Ranking
Best Public Colleges in the US by ROI 2026
Canada College leads this ROI ranking with a A+ value grade and a 3913.05 ROI score. EduGradify ranks 25 colleges here by earnings against net price.
Top public US colleges by value grade — earnings against net price for in-state students.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $32
- Top earnings 10y
- $75,971
- Public / Private
- 25 / 0
Canada College
A+- ROI score
- 3913.05
- Net price
- $32
- Earnings 10y
- $50,087
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
College of San Mateo
A+- ROI score
- 252.67
- Net price
- $536
- Earnings 10y
- $54,172
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
North Florida College
A+- ROI score
- 105.50
- Net price
- $804
- Earnings 10y
- $33,929
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Fort Peck Community College
A+- ROI score
- 92.17
- Net price
- $400
- Earnings 10y
- $14,747
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Skyline College
A+- ROI score
- 80.12
- Net price
- $1,738
- Earnings 10y
- $55,702
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Imperial Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 77.33
- Net price
- $1,115
- Earnings 10y
- $34,487
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
College of the Mainland
A+- ROI score
- 73.84
- Net price
- $1,342
- Earnings 10y
- $39,639
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
St Petersburg College
A+- ROI score
- 72.33
- Net price
- $1,471
- Earnings 10y
- $42,557
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Trident Technical College
A+- ROI score
- 68.02
- Net price
- $1,406
- Earnings 10y
- $38,253
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Macomb Community College
A+- ROI score
- 64.27
- Net price
- $1,618
- Earnings 10y
- $41,596
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
A+- ROI score
- 62.62
- Net price
- $3,033
- Earnings 10y
- $75,971
- Acceptance
- 47.5%
West Shore Community College
A+- ROI score
- 59.13
- Net price
- $1,527
- Earnings 10y
- $36,115
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Irvine Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 58.80
- Net price
- $2,090
- Earnings 10y
- $49,156
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de San Juan
A+- ROI score
- 58.64
- Net price
- $1,121
- Earnings 10y
- $26,293
- Acceptance
- 63.2%
Hartnell College
A+- ROI score
- 54.34
- Net price
- $2,039
- Earnings 10y
- $44,316
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Durham Technical Community College
A+- ROI score
- 54.30
- Net price
- $1,664
- Earnings 10y
- $36,142
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
CUNY Hunter College
A+- ROI score
- 52.92
- Net price
- $2,984
- Earnings 10y
- $63,163
- Acceptance
- 53.8%
Santiago Canyon College
A+- ROI score
- 52.79
- Net price
- $2,129
- Earnings 10y
- $44,956
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
South Texas College
A+- ROI score
- 52.52
- Net price
- $1,751
- Earnings 10y
- $36,788
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Johnston Community College
A+- ROI score
- 52.52
- Net price
- $1,776
- Earnings 10y
- $37,310
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Middlesex College
A+- ROI score
- 51.20
- Net price
- $2,288
- Earnings 10y
- $46,861
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
CUNY Brooklyn College
A+- ROI score
- 48.95
- Net price
- $3,103
- Earnings 10y
- $60,752
- Acceptance
- 58.4%
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
A+- ROI score
- 48.66
- Net price
- $1,807
- Earnings 10y
- $35,171
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Middlesex Community College
A+- ROI score
- 48.26
- Net price
- $2,624
- Earnings 10y
- $50,651
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Schoolcraft Community College District
A+- ROI score
- 47.26
- Net price
- $2,260
- Earnings 10y
- $42,722
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
How we picked this list
This list starts with US colleges, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 224.09 (25 public, 0 private).
Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Canada College in Redwood City, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.
Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?
Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.