{"id":769447,"date":"2025-10-17T16:38:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T16:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/?p=769447"},"modified":"2025-10-17T16:38:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T16:38:01","slug":"edsmart-30-hidden-gem-colleges-beat-ivy-league-schools-on-roi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/edsmart-30-hidden-gem-colleges-beat-ivy-league-schools-on-roi_769447.html","title":{"rendered":"EDsmart: 30 “Hidden Gem” Colleges Beat Ivy League Schools on ROI"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"EDsmart:<\/a><\/div>\n
CUNY Baruch tops list at 459% ROI; families can save $51,866 on average vs. elite benchmark<\/div>\n

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Oct 17, 2025 – <\/strong>A new EDsmart.org analysis of 1,755 four-year colleges has identified 30 “hidden gem” institutions that deliver better return on investment (ROI) than elite universities including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT.<\/p>\n

CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College leads the list with 459% ROI and a Total Degree Cost of $13,401—$63,201 less than the elite benchmark ($76,602). Across all 30 schools, students pay an average of $24,736 to complete a degree—$51,866 less than elite colleges—while achieving an average ROI of 213% (compared to 148% at elite schools).<\/p>\n

“Prestige isn’t payoff,” said Tyson Stevens, founder of EDsmart.org. “When you factor in net price and time-to-degree, many regional public colleges deliver more value than elite peers.”<\/p>\n

Top 30 Elite Alternatives (by ROI)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College – 459%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    CUNY Hunter College – 429%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice – 344%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    CUNY Brooklyn College – 319%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    Talmudical Seminary of Bobov – 279%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  6. \n

    CUNY Lehman College – 277%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  7. \n

    CUNY Queens College – 264%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  8. \n

    CUNY City College – 251%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  9. \n

    California State University, Dominguez Hills – 241%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  10. \n

    Texas A&M International University – 230%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  11. \n

    UF Online – 226%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  12. \n

    California State University, Los Angeles – 210%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  13. \n

    God’s Bible School and College – 196%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  14. \n

    Ohio University–Eastern Campus – 188%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  15. \n

    California State University, Fullerton – 179%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  16. \n

    Luther Rice College & Seminary – 172%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  17. \n

    Trinity International University–Florida – 169%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  18. \n

    CUNY York College – 168%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  19. \n

    Berea College – 166%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  20. \n

    Florida Polytechnic University – 163%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  21. \n

    New College of Florida – 160%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  22. \n

    California State University, Stanislaus – 159%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  23. \n

    University of Connecticut, Waterbury – 148%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  24. \n

    Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary – 145%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  25. \n

    CUNY New York City College of Technology – 144%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  26. \n

    California State University, Bakersfield – 143%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  27. \n

    Ohio University–Zanesville Campus – 141%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  28. \n

    Indiana University–Kokomo – 140%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  29. \n

    University of Washington Tacoma – 140%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  30. \n

    Western Governors University – 139%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    See Full Details HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

    Why It Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n