Personal finance company SmartAsset has released its 2018 report of the Best Value Colleges in the U.S., with a degree from Oregon Institute of Technology, “Oregon Tech,” noted as the highest value for your dollar of any college or university in the state of Oregon.
Oregon Tech ranked No. 1 in Oregon according to SmartAsset’s fourth annual Best Value Colleges study. The study lists the University’s College Education Value Index at 49.97, over 11 points higher than the second Oregon school in the rankings. Oregon Tech graduates also earn higher average starting salaries than their peers from other state colleges and universities, according to the analysis.
To determine the best value in higher education, SmartAsset ranked colleges by their value, using data about their tuition, living costs, scholarship and grant offerings, retention rate and graduates’ starting salaries. The different categories were weighted to determine each institution’s College Education Value Index.
According to the study, Oregon Tech graduates receive an average starting salary of $59,200, which is $4,100 higher than the next highest university in the Oregon rankings. The average starting salary for all Oregon higher education graduates is $48,766, and according to census bureau data from 2016, the average worker with a bachelor’s degree earns $51,600 per year.
The University has also recently been recognized by Forbes “Best Value Colleges 2018” as one of America’s best values for providing the top return on investment among all universities and colleges in the United States.
Sources used to formulate this study included research by the National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017 Payscale, The Institute for College Access & Success, and College InSight.
To view SmartAsset’s rankings for Oregon colleges and universities, visit https://smartasset.com/student-loans/student-loan-calculator#oregon.
