# Colleges where graduates earn twice their debt

> Four-year colleges where a year of former students' median earnings is at least twice the median federal debt at graduation, ranked by earnings. U.S. College Scorecard, latest data.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-where-graduates-earn-twice-their-debt
- Data (CSV): https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-where-graduates-earn-twice-their-debt.csv
- Source data: latest College Scorecard release
- Snapshot updated: November 15, 2026

## Key findings

1. 861 four-year colleges in 50 states meet every criterion on this page.
2. California Institute of Technology CalTech (California) ranks first, with median earnings of $166,642 ten years after entry.
3. The median qualifying college has median earnings of $65,009 ten years after entry.
4. 306 qualifying colleges are public and 555 private nonprofit.


## The ranking

| College | State and type | Rank | Median earnings | Median debt | Earnings ÷ debt | Grad. rate |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [California Institute of Technology CalTech](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-institute-of-technology-caltech-356) | California · Private nonprofit | 1 | $166,642 | $7,500 | 22.22× | 90% |
| [Harvey Mudd College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/harvey-mudd-college-1158) | California · Private nonprofit | 2 | $164,248 | $25,000 | 6.57× | 93% |
| [Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT](https://www.collegesref.com/college/massachusetts-institute-of-technology-mit-1615) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 3 | $152,553 | $14,000 | 10.90× | 96% |
| [Princeton University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/princeton-university-2154) | New Jersey · Private nonprofit | 4 | $133,523 | $12,400 | 10.77× | 97% |
| [Claremont McKenna College CMC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/claremont-mckenna-college-cmc-557) | California · Private nonprofit | 5 | $127,532 | $13,450 | 9.48× | 90% |
| [Bentley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bentley-university-220) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 6 | $126,427 | $24,250 | 5.21× | 88% |
| [Stanford University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stanford-university-2589) | California · Private nonprofit | 7 | $125,340 | $10,750 | 11.66× | 92% |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit | 8 | $125,257 | $19,000 | 6.59× | 94% |
| [Harvard University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/harvard-university-1157) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 9 | $121,957 | $17,559 | 6.95× | 97% |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit | 10 | $121,687 | $15,000 | 8.11× | 97% |
| [Stevens Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stevens-institute-of-technology-2604) | New Jersey · Private nonprofit | 11 | $118,358 | $26,117 | 4.53× | 89% |
| [Yale University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/yale-university-3312) | Connecticut · Private nonprofit | 12 | $118,356 | $11,982 | 9.88× | 96% |
| [Santa Clara University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/santa-clara-university-2371) | California · Private nonprofit | 13 | $117,193 | $19,500 | 6.01× | 87% |
| [Lehigh University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lehigh-university-1472) | Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit | 14 | $116,342 | $21,371 | 5.44× | 85% |
| [Villanova University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/villanova-university-3127) | Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit | 15 | $115,382 | $25,000 | 4.62× | 93% |
| [Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA Tech](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus-ga-tech-1072) | Georgia · Public | 16 | $114,210 | $19,500 | 5.86× | 94% |
| [Duke University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/duke-university-837) | North Carolina · Private nonprofit | 17 | $113,937 | $13,000 | 8.76× | 96% |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | New York · Private nonprofit | 18 | $113,531 | $12,000 | 9.46× | 95% |
| [Worcester Polytechnic Institute](https://www.collegesref.com/college/worcester-polytechnic-institute-3303) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 19 | $113,513 | $27,000 | 4.20× | 90% |
| [University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-notre-dame-south-bend-in-3005) | Indiana · Private nonprofit | 20 | $113,124 | $19,000 | 5.95× | 95% |
| [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute RPI](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute-rpi-2221) | New York · Private nonprofit | 21 | $113,011 | $24,250 | 4.66× | 80% |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 22 | $112,178 | $19,000 | 5.90× | 90% |
| [Dartmouth College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dartmouth-college-769) | New Hampshire · Private nonprofit | 23 | $111,162 | $13,000 | 8.55× | 95% |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | District of Columbia · Private nonprofit | 24 | $110,516 | $14,746 | 7.49× | 94% |
| [Bucknell University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bucknell-university-331) | Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit | 25 | $109,954 | $26,486 | 4.15× | 85% |
| [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york-656) | New York · Private nonprofit | 26 | $109,430 | $20,500 | 5.34× | 95% |
| [California State University Maritime Academy](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-maritime-academy-363) | California · Public | 27 | $105,475 | $23,644 | 4.46× | 58% |
| [Johns Hopkins University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/johns-hopkins-university-1344) | Maryland · Private nonprofit | 28 | $104,590 | $12,000 | 8.72× | 93% |
| [Bryant University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bryant-university-328) | Rhode Island · Private nonprofit | 29 | $104,456 | $23,250 | 4.49× | 81% |
| [Wake Forest University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wake-forest-university-3149) | North Carolina · Private nonprofit | 30 | $104,443 | $19,500 | 5.36× | 90% |
| [Northwestern University-Illinois](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northwestern-university-illinois-1966) | Illinois · Private nonprofit | 31 | $104,255 | $17,017 | 6.13× | 96% |
| [Massachusetts Maritime Academy](https://www.collegesref.com/college/massachusetts-maritime-academy-1616) | Massachusetts · Public | 32 | $104,098 | $25,000 | 4.16× | 73% |
| [University of Chicago](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-chicago-2895) | Illinois · Private nonprofit | 33 | $103,872 | $12,000 | 8.66× | 95% |
| [University of Southern California USC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | California · Private nonprofit | 34 | $103,420 | $17,000 | 6.08× | 90% |
| [United States Merchant Marine Academy](https://www.collegesref.com/college/united-states-merchant-marine-academy-2848) | New York · Public | 35 | $103,283 | $5,500 | 18.78× | 78% |
| [Trinity College-Connecticut](https://www.collegesref.com/college/trinity-college-connecticut-2812) | Connecticut · Private nonprofit | 36 | $103,089 | $24,000 | 4.30× | 83% |
| [Washington and Lee University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/washington-and-lee-university-3167) | Virginia · Private nonprofit | 37 | $102,966 | $17,500 | 5.88× | 96% |
| [Lafayette College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lafayette-college-1414) | Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit | 38 | $102,336 | $14,000 | 7.31× | 85% |
| [Colorado School of Mines](https://www.collegesref.com/college/colorado-school-of-mines-642) | Colorado · Public | 39 | $102,077 | $21,287 | 4.80× | 82% |
| [Fairfield University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fairfield-university-934) | Connecticut · Private nonprofit | 40 | $101,587 | $25,000 | 4.06× | 85% |
| [Maine Maritime Academy](https://www.collegesref.com/college/maine-maritime-academy-1574) | Maine · Public | 41 | $101,511 | $27,000 | 3.76× | 58% |
| [SUNY Maritime College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/suny-maritime-college-2656) | New York · Public | 42 | $100,966 | $21,500 | 4.70× | 54% |
| [College of the Holy Cross](https://www.collegesref.com/college/college-of-the-holy-cross-626) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 43 | $100,485 | $21,500 | 4.67× | 86% |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | California · Public | 44 | $100,212 | $12,416 | 8.07× | 94% |
| [Brown University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brown-university-314) | Rhode Island · Private nonprofit | 45 | $99,974 | $14,567 | 6.86× | 96% |
| [Northeastern University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northeastern-university-1923) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 46 | $99,371 | $20,000 | 4.97× | 91% |
| [Vanderbilt University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/vanderbilt-university-3113) | Tennessee · Private nonprofit | 47 | $99,080 | $15,000 | 6.61× | 93% |
| [Bates College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bates-college-188) | Maine · Private nonprofit | 48 | $98,373 | $12,250 | 8.03× | 88% |
| [Barnard College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/barnard-college-181) | New York · Private nonprofit | 49 | $98,280 | $15,000 | 6.55× | 92% |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | District of Columbia · Private nonprofit | 50 | $96,691 | $19,857 | 4.87× | 83% |

