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Best Value Private Colleges

A degree earned at a private college or university usually carries a certain degree of prestige, but that prestige often comes at a price; private schools can have shockingly high tuitions. Read More

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ROI Type

20-Yr Net Annual %

Rank

School Name

20 Year Net ROI

Total 4 Year Cost

Graduation Rate

Typical Years to Graduate

Average Loan Amount

796

College of the Ozarks(Private)

($18,000)

$111,000

63%

4 Years

N/A

796	College of the Ozarks(Private)
	Annual ROI	-0.9%
	Annual ROI	-1.3%
	Annual ROI	2.2%
	Annual ROI	1.5%
	20 Year Net ROI	($18,000)
	20 Year Net ROI	($26,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	$32,700
	20 Year Net ROI	$23,800
	Total 4 Year Cost	$111,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$120,000
	Grad Rate	63%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	N/A
	Grant Money Received	100%

797 (tie)

Blackburn College(Private)

($18,100)

$108,000

39%

4 Years

$22,700

797 (tie)	Blackburn College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-0.9%
	Annual ROI	-0.1%
	Annual ROI	1.4%
	Annual ROI	2.7%
	20 Year Net ROI	($18,100)
	20 Year Net ROI	($2,400)
	20 Year Net ROI	$21,300
	20 Year Net ROI	$36,900
	Total 4 Year Cost	$108,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$92,500
	Grad Rate	39%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$22,700
	Grant Money Received	97%

797 (tie)

Philander Smith College(Private)

($18,100)

$101,000

39%

5 Years

$26,600

797 (tie)	Philander Smith College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.0%
	Annual ROI	-1.5%
	Annual ROI	2.2%
	Annual ROI	1.2%
	20 Year Net ROI	($18,100)
	20 Year Net ROI	($30,500)
	20 Year Net ROI	$29,800
	20 Year Net ROI	$17,300
	Total 4 Year Cost	$101,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$114,000
	Grad Rate	39%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$26,600
	Grant Money Received	99%

799

Newberry College(Private)

($19,800)

$161,000

41%

5 Years

$31,800

799	Newberry College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-0.7%
	Annual ROI	-0.7%
	Annual ROI	2.8%
	Annual ROI	2.8%
	20 Year Net ROI	($19,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	($20,000)
	20 Year Net ROI	$60,600
	20 Year Net ROI	$60,400
	Total 4 Year Cost	$161,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$161,000
	Grad Rate	41%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$31,800
	Grant Money Received	99%

800

Asbury University(Private)

($20,800)

$145,000

68%

4 Years

$41,100

800	Asbury University(Private)
	Annual ROI	-0.8%
	Annual ROI	-0.7%
	Annual ROI	1.7%
	Annual ROI	1.9%
	20 Year Net ROI	($20,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	($18,100)
	20 Year Net ROI	$36,200
	20 Year Net ROI	$39,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$145,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$142,000
	Grad Rate	68%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$41,100
	Grant Money Received	96%

801

Trinity Bible College(Private)

($22,400)

$102,000

39%

5 Years

$27,000

801	Trinity Bible College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.2%
	Annual ROI	-1.8%
	Annual ROI	1.0%
	Annual ROI	0.2%
	20 Year Net ROI	($22,400)
	20 Year Net ROI	($34,300)
	20 Year Net ROI	$14,700
	20 Year Net ROI	$2,700
	Total 4 Year Cost	$102,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$114,000
	Grad Rate	39%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$27,000
	Grant Money Received	88%

802

Agnes Scott College(Private)

($23,100)

$192,000

73%

4 Years

$28,300

802	Agnes Scott College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-0.6%
	Annual ROI	0.3%
	Annual ROI	3.3%
	Annual ROI	5.7%
	20 Year Net ROI	($23,100)
	20 Year Net ROI	$9,700
	20 Year Net ROI	$81,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$114,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$192,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$159,000
	Grad Rate	73%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$28,300
	Grant Money Received	100%

803

Briar Cliff University(Private)

($23,900)

$157,000

47%

4 Years

$31,100

803	Briar Cliff University(Private)
	Annual ROI	-0.8%
	Annual ROI	-0.8%
	Annual ROI	2.5%
	Annual ROI	2.5%
	20 Year Net ROI	($23,900)
	20 Year Net ROI	($24,400)
	20 Year Net ROI	$52,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$51,500
	Total 4 Year Cost	$157,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$157,000
	Grad Rate	47%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$31,100
	Grant Money Received	100%

804

Prescott College(Private)

($29,000)

$161,000

35%

5 Years

$30,800

804	Prescott College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.0%
	Annual ROI	-0.8%
	Annual ROI	1.3%
	Annual ROI	1.7%
	20 Year Net ROI	($29,000)
	20 Year Net ROI	($21,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	$30,600
	20 Year Net ROI	$37,800
	Total 4 Year Cost	$161,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$154,000
	Grad Rate	35%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$30,800
	Grant Money Received	90%

805

Missouri Valley College(Private)

($29,500)

