Top five most “underrated” colleges

Application season is in full swing – but if you are still looking to round out your college list, you might want to consider the top 5 most underrated colleges and universities, according to Business Insider. Interestingly, the findings are based on a cross examination of reputation (using U.S. News & Word Report rankings) and salary (using Payscale’s mid-career salary rank).

The University of Massachusetts–Lowell
This public school got a relatively low national ranking of #170 by U.S. News. However, many students here major in engineering or business and go on to have lucrative careers in these fields. Graduates earn an average mid-career salary of over $92,000. Lowell has a diverse student population, an interesting and vibrant nightlife and strong athletics (the school’s Division I men’s ice hockey team is one of the best programs in the country).

Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Situated in the heart of Brooklyn, New York, NYU-Poly graduates go on to earn a mid-career salary of $117,000 despite the school’s rank of #139 according to U.S. News. Similar to UMass Lowell, NYU-Poly has a very high percentage of students enrolled in studies of engineering, like civil and electrical engineering, which are generally well paid. This innovative and high-tech university is also well located to experience all that New York City has to offer.

New Jersey Institute of Technology
Located just outside of New York City in Newark, New Jersey, the New Jersey Institute of Technology is ranked #140 on the U.S. News list. However, with over $100 million allocated for funding, this school is heavily research based but offers other programs of study in business, technology and science, among others. Graduate earn an average mid-career salary of $101,000, making it a particularly attractive school.

Florida Institute of Technology
At Florida Institute of Technology, around half of the student body is enrolled in the business school, but it was not always this way. The school was founded in 1958 near the Kennedy Space Center in order to provide a training ground for the space program. The university received a rank of #160 by U.S News, and graduates go on to make an average mid-career salary of $88,600.

Pace University
With campuses in both Westchester County and New York City, Pace University offers students access to a wide array of opportunities. Although the school ranks relatively low on the U.S. News list at #174, it makes up for it with a variety of great courses of study in the fields of accounting, business, arts and sciences and education. Graduates of Pace go on to earn an average mid-career salary of $85,600.

Focusing solely on rank is not a good strategy when building your college list. Instead, think about fit with a particular college or university – as well as your future career placement.