The magazine collected median pay figures from two pools of alumni, recent grads and those alums 15 years out from obtaining their degrees. This was compared with the actual cost of tuition. From this information, SmartMoney created a "Payback Score," reflecting an actual return on tuition investment.

“A Georgia Tech education is the investment of a lifetime for our graduates,” said Georgia Tech President G. P. “Bud” Peterson. “As innovators and leaders in business, industry and government, Tech alumni are developing solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges, which benefit our state and our nation.”

According to the survey, Georgia Tech graduates paid $87,810 in tuition, receiving a median salary of $57,300. Based on this data, the payback score was determined to be 221. This score compared with the University of Texas, Austin, which placed second with a payback score of 194.
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