According to a study by Affordable Colleges Online, just one percent of the private colleges in the U.S. have a documented million-dollar return on investment (ROI): alumni whose lifetime earnings surpass those of non-degree holders by seven figures. The Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) is among that select group, with an estimated $1.62 million return after taking into account tuition and fees. That figure ranks as the third highest in the nation.