Which Colleges Are The Best Value In The Philadelphia Area?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Princeton University is ranked among the best value colleges in the United States, according to a 2021 study by SmartAsset. Princeton provides an average of about $53,000 in scholarships and the average starting salary is about $77,000.
The financial company crunched data provided by the National Center for Educational Statistics and found that Princeton ranked the sixth best value out of all universities across the country by taking into account grants, scholarships, average starting salary, tuition and students' cost of living.
In Pennsylvania, several Philadelphia-area colleges rank high for value. Lehigh University ranks second, only behind Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pennsylvania ranks third. Lafayette College, Villanova University, and Franklin and Marshall College also make the top 10 best value colleges list.
Carnegie Mellon University reports the highest average starting salary in Pennsylvania at about $79,000. University of Pennsylvania's average starting salary is about $74,000, followed by Lehigh University's average starting salary of about $70,000.
In New Jersey, Princeton ranks the best value, followed by the College of New Jersey in fifth, and Rutgers University-Camden in seventh place.
Princeton's average starting salary is the highest in the state, at about $77,000. Stevens Institute of Technology ranks second at about $76,000 and New Jersey Institute of Technology's average starting salary is about $66,000.
Read the entire list of best value colleges, including average starting salaries, tuition costs and scholarships, here.