With all the media attention on the student loan debt crisis and how universities continuously hike tuition, we have to ask: Which schools are worth the outrageous sticker price of about $200,000? According to PayScale.com's annual survey of colleges with the highest return on investment (ROI), Harvey Mudd College tops the list with a 20-year net ROI of $985,300.

PayScale.com’s data is pulled from 1.4 million pay reports from persons who obtained bachelor's degrees in the last 20 years. For more on the methodology, click here. Check out who made the cut below:

• Harvey Mudd College

  2014 cost: $237,700
  20-year net ROI: $985,300
  Graduation Rate: 91%
  

• California Institute of Technology

  2014 cost: $221,600
  20-year net ROI: $901,400
  Graduation Rate: 93%
  

• Stevens Institute of Technology

  2014 cost: $232,000
  20-year net ROI: $841,000
  Graduation Rate: 79%
  

• Colorado School of Mines (in-state students)

  2014 cost: $112,000
  20-year net ROI: $831,000
  Graduation Rate: 70%
  

• Babson College

  2014 cost: $230,200
  20-year net ROI: $812,800
  Graduation Rate: 91%
  

• Stanford University

  2014 cost: $233,300
  20-year net ROI: $809,700
  Graduation Rate: 96%
  

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  2014 cost: $224,500
  20-year net return on investment: $798,500
  Graduation Rate: 93%
  

• Georgia Institute of Technology (in-state students)

  2014 cost: $86,700
  20-year net ROI: $796,300
  Annual ROI: 82%
  

• Princeton University

  2014 cost: $217,300
  20-year net ROI: $795,700
  Annual ROI: 97%
  

• Colorado School of Mines (out-of-state students)

  2014 cost: $172,000
  20-year net ROI: $771,000
  Graduation Rate: 70%
  

Did any of your top choices make the list? If not, would you consider a college based on its ROI? Share your thoughts in the comments section. And don’t forget that even affordable college tuition can still be expensive! Try and fund your education with as much free money as possible – a great place to start is by visiting Scholarships.com and conducting a free college scholarship search where you'll get match with scholarships, grants and other financial aid opportunities that are unique to you!

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