The 50 most underrated colleges in America

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50. Hofstra University

50. Hofstra University

Location: Hempstead, NY

Overall score: 79.0

Career outcomes score: 86

Cost and financial aid score: 64

Return on investment score: 87

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49. Carnegie Mellon

49. Carnegie Mellon

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Overall score: 80.7

Career outcomes score: 99

Cost and financial aid score: 64

Return on investment score: 79

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48. Stevens Institute of Technology

48. Stevens Institute of Technology

Location: Hoboken, NJ

Overall score: 81.0

Career outcomes score: 88

Cost and financial aid score: 70

Return on investment score: 85

47. University of Oklahoma

47. University of Oklahoma

Location: Norman, OK

Overall score: 81.7

Career outcomes score: 76

Cost and financial aid score: 92

Return on investment score: 77

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46. University of Arizona

46. University of Arizona

Location: Tucson, AZ

Overall score: 82.3

Career outcomes score: 76

Cost and financial aid score: 96

Return on investment score: 75

44 (tie). University of Delaware

44 (tie). University of Delaware

Location: Newark, DE

Overall score: 83.0

Career outcomes score: 75

Cost and financial aid score: 93

Return on investment score: 81

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44 (tie). Brigham Young University

44 (tie). Brigham Young University

Location: Provo, UT

Overall score: 83.0

Career outcomes score: 81

Cost and financial aid score: 85

Return on investment score: 83

43. Bucknell University

43. Bucknell University

Location: Lewisburg, PA

Overall score: 83.7

Career outcomes score: 89

Cost and financial aid score: 76

Return on investment score: 86

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42. North Carolina State University

42. North Carolina State University

Location: Raleigh, NC

Overall score: 84.3

Career outcomes score: 76

Cost and financial aid score: 92

Return on investment score: 85

41. American University

41. American University

Location: Washington, DC

Overall score: 84.7

Career outcomes score: 93

Cost and financial aid score: 68

Return on investment score: 93

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40. Virginia Tech

40. Virginia Tech

Location: Blacksburg, VA

Overall score: 85.3

Career outcomes score: 76

Cost and financial aid score: 97

Return on investment score: 83

38 (tie). Saint Louis University

38 (tie). Saint Louis University

Location: St. Louis, MO

Overall score: 86.0

Career outcomes score: 86

Cost and financial aid score: 84

Return on investment score: 88

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38 (tie). Case Western

38 (tie). Case Western

Location: Cleveland, OH

Overall score: 86.0

Career outcomes score: 95

Cost and financial aid score: 79

Return on investment score: 84

37. University of Arkansas

37. University of Arkansas

Location: Fayetteville, AR

Overall score: 86.3

Career outcomes score: 79

Cost and financial aid score: 97

Return on investment score: 83

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36. Louisiana Tech

36. Louisiana Tech

Location: Ruston, LA

Overall score: 87.3

Career outcomes score: 81

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 82

35. Louisiana State

35. Louisiana State

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Overall score: 88.0

Career outcomes score: 81

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 84

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33 (tie). Oregon State University

33 (tie). Oregon State University

Location: Corvallis, OR

Overall score: 88.7

Career outcomes score: 82

Cost and financial aid score: 96

Return on investment score: 88

33 (tie). San Diego State

33 (tie). San Diego State

Location: San Diego, CA

Overall score: 88.7

Career outcomes score: 82

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 85

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32. The College of New Jersey

32. The College of New Jersey

Location: Ewing Township, NJ

Overall score: 89.0

Career outcomes score: 84

Cost and financial aid score: 97

Return on investment score: 86

31. Oberlin College

31. Oberlin College

Location: Oberlin, OH

Overall score: 89.3

Career outcomes score: 97

Cost and financial aid score: 77

Return on investment score: 94

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30. University of Nebraska – Lincoln

30. University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Location: Lincoln, NE

Overall score: 89.7

Career outcomes score: 87

Cost and financial aid score: 98

Return on investment score: 84

29. Ursinus College

29. Ursinus College

Location: Collegeville, PA

Overall score: 90.0

Career outcomes score: 92

Cost and financial aid score: 88

Return on investment score: 90

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27 (tie). University of Illinois – Chicago

27 (tie). University of Illinois – Chicago

Location: Chicago, IL

Overall score: 90.7

Career outcomes score: 89

Cost and financial aid score: 96

Return on investment score: 87

27 (tie). University of Kansas

27 (tie). University of Kansas

Location: Lawrence, KS

Overall score: 90.7

Career outcomes score: 86

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 87

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25 (tie). Drexel University

25 (tie). Drexel University

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Overall score: 91.0

Career outcomes score: 95

Cost and financial aid score: 85

Return on investment score: 93

25 (tie). Kansas State University

25 (tie). Kansas State University

Location: Manhattan, KS

Overall score: 91.0

Career outcomes score: 87

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 87

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24. Miami University – Oxford

