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● BREAKING
BREAKING: Plumbers now out-earn most college graduatesStudent loan debt hits $1.77 TRILLION and climbing $2,800 every secondGen Z chooses trades over tuition at record ratesHarvard grad can't find work — electrician booked 6 months out53% of recent college graduates are underemployedAverage student debt: $37,574 per borrowerElectricians in NYC average $115,000/year with NO degreeStudent loan forgiveness blocked — 44 million still oweHVAC techs earning more than nurses in 16 statesCommunity college + AWS cert = $85k/year. Prove us wrong.The college premium is shrinking. The debt is not.Welders in Texas making $95/hour. Shortage critical.BREAKING: Plumbers now out-earn most college graduatesStudent loan debt hits $1.77 TRILLION and climbing $2,800 every secondGen Z chooses trades over tuition at record ratesHarvard grad can't find work — electrician booked 6 months out53% of recent college graduates are underemployedAverage student debt: $37,574 per borrowerElectricians in NYC average $115,000/year with NO degreeStudent loan forgiveness blocked — 44 million still oweHVAC techs earning more than nurses in 16 statesCommunity college + AWS cert = $85k/year. Prove us wrong.The college premium is shrinking. The debt is not.Welders in Texas making $95/hour. Shortage critical.

Government Data · No Spin

Is Your College a Debt Trap?

82 schools ranked by real cost, average debt at graduation, and median earnings 10 years out.

Great ValueDebt paid off in <5 months of earnings
Questionable5–10 months of earnings to pay off debt
Debt Trap10+ months of earnings just to break even
Sort:

