When it comes to choosing a college, there are a lot of factors to consider: Location, class size, academic majors. But you may want to consider earning potential as well. After all, a college education is now the second-biggest expense you are likely to make in your lifetime.
To round up a list of the schools that produce the highest-earning alumni, CNBC used the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. The tool provides a variety of data on thousands of colleges, including the median earnings of federally aided students 10 years after enrolling and the average annual cost of attending.
For our ranking, we restricted the list to bachelor's degree-granting institutions and excluded special focus institutions.
Scroll down to see the colleges and universities where students go on to earn the most money. We also included the average annual cost of each school, which the U.S. Department of Education defines as "the average annual net price for federal aid recipients, after aid from the school, state, or federal government. For public schools, this is only the average cost for in-state students."
30. Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Average annual cost: $15,785
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $69,000
29. Bucknell University
Average annual cost: $32,487
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $69,100
28. Illinois Institute of Technology
Average annual cost: $19,667
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $69,300
27. University of Notre Dame
Average annual cost: $29,368
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $70,100
26. Cornell University
Average annual cost: $29,240
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $72,100
25. Washington and Lee University
Average annual cost: $24,655
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $72,900
24. Villanova University
Average annual cost: $35,565
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $73,900
23. Yale University
Average annual cost: $20,168
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $74,200
21. SUNY Maritime College (TIE)
Average annual cost: $18,431
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $74,500
21. Georgia Institute of Technology (TIE)
Average annual cost: $10,994
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $74,500
20. Columbia University
Average annual cost: $22,298
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $75,200
19. Colorado School of Mines
Average annual cost: $25,777
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $75,700
18. Carnegie Mellon University
Average annual cost: $31,634
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $76,200
16. Duke University (TIE)
Average annual cost: $25,369
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $76,700
16. Lehigh University (TIE)
Average annual cost: $31,267
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $76,700
15. Bentley University
Average annual cost: $31,616
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $76,900
14. Kettering University
Average annual cost: $33,861
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $77,400
13. California Institute of Technology
Average annual cost: $25,308
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $77,800
12. Princeton University
Average annual cost: $7,103
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $77,900
11. Maine Maritime Academy
Average annual cost: $20,861
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $78,800
10. California Maritime Academy
Average annual cost: $15,472
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $79,400
9. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Average annual cost: $33,595
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $79,600
8. University of Pennsylvania
Average annual cost: $24,370
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $79,700
7. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Average annual cost: $35,187
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $80,300
6. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Average annual cost: $5,538
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $82,000
5. Stevens Institute of Technology
Average annual cost: $28,296
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $83,700
4. Georgetown University
Average annual cost: $27,506
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $84,000
3. Stanford University
Average annual cost: $14,559
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $86,000
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Average annual cost: $23,547
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $89,200
1. Harvard University
Average annual cost: $14,068
Median annual earnings 10 years after enrolling: $95,500
