KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – When it comes to return on investment (ROI) among Pacific Northwest colleges and universities, Oregon Institute of Technology ranked first, according to a special report by the Seattle-based compensation data company PayScale.

Oregon Tech was listed 85th overall out of 1511 public and private schools across the nation for providing graduates the best return on the dollar for their education. Engineering and research universities continue to offer the largest return on investment, with an average starting salary after graduation of $54,400 at Oregon Tech. Oregon Tech Engineering and Software degrees outshined other Pacific Northwest schools by pulling in salaries over $80,000 per year. Public universities are ranked for in-state and out-of-state tuition, placing Oregon Tech at 110th for out-of-state tuition ROI, still well above other Oregon and Washington schools.

To measure the value of investing in a college degree, PayScale collected data on salaries reported by alumni earning bachelor’s degrees over a 30-year period and compared those earnings to high school graduates’ earnings. The dollar figure assigned to each of the 1511 institutions examined – the ROI – represented the amount a college graduate could expect to earn over and above what a typical high school graduate earned during the same period, after deducting the cost of obtaining his or her degree.

According to the website’s ROI report, the net cost to graduate from Oregon Tech for students paying in-state tuition is $84,510—taking tuition, fees, room, board, books, and supplies into account— and the 30-year net ROI for graduates—taking financial aid into account—is $1,003,000.

To view the complete “2013 College Education ROI Rankings” report and the list of all 1511 institutions ranked, go to PayScale.


About Oregon Tech

Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is one of seven universities in the Oregon University System, and the only public institute of technology in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides degree programs in engineering and health technologies, management, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public, and international communities through hands-on learning. Oregon Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls and an urban, industry-focused campus in Wilsonville. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.