GeraMarket / US College ROI
US College ROI by Institution
Real June 2026 College Scorecard data for 300 US colleges and universities. Cohort median 10-yr earnings: $54,940. Median debt: $18,095. Median net price: $13,461/yr. Includes the Gera Education ROI Index (GEROI) — normalised 0–100 per institution on financial return.
Which US colleges have the best return on investment?
As of June 2026, across the 300 largest US colleges and universities, the median 10-year earnings are $54,940, the median cumulative debt at graduation is $18,095, and the median net annual cost is $13,461, per the US Department of Education College Scorecard (public domain). The Gera Education ROI Index (GEROI) ranks each institution 0–100 on financial value: (10-yr earnings − debt) ÷ net price, normalised.
Source:US Department of Education — College Scorecard (Most Recent Institution Data)·as of June 2026updated annual (last: )
Gera Education ROI IndexCohort median $54,940 / 10yr300 US institutions · June 2026 · College Scorecard (public domain)How this index is calculated
Reference period: June 2026· US Dept of Education — College Scorecard · Public domain · United States
Top 10 institutions by GEROI (June 2026)
| Institution | State | GEROI | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Sequoias | CA | 100.0 / 100 | $39,092 | $480/yr |
| Macomb Community College | MI | 30.4 / 100 | $41,596 | $1,618/yr |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | 29.4 / 100 | $75,971 | $3,033/yr |
| St Petersburg College | FL | 24.1 / 100 | $42,557 | $1,471/yr |
| CUNY Hunter College | NY | 24.1 / 100 | $63,163 | $2,984/yr |
| San Joaquin Delta College | CA | 20.4 / 100 | $43,212 | $2,407/yr |
| CUNY City College | NY | 19.7 / 100 | $66,039 | $3,776/yr |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | 19.4 / 100 | $56,195 | $3,203/yr |
| Cerritos College | CA | 18.6 / 100 | $41,156 | $2,424/yr |
| Santa Monica College | CA | 17.7 / 100 | $42,193 | $2,779/yr |
Largest US colleges by enrollment (with GEROI)
| Institution | State | Enrollment | GEROI | 10-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 | 0.9/100 | $50,318 |
| Western Governors University | UT | 155,088 | 5.3/100 | $60,615 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 | 0.5/100 | $37,752 |
| Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 | 1.1/100 | $42,186 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 | 3.8/100 | $62,668 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 | 3.4/100 | $72,097 |
| University of Central Florida | FL | 59,146 | 5.2/100 | $58,308 |
| Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 | 4.9/100 | $37,186 |
| Liberty University | VA | 50,012 | 0.8/100 | $44,813 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | 49,664 | 2.6/100 | $65,287 |
Find the best-value college for your situation
Filter by state, minimum GEROI score, and maximum net price to find institutions that match your criteria — ranked by financial return.
Higher = better ROI
| # | Institution | GEROI | 10-yr earnings | Median debt | Net price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | College of the SequoiasVisalia, CA | 100.0/100 | $39,092 | $4,500 | $480/yr | View |
| #2 | Macomb Community CollegeWarren, MI | 30.4/100 | $41,596 | $6,000 | $1,618/yr | View |
| #3 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNew York, NY | 29.4/100 | $75,971 | $11,512 | $3,033/yr | View |
| #4 | St Petersburg CollegeSt. Petersburg, FL | 24.1/100 | $42,557 | $16,868 | $1,471/yr | View |
| #5 | CUNY Hunter CollegeNew York, NY | 24.1/100 | $63,163 | $11,000 | $2,984/yr | View |
| #6 | San Joaquin Delta CollegeStockton, CA | 20.4/100 | $43,212 | $7,500 | $2,407/yr | View |
| #7 | CUNY City CollegeNew York, NY | 19.7/100 | $66,039 | $11,990 | $3,776/yr | View |
| #8 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY | 19.4/100 | $56,195 | $11,000 | $3,203/yr | View |
| #9 | Cerritos CollegeNorwalk, CA | 18.6/100 | $41,156 | $8,447 | $2,424/yr | View |
| #10 | Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica, CA | 17.7/100 | $42,193 | $6,450 | $2,779/yr | View |
| #11 | CUNY Queens CollegeQueens, NY | 17.2/100 | $62,763 | $10,298 | $4,195/yr | View |
| #12 | San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA | 17.1/100 | $48,224 | $6,750 | $3,337/yr | View |
| #13 | Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA | 16.1/100 | $43,552 | $6,871 | $3,133/yr | View |
| #14 | California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 16.0/100 | $59,211 | $13,000 | $3,967/yr | View |
| #15 | College of the CanyonsSanta Clarita, CA | 14.6/100 | $49,022 | $9,612 | $3,702/yr | View |
| #16 | Dallas CollegeDallas, TX | 13.7/100 | $41,714 | $9,500 | $3,214/yr | View |
| #17 | Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, CA | 13.7/100 | $50,874 | $9,500 | $4,152/yr | View |
| #18 | California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA | 13.6/100 | $59,977 | $14,715 | $4,564/yr | View |
| #19 | Pasadena City CollegePasadena, CA | 13.2/100 | $43,937 | $6,651 | $3,864/yr | View |
| #20 | Pima Community CollegeTucson, AZ | 13.2/100 | $39,810 | $7,000 | $3,405/yr | View |
| #21 | Central Piedmont Community CollegeCharlotte, NC | 12.3/100 | $37,865 | $7,925 | $3,345/yr | View |
| #22 | El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, TX | 12.2/100 | $35,212 | $6,566 | $3,206/yr | View |
| #23 | University of FloridaGainesville, FL | 11.8/100 | $71,588 | $15,000 | $6,541/yr | View |
| #24 | Hillsborough CollegeTampa, FL | 11.0/100 | $40,782 | $9,762 | $3,861/yr | View |
| #25 | Indian River State CollegeFort Pierce, FL | 10.9/100 | $38,315 | $8,023 | $3,815/yr | View |
Showing top 25 of 300 matching institutions. Source: US Dept of Education — College Scorecard (June 2026).
