Stan State Earns National Top 25 Forbes Payoff Ranking

For students and families weighing whether college is worth the cost, a new Forbes ranking puts Stanislaus State among the institutions offering one of the strongest financial returns in the nation.

Stan State ranks No. 19 on Forbes' national list of the "25 Colleges With the Highest Payoff," released Thursday, Sept. 10. It is the second-highest California State University campus on the list.

Forbes lists Stan State's in-state tuition and fees at $8,246 and the median salary for graduates 10 years later at $101,548 - a combination that places the University among schools Forbes identified as delivering strong return on investment.

The comparison with some of the nation's best-known universities helps illustrate that payoff. Published tuition and fees at Princeton University, ranked No. 1, and Rice University, ranked No. 11, exceed $60,000. Stan State's in-state tuition and fees are $8,246 - about 87 percent lower than Rice's - while Forbes' reports median earnings for Stan State graduates 10 years later that are only about 7 percent lower than those of Rice graduates.

Forbes based its payoff ranking largely on how long it takes graduates to recoup the net cost of earning their degree after grants and scholarships, along with measures of student borrowing. The analysis used federal data from the 2024-25 academic year.

Stan State was one of four CSU campuses in the national Top 25. Cal State Dominguez Hills ranked No. 15, followed by Stan State at No. 19, Cal State Los Angeles at No. 20 and Cal State Bakersfield at No. 24.

The Forbes ranking adds to a series of recent national recognition highlighting Stan State's affordability and student outcomes. Washington Monthly recently included the University on its 2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars list, while Money.com awarded Stan State five stars for the third consecutive year in its 2026-27 Best Colleges list. In August, the University earn a spot on The Princeton Review's annual Best 392 Colleges list for a 21st consecutive year.