The top-ranked university in the United States in 2024 according to Forbes was Princeton University in New Jersey. Students at Princeton graduate with an average debt of 7,559 U.S. dollars, but have a median 10-year salary of 189,400 U.S. dollars.
The Forbes rankings are based on several categories, including alumni salary, student debt, graduation rate, return on investment, retention rate, and academic success.
Forbes ranking of the best colleges in the United States in 2024, by average debt and median 10-year salary
Characteristic
Average debt
Median 10-year salary
Princeton University (New Jersey)
7,559
189,400
Stanford University (California)
12,999
177,500
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts)
13,792
189,400
Yale University (Connecticut)
4,926
168,300
University of California, Berkeley (California)
7,238
167,000
Columbia University (New York)
16,849
156,000
University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
12,499
171,800
Harvard University (Massachusetts)
9,004
171,400
Rice University (Texas)
10,818
152,100
Cornell University (New York)
8,309
155,400
Northwestern University (Illinois)
6,973
141,300
Johns Hopkins University (Maryland)
9,843
142,300
University of California, Los Angeles (California)
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Forbes. (August 30, 2024). Forbes ranking of the best colleges in the United States in 2024, by average debt and median 10-year salary [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/220568/forbes-ranking-of-the-best-us-colleges/
Forbes. "Forbes ranking of the best colleges in the United States in 2024, by average debt and median 10-year salary." Chart. August 30, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/220568/forbes-ranking-of-the-best-us-colleges/
Forbes. (2024). Forbes ranking of the best colleges in the United States in 2024, by average debt and median 10-year salary. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/220568/forbes-ranking-of-the-best-us-colleges/
Forbes. "Forbes Ranking of The Best Colleges in The United States in 2024, by Average Debt and Median 10-year Salary." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Aug 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/220568/forbes-ranking-of-the-best-us-colleges/
Forbes, Forbes ranking of the best colleges in the United States in 2024, by average debt and median 10-year salary Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/220568/forbes-ranking-of-the-best-us-colleges/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Forbes ranking of the best colleges in the United States in 2024, by average debt and median 10-year salary [Graph], Forbes, August 30, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/220568/forbes-ranking-of-the-best-us-colleges/
