For Immediate Release
FrogHire.ai Releases 2025 Career Outcome University Ranking: A Data-Driven Guide for International Students to Make Educational Choices
August 2025
2025
Pittsburgh, PA - August 2025 - FrogHire.ai, LLC, a WholeRen Group company, proudly announces the release of the 2025 FrogHire Career Outcome University Ranking, an objective, data-driven benchmark designed to help international students evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of U.S. universities. By leveraging verified data sources from the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Labor, and USCIS, the ranking provides students with a transparent understanding of the financial and career outcomes linked to their education.
This year's ranking expanded to 339 universities from 275 in 2024, reflecting a broader landscape of U.S. institutions that serve international students. The ranking is built on four key factors: the average salary of international graduates, the salary-to-tuition ratio, the ratio of international students to PERM applications (Green Card Density), and the total number of PERM applications filed for alumni. There are no ties, and the ranking is free of any subjective surveys, giving international students a clear and actionable guide to their educational investment.
In 2025, San Jose State University once again secures the #1 position, reflecting its exceptional ROI and strategic location in Silicon Valley. Its graduates enjoy strong employment outcomes, and the university maintains an outstanding balance between tuition cost and earning potential.
Carnegie Mellon University maintained the #2 spot, supported by 777 PERM filings in 2024 and an average salary of $174,081, which makes it one of the most lucrative destinations for international graduates. Stanford University ranks #3, continuing its tradition of offering top-tier salaries and highly marketable degrees that attract strong employer support.
A new standout this year, San Francisco Bay University (#4), emerges as a leader in immigration outcomes, boasting the highest Green Card Density of 6.32, which indicates an unmatched pathway from student visa to permanent residency. Rounding out the top five, Harvard University (#5) demonstrates that elite academic reputation, combined with high earning potential, continues to drive strong career outcomes for international students.
Notably, the 2025 ranking highlights several key trends. California continues to dominate, with eight universities in the top 25-including San Jose State, Stanford, San Francisco Bay University, and the University of Southern California-thanks to the state's thriving tech and engineering job market. Ivy League institutions remain strong performers, with seven of the eight Ivies in the top 25, led by Harvard (#5), Dartmouth (#10), and Princeton (#23), due to their high salaries and powerful alumni networks.
Additionally, the ranking shines a light on high ROI regional universities like Central Michigan University (#9), Northern Illinois University (#12), and University of Houston-Clear Lake (#18), which provide excellent career outcomes despite lower national visibility. Their success is often tied to affordable tuition, niche strengths, and robust employer sponsorships.
What is the FrogHire Career Outcome University Ranking Top 100?
| Ranking | Institution | Score | Ranking | Institution | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose State University | 100 | 51 | The University of Texas at Austin | 85.4 |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | 99.7 | 52 | Syracuse University | 85.1 |
| 3 | Stanford University | 99.4 | 53 | McNeese State University | 84.8 |
| 4 | San Francisco Bay University | 99.1 | 54 | University of Colorado Boulder | 84.5 |
| 5 | Harvard University | 98.8 | 55 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | 84.2 |
| 6 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 98.5 | 56 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 83.9 |
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento | 98.2 | 57 | University of California-Los Angeles | 83.6 |
| 8 | University of Southern California | 97.9 | 58 | Eastern Michigan University | 83.3 |
| 9 | Central Michigan University | 97.7 | 59 | Rice University | 83 |
| 10 | Dartmouth College | 97.4 | 60 | Stony Brook University | 82.7 |
| 11 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 97.1 | 61 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 82.4 |
| 12 | Northern Illinois University | 96.8 | 62 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 82.1 |
| 13 | Brigham Young University | 96.5 | 63 | University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus | 81.8 |
| 14 | University of Florida | 96.2 | 64 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 81.5 |
| 15 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 95.9 | 65 | Utah State University | 81.3 |
| 16 | Santa Clara University | 95.6 | 66 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 81 |
| 17 | San Diego State University | 95.3 | 67 | Northwest Missouri State University | 80.7 |
