school baseline to cover the net cost of a degree.
52 states and territories
No state found
Try the full name or its two-letter abbreviation.
- 54 colleges
Alabama
- Median payback
- 12.55 years
- Median net price / year
- $14,569
- 6 colleges
Alaska
- Median payback
- 51.75 years
- Median net price / year
- $17,726
- 63 colleges
Arizona
- Median payback
- 13.5 years
- Median net price / year
- $17,439
- 47 colleges
Arkansas
- Median payback
- 8 years
- Median net price / year
- $12,366
- 334 colleges
California
- Median payback
- 3.8499999999999996 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,905
- 50 colleges
Colorado
- Median payback
- 5.949999999999999 years
- Median net price / year
- $16,468
- 36 colleges
Connecticut
- Median payback
- 5.1 years
- Median net price / year
- $26,052
- 6 colleges
Delaware
- Median payback
- 8.4 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,197
- 9 colleges
District of Columbia
- Median payback
- 5.3 years
- Median net price / year
- $29,561
- 166 colleges
Florida
- Median payback
- 6.55 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,812
- 100 colleges
Georgia
- Median payback
- 13.4 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,675
- 13 colleges
Hawaii
- Median payback
- 11.1 years
- Median net price / year
- $10,327
- 14 colleges
Idaho
- Median payback
- 26.2 years
- Median net price / year
- $17,558
- 116 colleges
Illinois
- Median payback
- 7.35 years
- Median net price / year
- $13,750
- 56 colleges
Indiana
- Median payback
- 10.2 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,698
- 47 colleges
Iowa
- Median payback
- 13.9 years
- Median net price / year
- $18,589
- 57 colleges
Kansas
- Median payback
- 16.4 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,280
- 51 colleges
Kentucky
- Median payback
- 7.9 years
- Median net price / year
- $14,107
- 52 colleges
Louisiana
- Median payback
- 12.1 years
- Median net price / year
- $13,895
- 27 colleges
Maine
- Median payback
- 7.95 years
- Median net price / year
- $17,180
- 52 colleges
Maryland
- Median payback
- 5.8 years
- Median net price / year
- $17,578
- 85 colleges
Massachusetts
- Median payback
- 5.4 years
- Median net price / year
- $24,883
- 85 colleges
Michigan
- Median payback
- 7.95 years
- Median net price / year
- $14,301
- 68 colleges
Minnesota
- Median payback
- 7.25 years
- Median net price / year
- $16,821
- 32 colleges
Mississippi
- Median payback
- 20.2 years
- Median net price / year
- $9,015
- 71 colleges
Missouri
- Median payback
- 8.2 years
- Median net price / year
- $18,086
- 18 colleges
Montana
- Median payback
- 14.7 years
- Median net price / year
- $13,813
- 27 colleges
Nebraska
- Median payback
- 9.7 years
- Median net price / year
- $17,550
- 22 colleges
Nevada
- Median payback
- 5.2 years
- Median net price / year
- $21,891
- 20 colleges
New Hampshire
- Median payback
- 9.3 years
- Median net price / year
- $18,614
- 78 colleges
New Jersey
- Median payback
- 6.35 years
- Median net price / year
- $20,418
- 32 colleges
New Mexico
- Median payback
- 1.2 years
- Median net price / year
- $7,323
- 203 colleges
New York
- Median payback
- 5.3 years
- Median net price / year
- $18,913
- 115 colleges
North Carolina
- Median payback
- 10.600000000000001 years
- Median net price / year
- $10,846
- 17 colleges
North Dakota
- Median payback
- 10 years
- Median net price / year
- $11,456
- 144 colleges
Ohio
- Median payback
- 9.6 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,783
- 53 colleges
Oklahoma
- Median payback
- 13.95 years
- Median net price / year
- $12,710
- 38 colleges
Oregon
- Median payback
- 10.75 years
- Median net price / year
- $16,940
- 169 colleges
Pennsylvania
- Median payback
- 6.55 years
- Median net price / year
- $21,741
- 71 colleges
Puerto Rico
- Median payback
- 113.5 years
- Median net price / year
- $7,765
- 14 colleges
Rhode Island
- Median payback
- 5.5 years
- Median net price / year
- $29,303
- 60 colleges
South Carolina
- Median payback
- 6.3 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,995
- 17 colleges
South Dakota
- Median payback
- 12.850000000000001 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,735
- 91 colleges
Tennessee
- Median payback
- 15.65 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,269
- 213 colleges
Texas
- Median payback
- 9.8 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,359
- 24 colleges
Utah
- Median payback
- 4.1 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,802
- 9 colleges
Vermont
- Median payback
- 6.65 years
- Median net price / year
- $25,239
- 81 colleges
Virginia
- Median payback
- 8.25 years
- Median net price / year
- $19,066
- 64 colleges
Washington
- Median payback
- 6.5 years
- Median net price / year
- $12,027
- 30 colleges
West Virginia
- Median payback
- 8.6 years
- Median net price / year
- $10,730
- 53 colleges
Wisconsin
- Median payback
- 11.05 years
- Median net price / year
- $15,193
- 9 colleges
Wyoming
- Median payback
- 43.85 years
- Median net price / year
- $9,346
State medians describe the colleges in our dataset, not individual student outcomes. Rankings on each state page use college-level payback. See the full methodology →