<p>
</p>
<p>This goes beyond the scope of just comparing one college to the next on some contrived metric to whether higher education is a good investment in general. In general, it is not. In general, a person is better off, financially, going into a skilled trade right out of high school than going to college. There are, of course, exceptions. A degree in engineering or in some of the natural sciences ends up being worth it, and a better choice than going straight into something like plumbing or welding right out of high school, but most majors are a negative financial decision. </p>
<p>Simply put, it is a luxury to go to college and get a degree in sociology or English or probably 85%+ majors. The value in college does not come from a simple dollars in, dollars out analysis, much like the value of many luxury goods cannot be quantified so easily. How much are the status and smooth ride of a Lexus worth to its owner? Or the speed and acceleration of a Ferrari? It’s the same when it comes to being a psychology major, but also happening to understand the origin and rise of Carthage from its beginnings as a Phoenician colony to a rival of Rome about a millennium later. It’s a luxury not afforded to the vast majority of the world to be able to put mental energy into obtaining such non-pragmatic knowledge. But, to say it is wholly without value is probably wrong.</p>
<p>So, rankings such as the one cited by the OP are disingenuous on a number of levels. First, they perpetuate the myth that college is a financially sound decision for most people and, beyond that, they perpetuate the myth that an elite, expensive college is somehow worth more financially than a more reasonably priced place like a good public school in your home state.</p>