WPI, Holy Cross named top value colleges in the state

Photo | Grant Welker Worcester Polytechnic Institute's campus in Worcester

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Two Worcester colleges have been ranked in the top 10 value colleges in the state by a financial advising website.

Central Massachusetts’ most tech-heavy school Worcester Polytechnic Institute and private Jesuit liberal arts institution College of the Holy Cross were ranked Nos. 5 and 10, respectively, on SmartAsset’s website.

Schools were ranked on their average scholarships and grants, average starting salary after graduation, tuition, student living costs and retention rate.

WPI claims the third highest starting salary on the list with graduates earning an average of $71,700 after finishing their education. The school’s student living costs were among the lowest at just under $16,000. However, WPI dolls out the second lowest amount of scholarships and grants -- after Massachusetts Maritime Academy with about $10,4000 -- with an average of $19,515.

College of the Holy Cross, with the lowest student living costs on the list of $15,125. landed at No. 10. The school was second-to-last on the list in the salary category with an average starting pay of $58,800.

The internationally recognized Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped SmartAsset’s list, boasting a starting salary of $83,600 for graduates, $43,248 in scholarships and grants and student living costs nearly $3,000 less than Harvard University.