🇺🇸 Best Education Programs in United States by ROI
Ranked by ROI score — net salary after rent and living costs, weighted by graduation rate, relative to total degree tuition. Salary figures are median graduate earnings from government data (2026).
| # | University | ROI | Salary ($) | Payback | Tuition ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Educational Administration and Supervision. | 21.7 | $47,470 | 4 yrs | $36,786 |
| 2 | University of St Francis Educational Administration and Supervision. | 19.4 | $57,602 | 3 yrs | $36,417 |
| 3 | Vanderbilt University Educational Administration and Supervision. | 18.8 | $49,179 | 5 yrs | $44,369 |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Education, General. | 17.7 | $41,240 | 5 yrs | $36,786 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Educational Administration and Supervision. | 17.4 | $47,470 | 5 yrs | $40,194 |
| 6 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. | 17.1 | $40,199 | 6 yrs | $36,786 |
| 7 | University of Georgia Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research. | 17.1 | $44,370 | 5 yrs | $39,021 |
| 8 | University of Mississippi Educational Administration and Supervision. | 16.9 | $47,470 | 4 yrs | $37,279 |
| 9 | Andrews University Educational Administration and Supervision. | 16.7 | $47,470 | 4 yrs | $35,132 |
| 10 | University of Georgia Special Education and Teaching. | 16.2 | $42,829 | 6 yrs | $39,021 |
| 11 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | 16.1 | $38,700 | 6 yrs | $36,786 |
| 12 | Wayne State University Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities. | 16.1 | $53,316 | 4 yrs | $35,745 |
| 13 | University of Georgia Educational/Instructional Media Design. | 15.9 | $42,390 | 6 yrs | $39,021 |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Educational Administration and Supervision. | 15.7 | $47,470 | 6 yrs | $48,591 |
| 15 | University of Georgia Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education. | 15.6 | $41,898 | 6 yrs | $39,021 |
| 16 | Washington State University Educational Administration and Supervision. | 15.5 | $63,905 | 4 yrs | $41,919 |
| 17 | Vanderbilt University Special Education and Teaching. | 15.4 | $42,829 | 6 yrs | $44,369 |
| 18 | University of California-San Diego Education, General. | 15.1 | $50,231 | 6 yrs | $34,916 |
| 19 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Special Education and Teaching. | 14.9 | $42,829 | 6 yrs | $40,194 |
| 20 | University of Maryland-College Park Educational Administration and Supervision. | 14.4 | $53,299 | 6 yrs | $43,898 |
| 21 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Educational Administration and Supervision. | 14.4 | $48,127 | 6 yrs | $39,455 |
| 22 | University of California-Los Angeles Educational Administration and Supervision. | 14.0 | $47,181 | 7 yrs | $35,134 |
| 23 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research. | 13.8 | $46,988 | 6 yrs | $39,455 |
| 24 | Stanford University Education, General. | 13.2 | $48,127 | 7 yrs | $38,660 |
| 25 | University of California-Los Angeles Special Education and Teaching. | 11.1 | $42,829 | 8 yrs | $35,134 |