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Yale University was rated the second-best university in the world by a Time magazine analysis, but numbers show graduates of the school, and most other universities in Connecticut, are seeing their degrees’ financial return slightly decreasing.

While Yale is seeing a lower return on investment compared to past years, a 2025 Georgetown University study of data through 2021 -22 still found that the university had the highest return on investment of all Connecticut colleges.

Only monetary variables were used to determine return on investment. It was calculated by subtracting the average net price of the school according to College Scorecard, or the average cost to those receiving financial aid, from the average earnings each year after enrollment. The study did not take student debt into account, which is a significant burden on many residents. State school calculations reflected the cost for in-state students only.

While Yale beat out all other Connecticut institutions when it came to long-term payoff, data shows that associate’s degrees and trade certificates had some of the highest initial payoffs. The Industrial Management Training Institute in Waterbury had the highest 10-year return on investment out of all Connecticut post-high school institutions included in this study.

Many two-year degree schools also had a higher initial payoff than four-year colleges.

But for those receiving a four-year degree, things have changed since 2009. As tuition continues to rise, many schools in Connecticut and across the nation have seen downward trends in return on investment. This is true for both public and private schools

The University of Connecticut saw much higher financial payoff after 40 years than other public universities in the state for all public universities. The school is also the largest of the Connecticut public universities.

As for private colleges, Yale’s financial payoff was higher when compared to other Connecticut public schools.

The Georgetown study found that these numbers were influenced by the number of factors, including graduation rate, especially for schools awarding primarily bachelor’s degrees.

These rates, however, may not be the outcome for all students. For schools with a wide range of majors to pick from, return on investment differs between field.

Sasha is a data reporting fellow with The Connecticut Mirror. She graduated from the University of Maryland in May with a degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing. For the past year Sasha was working part time for the Herald-Mail, a newspaper based in Western Maryland. She was also a reporter and copy editor for Capital News Service, the university’s wire service where she covered the state legislature, the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, school board elections, youth mental health and climate change. Earlier in her college career, Sasha also interned at the Baltimore Magazine and wrote for numerous student publications including the Diamondback, the university’s independent, student-run newspaper.