| 18 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 95 | 68 | University of the Cumberlands | 80.4 |
| 19 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 94.7 | 69 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 80.1 |
| 20 | Cornell University | 94.4 | 70 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 79.8 |
| 21 | University of Pennsylvania | 94.1 | 71 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 79.5 |
| 22 | Northwestern University | 93.8 | 72 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 79.2 |
| 23 | Princeton University | 93.6 | 73 | Wichita State University | 78.9 |
| 24 | Maharishi International University | 93.3 | 74 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 78.6 |
| 25 | Portland State University | 93 | 75 | University of California-Irvine | 78.3 |
| 26 | Yale University | 92.7 | 76 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 78 |
| 27 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 92.4 | 77 | University of Memphis | 77.7 |
| 28 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 92.1 | 78 | University of Central Missouri | 77.4 |
| 29 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 91.8 | 79 | Illinois Institute of Technology | 77.2 |
| 30 | Indiana University-Bloomington | 91.5 | 80 | University of California-Santa Barbara | 76.9 |
| 31 | Texas A & M University-Kingsville | 91.2 | 81 | California State University-Fullerton | 76.6 |
| 32 | Louisiana Tech University | 90.9 | 82 | Lamar University | 76.3 |
| 33 | University of California-Berkeley | 90.6 | 83 | University of Maryland-College Park | 76 |
| 34 | Duke University | 90.3 | 84 | University of Arizona | 75.7 |
| 35 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 90 | 85 | Brown University | 75.4 |
| 36 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 89.7 | 86 | University of Akron Main Campus | 75.1 |
| 37 | New York University | 89.5 | 87 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 74.8 |
| 38 | Wilmington University | 89.2 | 88 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 74.5 |
| 39 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 88.9 | 89 | Southern New Hampshire University | 74.2 |
| 40 | Saint Cloud State University | 88.6 | 90 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 73.9 |
| 41 | Governors State University | 88.3 | 91 | Southeast Missouri State University | 73.6 |
| 42 | California State University-East Bay | 88 | 92 | East Tennessee State University | 73.3 |
| 43 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 87.7 | 93 | Wayne State University | 73.1 |
| 44 | California State University-Los Angeles | 87.4 | 94 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 72.8 |
| 45 | Texas A & M University-College Station | 87.1 | 95 | University of Kentucky | 72.5 |
| 46 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 86.8 | 96 | Northeastern University | 72.2 |
| 47 | Binghamton University | 86.5 | 97 | University of Houston | 71.9 |
| 48 | University of Southern Mississippi | 86.2 | 98 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 71.6 |
| 49 | California State University-Long Beach | 85.9 | 99 | Youngstown State University | 71.3 |
| 50 | University of California-San Diego | 85.6 | 100 | Old Dominion University | 71 |
Top Institutions by 2024 PERM Count
Carnegie Mellon University led the nation in PERM applications in 2024 with 777 filings, showing the strength of its employer relationships and demand for its graduates. University of Southern California remains a powerhouse for private institutions with consistently high PERM counts, while San Jose State University also performs strongly, reflecting the market demand for international talent in technology and engineering sectors.
Interestingly, San Francisco Bay University tops the list in Green Card Density, illustrating that while some institutions generate higher total PERM volumes, others excel at maximizing the sponsorship outcomes relative to their international student population.
How can this Ranking Empower International Students?
The FrogHire Career Outcome University Ranking equips international students with reliable, data-backed insights for making one of the most significant financial and professional decisions of their lives. By analyzing tuition, post-graduation earnings, and real immigration outcomes, the ranking provides a comprehensive picture of ROI.
By presenting clear evidence of where international students can maximize both financial returns and career growth, FrogHire's ranking serves as a critical decision-making tool for students considering U.S. education.
About FrogHire.ai
FrogHire.ai, LLC (formally F1 Hire), a WholeRen Group company, is a data-driven staffing and career management firm based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Leveraging the SRIM methodology-Search, Research, Improve, and Manage-FrogHire.ai empowers international students with the data, tools, and processes to transform education into meaningful career success.