Our economic score ranks colleges based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. When highschool diploma holders earn on average more than bachelor's holder for specific colleges, we do not assign it an economic score.

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.