GEROI (Gera Education ROI Index) = normalised score 0–100 based on (median 10-yr earnings − median debt) ÷ annual net price. Data: College Scorecard June 2026, public domain, no key required.
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All 300 institutions — browse by state
AL — 4 institutions
AR — 1 institution
AZ — 10 institutions
Pima Community College13.2/100Rio Salado College5.1/100Glendale Community College4.1/100Mesa Community College4.0/100Arizona State University Campus Immersion3.8/100Northern Arizona University3.3/100University of Arizona3.2/100Grand Canyon University1.1/100University of Phoenix-Arizona0.5/100The University of Arizona Global Campus0.0/100
CA — 60 institutions
College of the Sequoias100.0/100San Joaquin Delta College20.4/100Cerritos College18.6/100Santa Monica College17.7/100San Diego Miramar College17.1/100Santa Ana College16.1/100California State University-Los Angeles16.0/100College of the Canyons14.6/100Saddleback College13.7/100California State University-San Bernardino13.6/100Pasadena City College13.2/100De Anza College10.5/100California State University-Fullerton10.2/100Cypress College9.9/100San Diego Mesa College9.5/100California State University-Fresno9.1/100California State University-Northridge8.8/100Fullerton College8.6/100Mt San Antonio College8.5/100Antelope Valley Community College District8.5/100Foothill College8.3/100Santa Rosa Junior College8.1/100Grossmont College8.1/100University of California-Berkeley8.0/100University of California-San Diego7.6/100University of California-Los Angeles7.4/100City College of San Francisco7.4/100California State University-Sacramento7.2/100Cosumnes River College7.2/100Orange Coast College7.1/100California State University-Dominguez Hills6.8/100Diablo Valley College6.7/100California State Polytechnic University-Pomona6.6/100California State University-Long Beach6.5/100Sacramento City College6.5/100Sierra College6.5/100San Jose State University6.3/100University of California-Davis6.2/100University of California-Irvine6.2/100Long Beach City College6.2/100California State University-San Marcos6.0/100California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo5.8/100San Francisco State University5.8/100Chabot College5.7/100Fresno City College5.6/100Riverside City College5.3/100American River College5.1/100University of California-Santa Barbara5.1/100University of California-Riverside4.7/100California State University-Chico4.4/100San Diego State University4.3/100East Los Angeles College3.9/100University of California-Santa Cruz3.8/100Southwestern College3.7/100Rio Hondo College3.6/100Los Angeles Valley College3.5/100Los Angeles Pierce College3.1/100University of Southern California3.0/100Los Angeles City College3.0/100Bakersfield College2.6/100
CO — 5 institutions
CT — 3 institutions
DC — 1 institution
FL — 23 institutions
St Petersburg College24.1/100University of Florida11.8/100Hillsborough College11.0/100Indian River State College10.9/100Florida State College at Jacksonville9.5/100Miami Dade College7.8/100Florida SouthWestern State College6.6/100Florida International University6.4/100Florida Atlantic University6.1/100University of South Florida5.4/100University of North Florida5.4/100University of Central Florida5.2/100Florida State University5.2/100Tallahassee State College5.2/100Palm Beach State College5.1/100Seminole State College of Florida4.6/100Florida Gulf Coast University3.9/100Santa Fe College3.6/100Valencia College3.4/100Broward College3.1/100University of Miami2.0/100Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale0.4/100Full Sail University0.2/100
GA — 9 institutions
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus9.1/100University of Georgia4.8/100University of North Georgia4.4/100Georgia State University-Perimeter College3.0/100Kennesaw State University2.9/100Georgia Southern University2.5/100Georgia Gwinnett College2.2/100Georgia State University2.1/100Savannah College of Art and Design0.4/100
HI — 1 institution
IA — 2 institutions
ID — 2 institutions
IL — 9 institutions
College of DuPage6.7/100University of Illinois Chicago6.4/100University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign5.8/100Northern Illinois University3.5/100Chamberlain University-Illinois2.9/100Illinois State University2.8/100DePaul University1.9/100Loyola University Chicago1.6/100DeVry University-Illinois0.8/100
IN — 6 institutions
KS — 3 institutions
KY — 4 institutions
LA — 3 institutions
MA — 5 institutions
MD — 5 institutions
MI — 8 institutions
MN — 3 institutions
MO — 3 institutions
MS — 2 institutions
MT — 1 institution
NC — 10 institutions
Central Piedmont Community College12.3/100University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill6.8/100Wake Technical Community College4.5/100North Carolina State University at Raleigh3.7/100University of North Carolina at Charlotte3.0/100University of North Carolina at Greensboro3.0/100East Carolina University2.7/100Appalachian State University2.4/100University of North Carolina Wilmington2.3/100North Carolina A & T State University2.1/100
NE — 2 institutions
NH — 2 institutions
NJ — 4 institutions
NM — 3 institutions
NV — 3 institutions
NY — 17 institutions
