College ROI Report
Updated 2024
Best-value Colleges for Science Careers
Science careers are a great choice for students who prefer a lab coat to a suit and tie.
| Rank | School Name | 20 Year Net ROI | Total 4 Year Cost | Graduation Rate | Typical Years to Graduate | Average Loan Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:41 | School Name: - San Luis Obispo_50px.png) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (Out-of-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$506,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$183,000 | Graduation Rate:85% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$24,500 |
| Rank:42 | School Name:_50px.png) California State University-Sacramento (In-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$501,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$112,000 | Graduation Rate:54% | Typical Years to Graduate:5 | Average Loan Amount:$19,800 |
| Rank:43 | School Name:_50px.png) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (In-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$499,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$98,800 | Graduation Rate:91% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$31,800 |
| Rank:44 | School Name: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Out-of-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$496,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$202,000 | Graduation Rate:93% | Typical Years to Graduate:5 | Average Loan Amount:$28,100 |
| Rank:45 | School Name:_50px.png) New York University (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$492,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$315,000 | Graduation Rate:87% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$34,200 |
| Rank:46 | School Name: | 20 Year Net ROI:$491,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$116,000 | Graduation Rate:86% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$40,400 |
| Rank:47 | School Name: Sam Houston State University (In-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$491,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$96,700 | Graduation Rate:56% | Typical Years to Graduate:5 | Average Loan Amount:$22,600 |
| Rank:48 | School Name:_50px.gif) University of Houston (Out-of-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$489,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$149,000 | Graduation Rate:63% | Typical Years to Graduate:5 | Average Loan Amount:$25,500 |
| Rank:49 | School Name: Marshall University (In-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$486,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$92,300 | Graduation Rate:50% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$23,700 |
| Rank:50 | School Name:_50px.png) California State University-East Bay (In-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$483,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$109,000 | Graduation Rate:46% | Typical Years to Graduate:5 | Average Loan Amount:$22,700 |
_50px.png)
Science jobs encompass more than working in a lab though — a science career can mean you work in any field from anthropology to zoology. Payscale’s list of Best College ROIs for Science Jobs calculates the return on investment for schools based on alumni who work in science jobs. Job titles in this category are varied and includes workers who work in the physical science jobs like geology, chemistry, environmental science and geography; life science jobs like biology, animal science and microbiology, and social science jobs like counseling, sociology and economics.
Before we look at the best value colleges for students who want to work in a science career, we should note that Payscale’s College ROI figures are calculated based on college graduates who only earned a bachelor’s degree. We do not include individuals who go on to earn advanced degrees because we can’t accurately calculate the cost of graduate school. And since many of the highest-paying science jobs require advanced degrees, you may not see as high of numbers as you would expect. The truth is, if salary is your highest priority and you want to work in science, you’ll most likely have to go to grad school. But the schools that rank well on Payscale’s College ROI Report for science jobs provide a good return on investment for individuals who go on to work in the science field even if they only have a bachelor’s degree.
More rankings for best-value colleges:
Put a badge on it
Did your school rank well in one or more of the categories of the 2024 Payscale College ROI Report? You can easily share that good news with the world by placing a College ROI Report badge on your website.
EMBED CODE:
College salary report
Get up-to-date information on which colleges, degrees, and majors pay the most with breakouts for bachelor's degrees and associate's degrees by state and by type as well as common jobs by major with mid-career median pay.
Go to the report
The impact of a college degree on compensation
Learn how a bachelor’s degree affects salaries and which jobs see the most differentiation and get thought leadership and HR industry insights on how to manage graduate pay premiums and prepare for skills-based pay.
Go to the report