Payscale ranks CSU, Chico in Nation’s Top 100 Schools For Return on Investment

Investing in a college education can be one of the most significant decisions one can make. And when it comes to the return on that investment, California State University, Chico is ranked among the best.

Earlier this month, the website Payscale ranked colleges and universities nationwide for the return on investment, and CSU, Chico was ranked tied for No. 57 among public universities.

The Payscale College ROI Report – which it has been publishing for more than 10 years – evaluates the cost of attending a college against the long-term earning potential of a student after graduation. Rankings are based on factors such as a 20-year net or annual percentage ROI for on-campus costs, factoring in costs with and without financial aid.

Among public universities, CSU, Chico boasts annual percentage ROI of 9.3 percent with a total four-year cost of $92,100 and an average loan amount of $21,900. Additionally, the University provides, on average, a 20-year return on the investment of $455,000.

“Chico State’s inclusion on this list is testament to our commitment to remaining an affordable and accessible university,” said CSU, Chico President Gayle Hutchinson. “It says that our institution is one of the best investments a student can make to receive a world-class education, while providing a high return on that investment for future earnings in their chosen field.”

A total of nine CSU campuses appeared in the same top 100 list, including Cal Maritime (No. 4), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (tie No. 14), San José State (tie No. 27), Cal Poly Pomona (tie No. 31), CSU East Bay (tie No. 44), Fresno State (tie No. 57), CSU Long Beach (tie No. 88) and San Francisco State (tie No. 92).

“The value of a degree from Chico State often opens many doors and opportunities for our students because the low cost of attendance allows them to further their careers in graduate programs and creates the ability to graduate, pursue their passions and start their professional life with little to no debt,” said Adam Stoltz, director of the Office of Admissions.

Payscale is an online compensation database and estimates for the 2018 College ROI Report are based on income and education data from 1.4 million respondents to Payscale’s salary survey collected between January 2007 and February 2018.

In addition to this report on return on investment, CSU, Chico continually earns recognition as a top-value school, with rankings last year by Washington Monthly as a “Best Bang for the Buck” institution in recognition of “helping not-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.” That recognition was followed with a listing in Money magazine’s “Best Colleges For Your Money 2017” and a spot on Forbes magazine’s list of the nation’s 300 “Best Value Colleges” this April.