24. Miami University – Oxford

Location: Oxford, OH

Overall score: 91.3

Career outcomes score: 92

Cost and financial aid score: 89

Return on investment score: 93

21 (tie). University of New Mexico

21 (tie). University of New Mexico

Location: Albuquerque, NM

Overall score: 91.7

Career outcomes score: 85

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 91

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21 (tie). Oklahoma State University

21 (tie). Oklahoma State University

Location: Stillwater, OK

Overall score: 91.7

Career outcomes score: 85

Cost and financial aid score: 100

Return on investment score: 90

21 (tie). University of Texas – El Paso

21 (tie). University of Texas – El Paso

Location: El Paso, TX

Overall score: 91.7

Career outcomes score: 83

Cost and financial aid score: 100

Return on investment score: 92

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20. Texas Tech University

20. Texas Tech University

Location: Lubbock, TX

Overall score: 93.0

Career outcomes score: 88

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 92

19. University of Utah

19. University of Utah

Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Overall score: 93.3

Career outcomes score: 89

Cost and financial aid score: 100

Return on investment score: 91

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18. University of Idaho

18. University of Idaho

Location: Moscow, ID

Overall score: 93.7

Career outcomes score: 90

Cost and financial aid score: 100

Return on investment score: 91

14 (tie). Santa Clara University

14 (tie). Santa Clara University

Location: Santa Clara, CA

Overall score: 94.0

Career outcomes score: 98

Cost and financial aid score: 87

Return on investment score: 97

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14 (tie). University of Missouri

14 (tie). University of Missouri

Location: Columbia, MO

Overall score: 94.0

Career outcomes score: 91

Cost and financial aid score: 98

Return on investment score: 93

14 (tie). University of Wyoming

14 (tie). University of Wyoming

Location: Laramie, WY

Overall score: 94.0

Career outcomes score: 90

Cost and financial aid score: 100

Return on investment score: 92

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14 (tie). Washington State University

14 (tie). Washington State University

Location: Pullman, WA

Overall score: 94.0

Career outcomes score: 93

Cost and financial aid score: 97

Return on investment score: 92

13. Loyola University Maryland

13. Loyola University Maryland

Location: Baltimore, MD

Overall score: 94.3

Career outcomes score: 98

Cost and financial aid score: 87

Return on investment score: 98

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10 (tie). Wellesley College

10 (tie). Wellesley College

Location: Wellesley, MA

Overall score: 95.0

Career outcomes score: 100

Cost and financial aid score: 86

Return on investment score: 99

10 (tie). University of Iowa

10 (tie). University of Iowa

Location: Iowa City, IA

Overall score: 95.0

Career outcomes score: 93

Cost and financial aid score: 97

Return on investment score: 95

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10 (tie). West Virginia University

10 (tie). West Virginia University

Location: Morgantown, WV

Overall score: 95.0

Career outcomes score: 91

Cost and financial aid score: 100

Return on investment score: 94

9. Babson College

9. Babson College

Location: Wellesley, MA

Overall score: 95.3

Career outcomes score: 100

Cost and financial aid score: 86

Return on investment score: 100

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7 (tie). Fordham University

7 (tie). Fordham University

Location: New York, NY

Overall score: 95.7

Career outcomes score: 99

Cost and financial aid score: 89

Return on investment score: 99

7 (tie). University of Texas – Austin

7 (tie). University of Texas – Austin

Location: Austin, TX

Overall score: 95.7

Career outcomes score: 95

Cost and financial aid score: 92

Return on investment score: 100

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6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Location: Worcester, MA

Overall score: 96.0

Career outcomes score: 96

Cost and financial aid score: 94

Return on investment score: 98

5. George Mason University

5. George Mason University

Location: Fairfax, VA

Overall score: 96.3

Career outcomes score: 99

Cost and financial aid score: 91

Return on investment score: 99

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4. City College of New York

4. City College of New York

Location: New York, NY

Overall score: 97.0

Career outcomes score: 97

Cost and financial aid score: 98

Return on investment score: 96

3. Binghamton University

3. Binghamton University

Location: Binghamton, NY

Overall score: 97.3

Career outcomes score: 99

Cost and financial aid score: 95

Return on investment score: 98

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2. University of Houston

2. University of Houston

Location: Houston, TX

Overall score: 98.0

Career outcomes score: 95

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 100

1. San Jose State

1. San Jose State

Location: San Jose, CA

Overall score: 99.3

Career outcomes score: 99

Cost and financial aid score: 99

Return on investment score: 100

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