Virginia schools ranked among colleges that ‘pay off the most’

The College of William & Mary, the University of Virginia and Washington & Lee University are ranked among the 50 colleges providing students the highest average salaries for their tuition dollars.

CNBC compiled its initial list of the top 50 U.S. colleges that pay off the most by comparing the average net cost of tuition at a school with the median salaries earned by their alumni.

The 50 universities were in two groups of 25 each: private and public universities.

William & Mary ranked seventh among public universities, while U.Va. tied for 17th with California State University Maritime Academy.

Washington & Lee was 11th among private universities.

CNBC’s methodology involved identifying the net cost for a typical U.S. student to attend each school. The cost includes tuition, fees, books, supplies and other expenses — after subtracting scholarships and grants.

For example, the list showed the average net cost for a student from a family earning $48,001 to $75,000 to attend William & Mary was $11,320 year. The median salary for W&M alumni with up to five years of work experience is $57,100 and $113,600 for those with 10 years or more of experience, according to the CNBC report. 

Stanford University was the top school among private universities on the list, while the University of Washington-Seattle led the public universities.

Photo courtesy College of William & Mary