Student loan debt in the United States has skyrocketed over the past decade; in four-year public colleges, tuition and tuition fees have increased by 17% in the past five years alone.

Facilities on campus and the reputation of the party may be important considerations for some students, but others have different priorities when choosing a college they may be prepared to take on debt for. Tuition fees, student living costs, scholarships, and grants are obvious considerations. Many also look at which colleges seem to offer the best careers and the best pay after graduation – although the schools ranked as the best in these categories are often among the most expensive to attend.

A study by SmartAsset, a New York financial technology company, ranked US colleges and universities as “best value.” It ranked Princeton University of New Jersey among the top 10 institutions whose graduates had the highest starting salaries. Princeton entered ninth out of 10 with an average starting salary for its graduates of $ 77,330; SmartAsset states that the tuition fee at Princeton is $ 50,340. Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif., Ranks first with an average starting salary of $ 91,400 and tuition fees of $ 56,620.

Princeton University ranks first for the best starting salary among graduates of all colleges and universities in New Jersey. Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken ranks second with a starting salary of $ 75,800 and tuition fees of $ 52,202.