The 50 most underrated colleges in America

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We often hear about the best colleges in the US, but there are dozens more outstanding schools that don't always get the recognition they deserve.

To discover the most underrated colleges in America, we compared US News and World Report's rankings of the best universities and the best liberal-arts colleges in the country with PayScale's 2015-16 College Salary Report, which ranked more than 1,000 colleges and universities based on their graduates' mid-career salaries.

We considered two factors: reputation and future earnings, specifically looking for schools that had relatively low rankings on the US News list but high mid-career salaries. You can read the full methodology here.

Pace University topped the list, with the Missouri University of Science and Technology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology rounding out the top three.

Scroll to learn more about the 50 most underrated colleges in America.

Additional reporting by Melissa Stanger.

50. University of Dayton

University of Dayton/Facebook

Location: Dayton, Ohio

Median mid-career salary: $88,700

The Catholic institution in Dayton, Ohio, encourages its nearly 9,000 students to actively practice their faith through liturgies, spiritual retreats, and special programs such as PORCH (People of Respect, Compassion, and Hope). UD's website says it is also committed to making the school "greener, more global, and more diverse."

49. Oklahoma State University

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Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma

Median mid-career salary: $86,700

The Stillwater campus is the flagship of the Oklahoma State University System, and the school is in the top 25% of universities by return on investment. While athletes and sports enthusiasts flock to OSU for its championship-winning teams, the school is also a prominent research university and offers 200 undergraduate majors through its six colleges.

48. University of St. Thomas

University of St. Thomas/Facebook

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

Median mid-career salary: $91,300

There are plenty of opportunities available on St. Thomas' main campus in St. Paul, Minnesota, where students take advantage of the school's 90 undergraduate degrees or work toward a self-designed specialty degree. St. Thomas encourages students to get off campus, too — the school offers 150 study-abroad programs in 50 countries.

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