## Methodology

- **Colleges counted.** Every college published on CollegesRef that is public or private nonprofit, in a four-year Carnegie class (doctoral, master's or baccalaureate), in the 50 states or D.C., with at least 500 undergraduates and both figures reported in the College Scorecard.
- **Criteria.** This list keeps four-year colleges that graduate at least 50% of students and whose median earnings are at least twice their median federal debt at graduation, then ranks them by median earnings ten years after entry. Closed colleges are left out.
- **Exclusions.** For-profit colleges, two-year colleges, special-focus institutions, colleges with fewer undergraduates than the minimum, U.S. territories and colleges missing either figure are left out. Earnings figures without a federal reporting year are excluded.
- **Definitions.** Median earnings are former students' earnings ten years after entry (College Scorecard MD_EARN_WNE_P10). Average net price is cost of attendance minus average grants for aided first-time, full-time students (NPT4). Median debt is federal loan debt at graduation (GRAD_DEBT_MDN). Graduation rate is the IPEDS rate reported in the Scorecard.
- **What it leaves out.** A ranking on federal figures says nothing about teaching, fit or programs. Earnings are before tax and not specific to a major; prices are averages, so your family's price depends on its income and the college's aid.

## Frequently asked questions

### How is this list ranked?

CollegesRef keeps four-year colleges that graduate at least 50% of students and whose median earnings are at least twice their median federal debt at graduation, and ranks them by median earnings ten years after entry, highest first. 861 colleges qualify; the top 50 are shown and the CSV holds the same rows.

### Which college ranks first?

California Institute of Technology CalTech (California, private nonprofit), with median earnings ten years after entry of $166,642. The median qualifying college reports $65,009.

### Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (latest data), which reports IPEDS cost and graduation figures and federal earnings and debt records. CollegesRef recomputes the list weekly from the latest snapshot.

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- IPEDS (National Center for Education Statistics): https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
- The federal source data is a U.S. government work in the public domain (https://www.usa.gov/government-copyright).
- CollegesRef methodology: https://www.collegesref.com/methodology

## How to cite

CollegesRef, "Colleges where graduates earn twice their debt," analysis of the latest U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, updated November 15, 2026. https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-where-graduates-earn-twice-their-debt

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Source: CollegesRef, https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-where-graduates-earn-twice-their-debt.