The 10 Best Colleges For the Money

Graduates of Harvey Mudd College, a tiny, engineering-focused liberal arts school, will get a $985,300 return on investment over 20 years—more than graduates of any other school in the U.S., according to a report released on Thursday by PayScale.

PayScale used data from college graduates who filled out the salary survey for its study—around 300 per school. It calculated the 20-year net return on a school by looking at the differential between median earnings for graduates of that college over 20 years and the median earnings for high school grads over the same period, and then subtracting what they paid for college. The analysis excluded anyone holding more than a bachelor's degree: No doctors, lawyers, or MBAs included. The figures apply to students who didn't receive any financial aid.