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College29.4/100CUNY Hunter College24.1/100CUNY City College19.7/100CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice19.4/100CUNY Queens College17.2/100Suffolk County Community College10.8/100CUNY New York City College of Technology10.3/100CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College9.5/100CUNY LaGuardia Community College7.6/100Cornell University4.2/100Stony Brook University4.0/100Binghamton University3.8/100University at Albany3.7/100University at Buffalo3.2/100New York University2.1/100Rochester Institute of Technology1.8/100Syracuse University1.7/100
OH — 9 institutions
Cuyahoga Community College District8.8/100Sinclair Community College5.7/100Columbus State Community College4.9/100Ohio State University-Main Campus3.1/100Ohio University-Main Campus1.8/100University of Cincinnati-Main Campus1.6/100Miami University-Oxford1.4/100Kent State University at Kent1.2/100Bowling Green State University-Main Campus1.1/100
OK — 3 institutions
OR — 4 institutions
PA — 6 institutions
PR — 1 institution
RI — 2 institutions
SC — 2 institutions
TN — 3 institutions
TX — 28 institutions
Dallas College13.7/100El Paso Community College12.2/100Tarrant County College District10.6/100The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley10.4/100Northwest Vista College10.0/100St Philip's College9.2/100San Antonio College8.7/100Austin Community College District6.9/100Collin County Community College District6.2/100Houston City College6.0/100The University of Texas at El Paso4.7/100The University of Texas at San Antonio4.5/100The University of Texas at Arlington4.4/100University of Houston-Downtown4.4/100Blinn College District4.3/100University of Houston4.1/100Lone Star College System4.0/100San Jacinto Community College3.7/100The University of Texas at Austin3.6/100The University of Texas at Dallas3.6/100Texas A&M University-College Station3.4/100University of North Texas3.2/100Texas State University2.8/100Texas Tech University2.8/100Sam Houston State University2.5/100Tarleton State University2.1/100Texas Christian University1.6/100Baylor University1.3/100
UT — 7 institutions
VA — 10 institutions
Northern Virginia Community College5.8/100University of Virginia-Main Campus4.3/100George Mason University4.2/100Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University3.2/100Tidewater Community College3.2/100James Madison University2.8/100Old Dominion University2.8/100Virginia Commonwealth University2.0/100ECPI University1.2/100Liberty University0.8/100
VT — 1 institution
WA — 3 institutions
WI — 3 institutions
WV — 2 institutions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Gera Education ROI Index (GEROI)?
- GEROI is a Gera-computed index that ranks US colleges and universities on financial return per dollar spent. Formula: (median earnings 10 years after entry − median debt at graduation) ÷ annual net price, normalised 0–100. Data source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (June 2026, public domain, no key required). A higher GEROI means more financial return per dollar of net tuition.
- What is the average US college net price in 2026?
- Among the 300 largest US colleges and universities, the median annual net price in June 2026 is $13,461, per the US Department of Education College Scorecard. Net price is the average cost actually paid after grants and scholarships — not the published "sticker price."
- What are median US college earnings 10 years after starting?
- The cohort median earnings 10 years after entering college, across the 300 largest US institutions, is $54,940 in June 2026, per the College Scorecard (MD_EARN_WNE_P10 — working students only, not including those still in school). Individual institution figures vary widely by field of study, selectivity, and location.
- What is the median student debt for US college graduates in 2026?
- The cohort median cumulative debt at graduation across the 300 largest US institutions is $18,095 in June 2026, per the US Department of Education College Scorecard (GRAD_DEBT_MDN). This is the median debt for borrowers who completed their program — non-borrowers and non-completers are not included.
- Is the College Scorecard data free to use?
- Yes. The College Scorecard is published by the US Department of Education and, as a work of the US Federal Government, is in the public domain. The bulk CSV is freely downloadable from https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/ with no API key, registration, or licence fee. Gera fetches and processes this data to compute the GEROI index.
- How often is the College Scorecard updated?
- The College Scorecard releases updated institution-level data approximately annually. The current GEROI computation uses the June 2026 release (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution_06102026.zip). Gera re-computes GEROI on each new release.
Contains public sector information published by US Department of Education and licensed under the US Federal Government Open Data (public domain). Source: US Department of Education — College Scorecard (Most Recent Institution Data) (June 2026, published 10 June 2026).
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