Colleges with the best bang for your buck

20-year return on investment: $950,800
Avg. total cost: $236,300
Avg. annual scholarships and grants: $38,522

Stanford graduates excel in both humanities and the sciences, but a bachelor's degree in computer science from this California school gives the biggest bang for the buck, according to PayScale.

The report found that, across the board, computer science majors get the best return on their investment -- and if that degree is from Stanford, even better. Stanford's computer science grad can expect to make $1.7 million more than a peer who didn't go to college.

The school's Silicon Valley location helps. Near some of the top tech companies in the country, Stanford's students are well positioned for internships and high-paying jobs post-graduation.

Its extensive and powerful alumni network also helps. Among some of its most famous grads: Steve Ballmer of Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG) co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Netflix's (NFLX) Reed Hastings and Marissa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo (YHOO).

First published April 7, 2014: 7:15 AM ET

Source: PayScale
PayScale economists calculated the total median pay for a school's undergraduate alumnus over a 20-year career and compared it to that of a high school graduate who worked for 24 to 26 years. They then subtracted the college's average cost of attending -- including tuition, room and board, and books -- and took scholarships and grants into account. From that, they determined the school's return on investment (in 2013 dollars). Alumni who went onto graduate school or other higher education were excluded from the calculations.

4 of 6