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Best Colleges in the Northeast

The Northeast is home to some of the country’s oldest and most well-respected colleges and universities. But the top colleges in the northeast aren’t just limited to the Ivy Leagues – schools like the CUNY and SUNY colleges provide students with outstanding educational value.

If you live in the Northeast and you want to go to college in a neighboring state without paying extra, you’re in luck: some public universities have tuition reciprocity agreements. This means that students from the same region don’t have to pay out-of-state tuition – they get a discount. In the Northeast, Tuition Break is one organization that regulates such agreements.

You shouldn’t be paying more for college than necessary. To help you make a smart decision, we have ranked the best universities in the Northeast based on their economic value. To learn more about how we do this, check out our Methodology page.

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#1 in Northeastern colleges

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Economic score 0.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $8,143

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $110,066

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 98%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#2 in Northeastern colleges

CUNY Baruch College

New York, New York

Economic score 0.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $3,644

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $75,971

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 73%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#3 in Northeastern colleges
Economic score 0.47

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,338

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $143,372

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#4 in Northeastern colleges

CUNY City College

New York, New York

Economic score 0.58

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $3,434

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $66,039

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 63%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#5 in Northeastern colleges

CUNY Hunter College

New York, New York

Economic score 0.59

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $3,296

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $63,163

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 60%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#6 in Northeastern colleges

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Economic score 0.74

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $18,535

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $100,533

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 97%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#7 in Northeastern colleges

CUNY Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Economic score 0.76

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $3,700

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $60,752

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 58%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#8 in Northeastern colleges

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Economic score 0.82

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $19,500

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $101,817

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 98%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#9 in Northeastern colleges

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Economic score 0.87

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $26,138

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $111,371

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#10 in Northeastern colleges
Economic score 0.89

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $3,780

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $56,195

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 61%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#11 in Northeastern colleges

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Economic score 0.93

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $4,034

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $58,013

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 64%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#12 in Northeastern colleges

CUNY Queens College

Queens, New York

Economic score 0.96

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $4,921

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $62,763

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 59%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#13 in Northeastern colleges

Olin College of Engineering

Needham, Massachusetts

Economic score 1.05

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $25,924

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $129,455

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 95%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#14 in Northeastern colleges

Babson College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Economic score 1.09

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $34,994

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $123,938

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 94%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#15 in Northeastern colleges

Columbia University

New York, New York

Economic score 1.14

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $23,497

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $102,491

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 94%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#16 in Northeastern colleges

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

Economic score 1.21

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $8,973

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $69,781

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#17 in Northeastern colleges

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Economic score 1.24

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $34,550

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $114,862

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 91%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#18 in Northeastern colleges
Economic score 1.25

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $14,580

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $83,847

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 81%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#19 in Northeastern colleges

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Economic score 1.34

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $29,651

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $104,043

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#20 in Northeastern colleges

Colby College

Waterville, Maine

Economic score 1.37

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $16,507

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $80,490

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 90%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

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