No. 1: Willamette University

Salem, Ore.

The Stats:
National ROI Rank: 717
30-Year Net Return on Investment: $153,000
30-Year Net Return for Graduates: $215,800
Annualized Net ROI: 6.3 percent

The Basics:
School Type: Private
Applicants Admitted: 60 percent
Most Popular Majors: Social Sciences (26 percent), English (11 percent), Foreign Languages & Literature (9 percent), Psychology (9 percent)
Total Cost: $197,100
Annual Tuition and Fees: $37,361
Average Financial Aid Package: $29,353
Graduation Rate: 71 percent

The Benchmarks:
Total Cost (all schools): $124,328
30-Year Net Return on Investment (all schools): $393,574
Annualized Net ROI (all schools): 9.0 percent

Willamette Responds:
Adam Torgerson, a spokesperson for Willamette, declined to comment.