Two Virginia colleges ranked among best for return on investment

Washington and Lee University and the University of Richmond ranked as the only two Virginia colleges on a list looking at high return on investment.

W&L was sixth and UR was 17th  on the “Top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges With the Best Return on Investment” compiled by the online guide Best Value Schools.

The website drew up its list using the top 100 liberal arts schools ranked by U.S. News and World Report.The colleges were then ranked by Best Value Schools for potential earning power using salary information published by Payscale.com.

“Many students aren't looking at the return on investment in a liberal arts college degree,” Best Value Schools editor Paul Church said in a statement. “But the data shows that many of these schools make great financial sense.”

The states with the most schools on the list are schools from Massachusetts (five colleges) and California, Pennsylvania and Maine (three each).

Claremont, Calif., is the site of three colleges ranked first, second and 15th: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College.

W&L and UR were two of only three Southern schools on the list. The third is Davidson College in North Carolina.

The list includes:

1. Harvey Mudd College: Claremont, Calif.
2. Claremont McKenna College: Claremont, Calif.
3. Williams College: Williamstown, Mass.
4. Haverford College: Haverford, Pa.
5. Swarthmore College: Swarthmore, Pa.
6. Washington and Lee University: Lexington
7. Hamilton College: Clinton, N.Y.
8. Amherst College: Amherst, Mass.
9. Colgate University: Hamilton, N.Y.
10. College of the Holy Cross: Worcester, Mass.
11. Carleton College: Northfield, Minn.
12. Bates College: Lewiston, Maine
13. Macalester College: St. Paul, Minn.
14. Wesleyan University: Middletown, Conn.
15. Pomona College: Claremont, Calif.
16. Middlebury College: Middlebury, Vt.
17. University of Richmond: Richmond
18. Colby College: Waterville, Maine
19. Oberlin College: Oberlin, Ohio
20. Smith College: Northampton, Mass.
21. Bowdoin College: Brunswick, Maine
22. Grinnell College: Grinnell, Iowa
23. Davidson College: Davidson, N.C.
24. Bryn Mawr College: Bryn Mawr, Pa.
25. Wellesley College: Wellesley, Mass.