PayScale Ranks Holy Cross No. 9 Among Liberal Arts Colleges for Best ROI

The College of the Holy Cross ranks no. 9 among liberal arts college across the country for best return on investment (ROI) according to PayScale, which released its fifth annual report about college ROI and ranks more than 900 U.S. colleges and universities based on total cost and alumni earnings.

“During a time of both spiraling student debt and tuition rising faster than inflation, post-graduate earnings are a necessary piece of the college decision-making process,” said Katie Bardaro, Lead Economist, PayScale. “Although post-graduate earnings shouldn't be the only consideration when choosing a school, they should certainly play a part, especially when making choices about how much to borrow to fund your education. Students need to know whether they’ll be able to pay off their loans effectively in the context of their chosen field.”

Holy Cross also ranks no. 15 among Massachusetts colleges and religious colleges for best ROI.

Also released with the report were 12 articles from thought leaders in higher education examining the value of a college degree. Ann McDermott, director of admissions at Holy Cross, contributed a piece titled “Why More Families Should Ask If College Is Worth It.”

McDermott shares five questions that all students and parents should be asking from colleges.  “When it’s time for questions during our campus tours and information sessions, the hands go up:    How big are classes? What’s the food like? Where’s the gym? Will I have a roommate?

Those are all questions that should be raised. But what’s not asked enough is the question in the back of every parent’s mind: Is four years at this college worth the price tag?  And for a four-year exclusively undergraduate liberal arts college like the College of the Holy Cross where tuition, room and board rings in at nearly $60,000 a year, it’s a question that deserves a detailed answer.”