These 20 Private U.S. Universities And Colleges Offer The Best Value In 2018

Princeton and Harvard University are ranked No.1 and No. 2 among the nation’s best private college values in 2018, according to Kiplinger, a business forecasting and finance news organization.

Duke University clocks in at No. 3 on the list of the top 100 private U.S. universities and colleges offer the best value in 2018, followed by Vanderbilt University, Nashville (No. 4); Rice University, Houston (No. 5); and Dartmouth College, Hanover (No. 6).

Other private universities and colleges schools to crack the top 10 list include Yale University, New Haven; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; and Stanford University. The business publications defines college values as “a high-quality education at an affordable price.”

Here’s how the 20 Private U.S. universities and colleges on the list did:

1. Princeton University
Average cost per year: $61,140
Average debt at graduation: $8,908
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $80,500

2. Harvard University, Cambridge
Average cost per year: $66,609
Average debt at graduation: $16,702
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $90,900

3. Duke University, Durham
Average cost per year: $69,598
Average debt at graduation: $22,256
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $77,900

4. Vanderbilt University, Nashville
Average cost per year: $64,542
Average debt at graduation: $24,122
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $64,500

5. Rice University, Houston
Average cost per year: $60,658
Average debt at graduation: $22,497
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $64,300

6. Dartmouth College, Hanover
Average cost per year: $69,787
Average debt at graduation: $22,497
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $64,300

7. Yale University, New Haven
Average cost per year: $70,570
Average debt at graduation: $17,849
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $70,000

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Average cost per year: $65,612
Average debt at graduation: $13,625
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $83,200

9. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Average cost per year: $66,027
Average debt at graduation: $24,954
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $94,200

10. Stanford University, Stanford
Average cost per year: $66,184
Average debt at graduation: $23,463
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $78,200

11. Columbia University, New York
Average cost per year: $72,627
Average debt at graduation: $23,389
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $73,600

12. Cornell University, Ithaca
Average cost per year: $68,163
Average debt at graduation: $29,217
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $61,500

13. Emory University, Atlanta
Average cost per year: $64,510
Average debt at graduation: $23,593
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $96,800

14. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Average cost per year: $69,310
Average debt at graduation: $23,810
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $63,100

15. Brown University, Providence
Average cost per year: $69,010
Average debt at graduation: $23,577
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $63,100

16. Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis
Average cost per year: $68,531
Average debt at graduation: $23,577
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $63,300

17. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Average cost per year: $69,880
Average debt at graduation: $24,536
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $82,400

18. Boston College, Chestnut Hill
Average cost per year: $68,730
Average debt at graduation: $20,481
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $70,000

19. University of Chicago, Chicago
Average cost per year: $73,560
Average debt at graduation: $23,852
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $65,500

20. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame
Average cost per year: $67,445
Average debt at graduation: $28,406
Average salary 10 years after starting college: $71,600