The cost of college is skyrocketing, so much so that students need loans to pay their tuition bill.
Both factors have led to a national student loan bill totaling $1.2 trillion, so the process of picking a college or university has become even more important. Below is a list of schools and which major they offer that will have the best return on investment (ROI), according to a report from USA Today.
While several of the best schools, for whatever major a given student is considering, will cost the most, the average annual salary of graduates more than make up for the large bill. For example, you may pay tens of thousands of dollars per year for a Stanford undergraduate degree in computer science, but the potential $1.7 million ROI would take care of the student loan bill.
1. Stanford University
Where? Stanford, Calif.
Degree: Computer Science
ROI: $1.7 million
Acceptance: 6.6 percent
2. Harvey Mudd College
Where? Claremont, Calif.
Degree: Computer Science
ROI: $1.1 million
Acceptance: 21 percent
3. Texas A&M University
Where? College Station, Texas
Degree: Political Science
ROI: $600, 000
Acceptance: 67 percent
4. Columbia University
Where? New York, N.Y.
Degree: Arts
ROI: $478,000
Acceptance: 7.4 percent
5. Montclair State University
Where? Montclair, N.J.
Degree: Education
ROI: $189,000
Acceptance: 57 percent
On the other end of the spectrum are the schools and the majors they offer which are best to avoid. Some may be comparably expensive, but not worth the money when considering poor their poor ROI.
1. Murray State University
Where? Murray, Ky.
Degree: Arts
ROI: -$197,000
Acceptance: 81 percent
2. Florida International University
Where? Miami, Fla.
Degree: Humanities
ROI: -192,000
Acceptance: 40 percent
3. Virginia Commonwealth University
Where? Richmond, Va.
Degree: Education
ROI: -$169,000
Acceptance: 60 percent
4. Eastern Michigan University
Where? Ypsilanty, Mich.
Degree: Arts
ROI: -$187,000
Acceptance: 66 percent
5. University of Missouri
Where? St. Louis, Mo.
Degree: Social Work/Criminal Justice
ROI: -$112,000
Acceptance: 81 percent