Updated March 2026

Best Value College Degrees 2026 Rankings

Which degrees actually pay off? We ranked every program using our Value Score — a 100-point metric based on real earnings data, true cost, and graduation rates from the U.S. Department of Education.

Based on data from schools in our database · Powered by College Scorecard data

Rankings by Major

💻 Computer Science⚙️ Engineering📊 Business & Finance📈 Economics🧬 Biology & Pre-Med📐 Math & Statistics🧠 Psychology🎤 Communications📚 Liberal Arts📖 Education⚛️ Physics🏛️ Political Science

How We Calculate the Value Score

Earnings-to-Cost Ratio

40% weight — How much you earn relative to what you pay each year

Break-Even Speed

25% weight — How fast your degree pays for itself

Earnings Premium

20% weight — How much more you earn vs. a high school diploma

Completion Rate

15% weight — Risk of not finishing and being stuck with debt

1

Computer Science

100/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$140,072 median salary$19,066/yr net cost0.7 yr break-even+367% vs. HS diploma98% grad rate
2

Applied Mathematics

100/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$102,707 median salary$19,066/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+242% vs. HS diploma98% grad rate
3

Economics

100/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$89,515 median salary$19,066/yr net cost1.4 yr break-even+198% vs. HS diploma98% grad rate
4

Statistics

100/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$78,193 median salary$19,066/yr net cost1.7 yr break-even+161% vs. HS diploma98% grad rate
5

Computer Science

99/100

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

$136,126 median salary$12,136/yr net cost0.5 yr break-even+354% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
6

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering

99/100

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$126,367 median salary$13,481/yr net cost0.6 yr break-even+321% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
7

Computer Science

99/100

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$125,250 median salary$13,481/yr net cost0.6 yr break-even+318% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
8

Computer Science

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$118,191 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1 yr break-even+294% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
9

Mathematics and Computer Science

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$109,338 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+264% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
10

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$104,229 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+247% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
11

Computer and Information Sciences, General

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$100,643 median salary$13,138/yr net cost0.8 yr break-even+235% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
12

Computer Science

99/100

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$93,918 median salary$14,860/yr net cost1 yr break-even+213% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
13

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$85,273 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.5 yr break-even+184% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
14

Computer Engineering

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$84,934 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+183% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
15

Business Administration, Management and Operations

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$83,131 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+177% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
16

Mathematics

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$82,796 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.6 yr break-even+176% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
17

Economics

99/100

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$82,564 median salary$14,860/yr net cost1.2 yr break-even+175% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
18

Computer Software and Media Applications

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$82,297 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+174% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
19

Mathematics

99/100

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$81,753 median salary$14,860/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+173% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
20

Chemical Engineering

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$81,524 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.6 yr break-even+172% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
21

Mechanical Engineering

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$80,396 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.7 yr break-even+168% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
22

Materials Engineering

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$80,203 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.7 yr break-even+167% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
23

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$78,393 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.2 yr break-even+161% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
24

Engineering-Related Fields

99/100

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

$77,180 median salary$12,136/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+157% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
25

Computer Engineering

99/100

University of Florida · Gainesville, FL

$76,743 median salary$6,541/yr net cost0.7 yr break-even+156% vs. HS diploma91% grad rate
26

Computer and Information Sciences, General

99/100

University of Florida · Gainesville, FL

$76,677 median salary$6,541/yr net cost0.7 yr break-even+156% vs. HS diploma91% grad rate
27

Industrial Engineering

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$75,644 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+152% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
28

Mechanical Engineering

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$75,414 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+151% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
29

Systems Engineering

99/100

University of Florida · Gainesville, FL

$75,217 median salary$6,541/yr net cost0.7 yr break-even+151% vs. HS diploma91% grad rate
30

Chemical Engineering

99/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$75,199 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+151% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
31

Business Administration, Management and Operations

99/100

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC

$74,938 median salary$12,983/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+150% vs. HS diploma92% grad rate
32

Law

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$111,928 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.1 yr break-even+273% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
33

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$104,263 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.2 yr break-even+248% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
34

Computer and Information Sciences, General

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$89,133 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.5 yr break-even+197% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
35

Petroleum Engineering

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$87,293 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.5 yr break-even+191% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
36

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$81,984 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.7 yr break-even+173% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
37

Computer Engineering

98/100

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$78,839 median salary$16,928/yr net cost1.5 yr break-even+163% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
38

Chemical Engineering

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$77,308 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.8 yr break-even+158% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
39

Computer Engineering

98/100

Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH

$76,749 median salary$17,339/yr net cost1.6 yr break-even+156% vs. HS diploma88% grad rate
40

Management Information Systems and Services

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$75,338 median salary$19,857/yr net cost1.9 yr break-even+151% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
41

Computer Science

98/100

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC

$74,162 median salary$12,983/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+147% vs. HS diploma92% grad rate
42

Industrial Engineering

98/100

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$74,061 median salary$16,928/yr net cost1.7 yr break-even+147% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
43

Business Administration, Management and Operations

98/100

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$74,034 median salary$13,481/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+147% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
44

Materials Engineering

98/100

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$73,854 median salary$13,138/yr net cost1.4 yr break-even+146% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
45

Mechanical Engineering

98/100

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$73,836 median salary$13,481/yr net cost1.3 yr break-even+146% vs. HS diploma93% grad rate
46

Mechanical Engineering

98/100

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$73,222 median salary$19,857/yr net cost2 yr break-even+144% vs. HS diploma89% grad rate
47

Chemical Engineering

98/100

University of Florida · Gainesville, FL

$72,850 median salary$6,541/yr net cost0.7 yr break-even+143% vs. HS diploma91% grad rate
48

Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

98/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$72,563 median salary$19,813/yr net cost2 yr break-even+142% vs. HS diploma96% grad rate
49

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering

98/100

University of Florida · Gainesville, FL

$72,430 median salary$6,541/yr net cost0.7 yr break-even+141% vs. HS diploma91% grad rate
50

Computer Science

97/100

Brandeis University · Waltham, MA

$84,340 median salary$35,736/yr net cost2.8 yr break-even+181% vs. HS diploma86% grad rate

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Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Median earnings reflect graduates 1 year after completion. Net price is the average annual cost after financial aid. Value Score is a proprietary metric created by Ask Kinsley and should be used as one factor among many in your college decision.