29
June
2020
|
15:32 PM
America/Chicago

UHD Ranked Among Universities with Best Return on Investment

Summary

By Sheryl E. Taylor

When considering a college or university, there are a lot of decisions to make—from the location to course offerings, it’s also important to consider projected salary and debt levels after graduation.

According to LendEDU’s recent study, the University of Houston-Downtown ranked No. 180 among 798 private and public four-year colleges and universities in the United States for the best return on investment for the average student.

It’s commonplace that many students graduate with tens of thousands in debt, making achieving life goals more challenging—from home buying to raising a family. That’s why future salary is important to consider because having higher income makes it easier to repay the debt taken on to pay for college.

LendEDU’s fifth annual College Risk-Reward Indicator (CCRI) study analyzed institutions of higher education for the highest CCRI values, which are considered as the best risk-adjusted (average student loan debt per graduate) choices for undergraduate students.

Per LendEDU, the College Risk-Reward Indicator is defined as the risk of attending a four-year college or university as the average student loan debt per graduate at that institution. The reward of attending that same four-year college or university is the average early career pay for graduates. Average early career pay for graduates is defined as the median salary for alumni with bachelor’s degrees with 0 to 5 years of work experience. To calculate the CRRI for each school, the following formula was used: CRRI = Average Early Pay / Average Student Loan Debt at Graduation.

The key to being financially prosperous as a college graduate is having low student loan debt and high income. On the other hand, high levels of debt and low pay are a recipe for financial hardship.

The site's recent data also showed that graduates with student loans have $28,565 in debt on average upon graduation. Also when factoring students with no debt, the average is still $16,649.

About the University of Houston-Downtown

The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.

U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.