$120,000

28%

5 Years

$26,400

805	Missouri Valley College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.4%
	Annual ROI	-1.4%
	Annual ROI	1.5%
	Annual ROI	1.5%
	20 Year Net ROI	($29,500)
	20 Year Net ROI	($29,200)
	20 Year Net ROI	$22,900
	20 Year Net ROI	$23,200
	Total 4 Year Cost	$120,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$119,000
	Grad Rate	28%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$26,400
	Grant Money Received	100%

806

Hannibal-LaGrange College(Private)

($30,900)

$120,000

35%

4 Years

$25,300

806	Hannibal-LaGrange College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.5%
	Annual ROI	-1.8%
	Annual ROI	0.9%
	Annual ROI	0.4%
	20 Year Net ROI	($30,900)
	20 Year Net ROI	($39,700)
	20 Year Net ROI	$15,200
	20 Year Net ROI	$6,300
	Total 4 Year Cost	$120,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$129,000
	Grad Rate	35%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$25,300
	Grant Money Received	86%

807

Concordia University - Ann Arbor, MI(Private)

($31,800)

$148,000

36%

5 Years

$30,800

807	Concordia University - Ann Arbor, MI(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.2%
	Annual ROI	N/A
	Annual ROI	1.4%
	Annual ROI	N/A
	20 Year Net ROI	($31,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	N/A
	20 Year Net ROI	$29,000
	20 Year Net ROI	N/A
	Total 4 Year Cost	$148,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	N/A
	Grad Rate	36%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$30,800
	Grant Money Received	100%

808

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College(Private)

($34,600)

$171,000

45%

4 Years

$25,600

808	Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.1%
	Annual ROI	-0.6%
	Annual ROI	3.8%
	Annual ROI	5.2%
	20 Year Net ROI	($34,600)
	20 Year Net ROI	($18,700)
	20 Year Net ROI	$71,100
	20 Year Net ROI	$87,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$171,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$155,000
	Grad Rate	45%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$25,600
	Grant Money Received	100%

809

Wesleyan College - Macon, GA(Private)

($35,200)

$130,000

48%

4 Years

$30,100

809	Wesleyan College - Macon, GA(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.6%
	Annual ROI	-1.8%
	Annual ROI	1.2%
	Annual ROI	0.7%
	20 Year Net ROI	($35,200)
	20 Year Net ROI	($42,100)
	20 Year Net ROI	$19,700
	20 Year Net ROI	$12,800
	Total 4 Year Cost	$130,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$137,000
	Grad Rate	48%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$30,100
	Grant Money Received	100%

810

Northland College - Ashland, WI(Private)

($36,800)

$167,000

46%

4 Years

$29,600

810	Northland College - Ashland, WI(Private)
	Annual ROI	-1.2%
	Annual ROI	-1.2%
	Annual ROI	2.5%
	Annual ROI	2.5%
	20 Year Net ROI	($36,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	($36,800)
	20 Year Net ROI	$50,900
	20 Year Net ROI	$50,900
	Total 4 Year Cost	$167,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$167,000
	Grad Rate	46%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$29,600
	Grant Money Received	99%

See Full List

*NOTE: Unranked schools on this list don’t have on-campus living options, so on-campus costs are not available.

That said, for certain students, the right private school can represent the best value in terms of college return on investment.

Students seek out private universities and colleges for a number of reasons. Such schools tend to have very close-knit communities, and class sizes tend to be far smaller than those at public institutes of higher learning. If you're considering enrolling at a privately funded university, consider using PayScale's data to identify which school will give you the best return on your investment.

The California Institute of Technology -- or "Caltech," as it's more commonly known -- is a privately funded university that was founded in 1891. Located in Pasadena, California, Caltech consists of six academic divisions and offers 24 majors, or "options," and six minors. Caltech has produced many accomplished alumni through the years, but Linus Pauling -- recipient of two Nobel Prize awards -- is probably the most notable. Furthermore, six alumni have received the Turing Award, which is considered the Nobel Prize of computer science.

One-third of all manned space flights have included graduates of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, so it's easy to see why it's among the best schools a person can select. Located in Cambridge, the private university almost always provides one of the best private school returns on investment you can find. Programs offered by its five schools and colleges span many fields, but the physical sciences and engineering are undoubtedly among the most popular. Since its founding in 1861, MIT has produced or been associated with more than 80 Nobel Laureates, 45 Rhodes Scholars, 52 National Medal of Science recipients and two Fields Medalists, so you would be hard-pressed to find a more prestigious engineering school offering this kind of value.

From its 38-acre campus in Claremont, California, Harvey Mudd College is another perennial high-ranker on our list. Founded in 1955, the highly regarded college hosts just 800 students per year. However, those who graduate go on to enjoy great earning potential. The school is a standout in many ways, but the fact that significant numbers of graduates go on to earn their PhDs is particularly noteworthy. Located about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, Harvey Mudd College offers four-year degrees in engineering, computer science, chemistry, mathematics and physics and counts many astronauts among its alumni.