Davis & Elkins College – Elkins, West Virginia (Return On Investment: -$66,000)
This liberal arts school is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and is situated in a rural setting. The quaint surrounding town plays host to the yearly Augusta Heritage Festival and the Mountain State Forest Festival. It’s the kind of school whose size can offer greater accessibility to academics, with only twelve students for every professor. Getting a degree amid the stone arches and resplendent greenery, however, comes with a hefty price tag for students at Davis & Elkins College. Having spent upwards of $160,000 on tuition for this private college, graduates can expect to see, a negative return of -$66,000 over the next 20 years.
University of South Carolina Aiken – Aiken, South Carolina (Return on Investment: -$66,000)
The University of South Carolina system is comprised of eight schools, and the Aiken campus is among the fastest growing. Aside from that, the university offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, and ranks first at the regional Southern public college polls. What’s more, it commonly has a high ranking on the guide to Southern campuses by the U.S. News & World Report. However, its solid academic reputation does not really translate to financial benefits. An out of state University of South Carolina student in Aiken will have to shell out roughly $130,000 for college tuition. The return on investment, however, is estimated to be half of that, at -$66,000.