Best Colleges For High-Income Families
These colleges earn the highest College Investor grades for families who won't get need-based financial aid and pay the full sticker price. Public colleges are graded on their in-state price.
| Rank | College | Grade | Full Price | Median Earnings | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · Public | A | $26,949 a year | $81,094 | 91% |
| 2 | University of FloridaGainesville, FL · Public | A | $23,197 a year | $78,456 | 92% |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA · Public | A | $29,041 a year | $114,210 | 94% |
| 4 | Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT · Private Non-Profit | A | $21,235 a year | $80,228 | 81% |
| 5 | University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · Public | A | $29,816 a year | $89,228 | 88% |
| 6 | University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · Public | A | $33,524 a year | $83,105 | 85% |
| 7 | Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN · Public | A | $25,610 a year | $80,082 | 84% |
| 8 | University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · Public | A | $28,728 a year | $77,246 | 89% |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI · Public | A | $29,943 a year | $80,330 | 90% |
| 10 | Baruch CollegeNew York, NY · Public | A | $12,312 a year | $83,742 | 70% |
| 11 | Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL · Public | A | $25,144 a year | $68,225 | 86% |
| 12 | UC IrvineIrvine, CA · Public | A | $39,170 a year | $83,432 | 87% |
| 13 | Cal Poly San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA · Public | A | $36,515 a year | $96,304 | 87% |
| 14 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL · Public | A | $34,226 a year | $87,599 | 86% |
| 15 | UCLALos Angeles, CA · Public | A | $41,373 a year | $88,581 | 93% |
| 16 | University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA · Public | A | $41,803 a year | $96,468 | 94% |
| 17 | University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · Public | A | $36,613 a year | $92,832 | 93% |
| 18 | The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX · Public | A | $31,951 a year | $81,694 | 89% |
| 19 | North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, NC · Public | A | $27,073 a year | $77,810 | 85% |
| 20 | UC DavisDavis, CA · Public | A | $43,191 a year | $86,999 | 86% |
| 21 | Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX · Public | A | $32,796 a year | $78,159 | 85% |
| 22 | UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · Public | A | $41,664 a year | $96,197 | 86% |
| 23 | San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA · Public | A | $26,045 a year | $73,494 | 78% |
| 24 | UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · Public | A | $44,833 a year | $82,568 | 84% |
| 25 | San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA · Public | A | $28,920 a year | $83,493 | 68% |
| 26 | Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · Public | A | $30,939 a year | $89,136 | 82% |
| 27 | University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, WA · Public | A | $30,109 a year | $83,105 | 68% |
| 28 | UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · Public | A | $47,842 a year | $100,212 | 94% |
| 29 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, CA · Public | A | $22,633 a year | $77,464 | 68% |
| 30 | Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · Public | A | $35,250 a year | $79,064 | 88% |
| 31 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN · Public | A | $32,137 a year | $74,314 | 85% |
| 32 | The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX · Public | A | $29,648 a year | $74,762 | 79% |
| 33 | Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY · Public | A | $31,654 a year | $83,232 | 77% |
| 34 | William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · Public | A | $45,606 a year | $83,488 | 88% |
| 35 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, VA · Public | A | $39,324 a year | $88,716 | 86% |
| 36 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ · Public | A | $36,096 a year | $80,490 | 84% |
| 37 | Florida International UniversityMiami, FL · Public | A | $23,604 a year | $65,722 | 78% |
| 38 | George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA · Public | A | $26,910 a year | $79,923 | 66% |
| 39 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, WA · Public | A | $28,325 a year | $83,105 | 60% |
| 40 | Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC · Public | A | $34,464 a year | $82,609 | 79% |
| 41 | California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, CA · Public | A | $22,926 a year | $69,554 | 70% |
| 42 | James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA · Public | A | $33,276 a year | $75,482 | 80% |
| 43 | New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ · Public | A | $34,374 a year | $90,769 | 72% |
| 44 | Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · Public | B | $43,745 a year | $102,077 | 82% |
| 45 | California State University-FullertonFullerton, CA · Public | B | $17,787 a year | $69,015 | 68% |
| 46 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, IN · Public | B | $30,517 a year | $70,105 | 80% |
| 47 | Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · Public | B | $36,285 a year | $73,273 | 82% |
| 48 | The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ · Public | B | $38,657 a year | $79,651 | 85% |
| 49 | University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL · Public | B | $25,887 a year | $73,666 | 61% |
| 50 | University of South FloridaTampa, FL · Public | B | $22,086 a year | $63,660 | 78% |
Source: The College Investor.
More College Lists
Best Colleges For Low-Income FamiliesBest Colleges For Middle-Income FamiliesColleges Most Likely To Give Merit AidColleges Where Students Graduate With The Least DebtColleges With The Highest Graduate EarningsLow-Cost Colleges That Pay Off For Middle-Income FamiliesLargest Colleges With Poor Return On InvestmentHow We Grade Colleges