Clarkson sophomore Jenna Farwell is hoping to get the most bang for her buck, all $40,000 worth of them.  She's also hoping to be able to recoup the cost of her college investment by finding a good high-paying job when she graduates in 2013 as a business major.

"That's actually why I came here, because I heard a lot of good things about job placement after college," says Farwell.

90% of Clarkson's student population receives some form of financial aid.  Even though Clarkson just raised its tuition 5%, to just under $49,000, the university ranks among Bloomberg Businessweek's top 20 most affordable colleges.

"Through our scholarships and our grants, we are able to focus in on, what's the best career for them, not just where they are going to make the most money, in a sense," says Clarkson Admissions Director Brian Grant.

The average college student's return on investment is more than $628,000 over a 30 year period, according to the website PayScale.  However, by using creative financial aid packages, universities like Clarkson are able to help cut college costs, which can become major investments for students or their families.

"Our numbers right now are very strong.  We have the largest applicant pool in our history," adds Grant.

Students we spoke with say the university's placement rate; one of the highest in the nation at 98%, was one of the key reasons they felt turning their time at Clarkson into a full-time job would give them a greater return on their investment.