82 schools

#1
MITPrivateGreat Value
Cambridge, MA
Cost/yr
$57,986
Avg Debt
$17,100
10yr Earn
$116,100
#2
Stanford UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Stanford, CA
Cost/yr
$56,169
Avg Debt
$15,200
10yr Earn
$91,000
#3
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/yr
$57,119
Avg Debt
$31,200
10yr Earn
$89,200
#4
Harvard UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Cambridge, MA
Cost/yr
$57,261
Avg Debt
$17,500
10yr Earn
$87,200
#5
Georgia TechPublicGreat Value
Atlanta, GA
Cost/yr
$12,682
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$82,400
#6
University of PennsylvaniaPrivateGreat Value
Philadelphia, PA
Cost/yr
$57,770
Avg Debt
$22,000
10yr Earn
$80,300
#7
Yale UniversityPrivateGreat Value
New Haven, CT
Cost/yr
$59,950
Avg Debt
$17,300
10yr Earn
$77,400
#8
Princeton UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Princeton, NJ
Cost/yr
$57,410
Avg Debt
$10,800
10yr Earn
$76,200
#9
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstitutePrivateQuestionable
Troy, NY
Cost/yr
$58,694
Avg Debt
$34,200
10yr Earn
$76,100
#10
Rice UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Houston, TX
Cost/yr
$49,996
Avg Debt
$18,200
10yr Earn
$74,300
#11
Cornell UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Ithaca, NY
Cost/yr
$59,316
Avg Debt
$28,200
10yr Earn
$74,000
#12
Duke UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Durham, NC
Cost/yr
$60,244
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$73,200
#13
Notre Dame UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Notre Dame, IN
Cost/yr
$57,699
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$72,400
#14
Northeastern UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Boston, MA
Cost/yr
$57,592
Avg Debt
$30,100
10yr Earn
$72,400
#15
Dartmouth CollegePrivateGreat Value
Hanover, NH
Cost/yr
$58,336
Avg Debt
$20,100
10yr Earn
$72,100
#16
Northwestern UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Evanston, IL
Cost/yr
$60,768
Avg Debt
$23,400
10yr Earn
$72,100
#17
Georgetown UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Washington, DC
Cost/yr
$57,590
Avg Debt
$27,200
10yr Earn
$72,100
#18
UC BerkeleyPublicGreat Value
Berkeley, CA
Cost/yr
$14,312
Avg Debt
$18,200
10yr Earn
$72,100
#19
Columbia UniversityPrivateGreat Value
New York, NY
Cost/yr
$63,530
Avg Debt
$25,100
10yr Earn
$71,400
#20
Washington Univ in St. LouisPrivateGreat Value
St. Louis, MO
Cost/yr
$56,310
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$70,100
#21
Vanderbilt UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Nashville, TN
Cost/yr
$56,826
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$68,400
#22
Lehigh UniversityPrivateQuestionable
Bethlehem, PA
Cost/yr
$54,640
Avg Debt
$32,100
10yr Earn
$68,200
#23
Brown UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Providence, RI
Cost/yr
$60,696
Avg Debt
$23,400
10yr Earn
$67,200
#24
University of MichiganPublicGreat Value
Ann Arbor, MI
Cost/yr
$15,948
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$66,200
#25
Tufts UniversityPrivateQuestionable
Medford, MA
Cost/yr
$59,574
Avg Debt
$27,300
10yr Earn
$65,400
#26
UCLAPublicGreat Value
Los Angeles, CA
Cost/yr
$13,240
Avg Debt
$19,100
10yr Earn
$65,300
#27
Emory UniversityPrivateGreat Value
Atlanta, GA
Cost/yr
$55,786
Avg Debt
$27,100
10yr Earn
$65,200
#28
Virginia TechPublicGreat Value
Blacksburg, VA
Cost/yr
$13,620
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$64,200
#29
UC San DiegoPublicGreat Value
La Jolla, CA
Cost/yr
$14,312
Avg Debt
$19,200
10yr Earn
$64,100
#30
University of Illinois UrbanaPublicGreat Value
Champaign, IL
Cost/yr
$15,868
Avg Debt
$26,200
10yr Earn
$64,100
#31
University of VirginiaPublicGreat Value
Charlottesville, VA
Cost/yr
$17,400
Avg Debt
$22,400
10yr Earn
$63,200
#32
University of WashingtonPublicGreat Value
Seattle, WA
Cost/yr
$11,465
Avg Debt
$21,100
10yr Earn
$63,200
#33
Wake Forest UniversityPrivateQuestionable
Winston-Salem, NC
Cost/yr
$58,700
Avg Debt
$27,400
10yr Earn
$63,100
#34
University of Southern CaliforniaPrivateQuestionable
Los Angeles, CA
Cost/yr
$62,484
Avg Debt
$27,200
10yr Earn
$62,400
#35
University of MarylandPublicGreat Value
College Park, MD
Cost/yr
$10,399
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$61,200
#36
Purdue UniversityPublicQuestionable
West Lafayette, IN
Cost/yr
$9,208
Avg Debt
$25,100
10yr Earn
$60,200
#37
Boston UniversityPrivateQuestionable
Boston, MA
Cost/yr
$58,560
Avg Debt
$38,100
10yr Earn
$58,200
#38
UC Santa BarbaraPublicGreat Value
Santa Barbara, CA
Cost/yr
$14,312
Avg Debt
$20,100
10yr Earn
$57,300
#39
Rutgers UniversityPublicQuestionable
New Brunswick, NJ
Cost/yr
$14,100
Avg Debt
$28,100
10yr Earn
$57,200
#40
NC State UniversityPublicGreat Value
Raleigh, NC
Cost/yr
$9,100
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$57,200
#41
Clemson UniversityPublicQuestionable
Clemson, SC
Cost/yr
$14,708
Avg Debt
$25,100
10yr Earn
$57,200
#42
University of PittsburghPublicQuestionable
Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/yr
$19,080
Avg Debt
$31,100
10yr Earn
$57,200
#43
Stony Brook UniversityPublicGreat Value
Stony Brook, NY
Cost/yr
$10,391
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$57,200
#44
New York UniversityPrivateQuestionable
New York, NY
Cost/yr
$56,500
Avg Debt
$47,300
10yr Earn
$57,100
#45
UC DavisPublicGreat Value
Davis, CA
Cost/yr
$14,312
Avg Debt
$21,200
10yr Earn
$57,100
#46
Tulane UniversityPrivateQuestionable
New Orleans, LA
Cost/yr
$58,610
Avg Debt
$33,200
10yr Earn
$56,100
#47
UNC Chapel HillPublicGreat Value
Chapel Hill, NC
Cost/yr
$9,018
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$56,100
#48
University of Texas at AustinPublicGreat Value
Austin, TX
Cost/yr
$11,188
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$56,100
#49
University of Wisconsin-MadisonPublicQuestionable
Madison, WI
Cost/yr
$10,728
Avg Debt
$25,100
10yr Earn
$55,200
#50
Penn State UniversityPublicQuestionable
University Park, PA
Cost/yr
$18,454
Avg Debt
$32,100
10yr Earn
$55,200
#51
University of MinnesotaPublicQuestionable
Minneapolis, MN
Cost/yr
$14,197
Avg Debt
$26,100
10yr Earn
$55,200
#52
Ohio State UniversityPublicQuestionable
Columbus, OH
Cost/yr
$11,518
Avg Debt
$25,100
10yr Earn
$54,200
#53
Texas A&M UniversityPublicGreat Value
College Station, TX
Cost/yr
$11,234
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$54,200
#54
University of FloridaPublicGreat Value
Gainesville, FL
Cost/yr
$6,380
Avg Debt
$20,100
10yr Earn
$52,200
#55
University of Colorado BoulderPublicQuestionable
Boulder, CO
Cost/yr
$11,052
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$52,200
#56
SUNY BuffaloPublicQuestionable
Buffalo, NY
Cost/yr
$10,391
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$52,200
#57
Michigan State UniversityPublicQuestionable
East Lansing, MI
Cost/yr
$14,436
Avg Debt
$27,100
10yr Earn
$51,200
#58
Auburn UniversityPublicQuestionable
Auburn, AL
Cost/yr
$11,796
Avg Debt
$25,100
10yr Earn
$51,200
#59
University of OregonPublicQuestionable
Eugene, OR
Cost/yr
$12,720
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$50,200
#60
Indiana UniversityPublicQuestionable
Bloomington, IN
Cost/yr
$10,012
Avg Debt
$26,100
10yr Earn
$50,100
#61
University of TennesseePublicQuestionable
Knoxville, TN
Cost/yr
$11,332
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$49,200
#62
University of NebraskaPublicQuestionable
Lincoln, NE
Cost/yr
$9,022
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$49,100
#63
Arizona State UniversityPublicQuestionable
Tempe, AZ
Cost/yr
$11,338
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$48,200
#64
University of ArizonaPublicQuestionable
Tucson, AZ
Cost/yr
$12,467
Avg Debt
$21,100
10yr Earn
$48,100
#65
University of IowaPublicQuestionable
Iowa City, IA
Cost/yr
$9,616
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$48,100
#66
Florida State UniversityPublicQuestionable
Tallahassee, FL
Cost/yr
$5,656
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$47,200
#67
University of AlabamaPublicQuestionable
Tuscaloosa, AL
Cost/yr
$10,780
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$47,200
#68
University of KansasPublicQuestionable
Lawrence, KS
Cost/yr
$10,092
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$47,100
#69
University of MissouriPublicQuestionable
Columbia, MO
Cost/yr
$10,062
Avg Debt
$24,100
10yr Earn
$47,100
#70
Mississippi State UniversityPublicQuestionable
Starkville, MS
Cost/yr
$8,780
Avg Debt
$21,100
10yr Earn
$46,200
#71
Louisiana State UniversityPublicQuestionable
Baton Rouge, LA
Cost/yr
$8,038
Avg Debt
$22,100
10yr Earn
$46,100
#72
West Virginia UniversityPublicQuestionable
Morgantown, WV
Cost/yr
$8,376
Avg Debt
$23,100
10yr Earn
$44,200
#73
Santa Monica CollegeCommunityGreat Value
Santa Monica, CA
Cost/yr
$1,288
Avg Debt
$13,100
10yr Earn
$44,200
#74
Strayer UniversityFor-ProfitQuestionable
Washington, DC
Cost/yr
$14,700
Avg Debt
$32,100
10yr Earn
$42,100
#75
Grand Canyon UniversityFor-ProfitDebt Trap
Phoenix, AZ
Cost/yr
$17,050
Avg Debt
$35,100
10yr Earn
$41,200
#76
DeVry UniversityFor-ProfitDebt Trap
Naperville, IL
Cost/yr
$15,835
Avg Debt
$43,200
10yr Earn
$40,100
#77
Full Sail UniversityFor-ProfitDebt Trap
Winter Park, FL
Cost/yr
$27,540
Avg Debt
$57,400
10yr Earn
$38,200
#78
Miami Dade CollegeCommunityGreat Value
Miami, FL
Cost/yr
$3,340
Avg Debt
$12,100
10yr Earn
$36,200
#79
Broward CollegeCommunityGreat Value
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cost/yr
$3,073
Avg Debt
$11,100
10yr Earn
$36,200
#80
Valencia CollegeCommunityGreat Value
Orlando, FL
Cost/yr
$2,530
Avg Debt
$12,100
10yr Earn
$36,100
#81
Ivy Tech Community CollegeCommunityGreat Value
Indianapolis, IN
Cost/yr
$4,106
Avg Debt
$11,100
10yr Earn
$35,100
#82
Houston Community CollegeCommunityGreat Value
Houston, TX
Cost/yr
$2,214
Avg Debt
$10,100
10yr Earn
$34,200

Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Cost = in-state tuition. Earnings = median 10yr post-entry. Figures approximate.