2020 Best Colleges for Earning Potential
Based on over 200,000 college degrees and the salary data of over 5 million graduates, our rankings represent the most comprehensive collection of data-driven college rankings available to date. Covering over 70 majors at the bachelor's and master's levels, as well as the 20 most popular online degree programs, our rankings help prospective students answer the question, "What can I expect to make if I graduate from a particular school with a particular major?" View Rankings »
Reviews
We have collected over 85,000 ratings and reviews from students. Learn which schools are improving graduate outcomes at GradReports and GraduatePrograms.
Rankings
We independently research thousands of colleges to identify the ones offering the best quality and price. View our rankings at GuidetoOnlineSchools and OnlineU.
Scholarships
Each year we give away $260,000 of our profit in needs-based scholarships. Visit our scholarships page to learn more and see our recent winners.
Optimal helps prospective students make informed, data-driven decisions to improve their collegiate experience and their post-college careers. We provide over 85,000 in-depth student reviews and college rankings for every major based on alumni salaries and manually researched tuitions. Our tools and services provide accessible, transparent financial data regarding cost and earning potential that give students educational paths that lead them to success, without burdening them with insurmountable debt.
SCHOLARSHIPS
As part of our mission to make college more accessible, Optimal has given away $676,961 of our profit in need-based scholarships since 2010.
Recent Winner - Community College Scholarship
"I am in my first semester of Nursing School at East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City, Arkansas and I am very thankful to have received this scholarship to help with books and tuition costs for the rest of my nursing school career."
Community College Scholarship
ELIGIBILITY: Students enrolled at a public community college, junior college, technical college, or city college, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s level or a first-time bachelor’s level.
Military Scholarship
ELIGIBILITY: Students who are veterans or active members of the U.S. military and are enrolled at a private or public educational institution, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree.
Undergraduate Scholarship
ELIGIBILITY: Undergraduate students enrolled at a private or public educational institution, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s level or a first-time bachelor’s level.
Graduate Scholarship
ELIGIBILITY: Graduate students enrolled at a private or public educational institution, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the post-bachelor’s level.
At Optimal, we embrace a culture of growth, experimentation, and creativity. Our small and agile team allows all members to exercise great responsibility and freedom, leading each person to have a measurable impact on our business. We also offer unique benefits like tuition reimbursement and charitable donation matching. We enjoy solving hard problems as much as our wine and cheese parties and snuggling with our troop of quirky office dogs.