Two recent national studies have ranked Rose-Hulman in the top 30 colleges nationally for return on investment. The private STEM college, which is consistently recognized for its high placement rates and career earnings, was reported to have a return on investment of $2.35 million with a bachelor’s degree.

In February 2022, Bipartisan Policy Center and Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, both based in Washington, D.C., examined new data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to provide return on investment (ROI) metrics involving tuition, median student debt, and earnings at 40-, 30- and 20-year intervals in their professional careers or the lifetime cost-benefit value for students attending Rose-Hulman.

The Bipartisan Policy Center model estimates that Rose-Hulman provides a $2,358,802 lifelong ROI. That ranks Rose-Hulman nationally in the top 25 and second among all colleges and universities in the Midwest ahead of institutions such as Case Western Reserve Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Illinois, and Purdue University.

Meanwhile, Georgetown University’s study ranks Rose-Hulman 1^st in Indiana and 30^th nationally for the 40-year net present value (NPV).

“Return on investment is one of several elements of a college that should be taken into consideration during the selection process,” said Vice President of Enrollment Management Tom Bear. “Rose-Hulman is strong in all areas: ROI, outstanding academic programs, excellent faculty and staff, state of the art facilities, along with internship and co-op opportunities. That’s why we continue to attract some of the best STEM students from across the world.”  

Other distinctions showcasing Rose-Hulman’s strong ROI include PayScale’s Return On Investment Report, being ranked No. 15 as a Best Value College in America by the 2022 Niche Guide to Colleges, Princeton Review’s 2022 Best 387 Colleges guide, and Best Value School’s 2022 Best Engineering rankings.

President Robert A. Coons said, “Return on investment showcases our strong value proposition. These credible reports provide prospective students and their parents with important information about how students, and eventual alumni, benefit financially from their degrees while also contributing significantly to their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.”