Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Great Lakes Region

Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Great Lakes Region, ranked by first-year retention rate. Region: our Great Lakes grouping. Included states / district: IL IN MI OH WI. This ranks the named measure, not overall college quality. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 174 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois99.3%4%1554$15k$92k96%7,5691 mi 2University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana99.1%11%1520$27k$100k95%8,81825 mi 3Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois98.1%8%1533$29k$89k95%9,2011 mi 4University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan97.5%16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 5Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, Michigan96.6%21%1415——90%1,57361 mi 6University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin96.2%45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 7University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois94.8%42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 8Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan94.3%79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 9Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio94.2%61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 10Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana92.7%50%1364$15k$72k83%44,50385 mi 11Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois92.6%87%1380$27k$64k85%2,12124 mi 12Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio92.1%37%1513$41k$88k87%6,4373 mi 13Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana91.7%77%1427$43k$101k78%2,309148 mi 14Kenyon CollegeGambier, Ohio91.6%31%1429$39k$72k82%1,73270 mi 15Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana91.1%78%1313$16k$64k80%37,806174 mi 16Oberlin CollegeOberlin, Ohio91.0%34%1447$39k$58k81%2,88711 mi 17Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, Wisconsin91.0%81%1310$31k$78k83%7,6602 mi 18Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio90.1%75%1317$28k$55k80%16,656161 mi 19Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan90.0%85%1269$20k$67k81%40,92271 mi 20Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, Illinois89.9%57%1343$29k$62k78%1,8131 mi 21Cedarville UniversityCedarville, Ohio89.6%65%1241$24k$55k73%4,024125 mi 22Taylor UniversityUpland, Indiana89.3%74%1220$25k$52k74%2,025114 mi 23University of DaytonDayton, Ohio89.1%65%1335$30k$76k80%7,682133 mi 24Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan88.8%92%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 25DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana88.6%57%1340$22k$71k75%1,905139 mi 26Denison UniversityGranville, Ohio88.5%17%1410$40k$68k79%2,38091 mi 27Hope CollegeHolland, Michigan88.4%79%1249$27k$58k80%3,2886 mi 28Saint Mary's CollegeNotre Dame, Indiana88.1%76%1246$25k$59k69%1,45824 mi 29Butler UniversityIndianapolis, Indiana87.5%85%1274$36k$77k80%4,317135 mi 30Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenville, Ohio87.5%58%1220$24k$50k75%2,90196 mi 31Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, Michigan86.8%71%1233$23k$58k74%3,19332 mi 32Lawrence UniversityAppleton, Wisconsin86.6%64%1350$23k$56k77%1,39628 mi 33University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, Wisconsin86.5%76%1220$16k$60k71%9,277167 mi 34Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, Illinois86.0%55%1311$18k$83k75%2,8331 mi 35DePaul UniversityChicago, Illinois85.5%76%1262$31k$69k68%14,0901 mi 36University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio85.4%85%1282$26k$55k75%29,882178 mi 37Alma CollegeAlma, Michigan85.0%57%—$21k$55k63%1,14844 mi 38Ohio Wesleyan UniversityDelaware, Ohio84.7%56%—$21k$56k59%1,51679 mi 39Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, Michigan84.5%75%1280$19k$66k76%1,14936 mi 40Ohio Northern UniversityAda, Ohio84.3%74%1252$24k$81k75%2,48962 mi 41Moody Bible InstituteChicago, Illinois83.9%83%—$22k$45k62%1,5101 mi 42Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio83.9%85%1212$22k$53k65%19,633144 mi 43Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, Ohio83.8%76%1194$28k$54k67%2,8428 mi 44School of the Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, Illinois83.8%77%—$50k$40k67%2,8051 mi 45Huntington UniversityHuntington, Indiana83.8%76%1052$19k$47k64%1,08290 mi 46Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, Wisconsin83.8%59%—$22k$89k67%2,6541 mi 47Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, Wisconsin83.7%86%1182$26k$58k71%1,6628 mi 48University of Detroit MercyDetroit, Michigan83.5%75%1134$15k$71k67%2,4388 mi 49University of EvansvilleEvansville, Indiana83.3%78%—$18k$54k64%1,539253 mi 50Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs, Michigan83.2%82%1150$13k$53k72%1,22411 mi 51Knox CollegeGalesburg, Illinois83.1%71%1326$25k$55k68%1,127156 mi 52Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion, Indiana82.9%89%1082$23k$60k67%1,974105 mi 53John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights, Ohio82.9%81%1298$29k$63k79%2,2746 mi 54Wayne State UniversityDetroit, Michigan82.7%81%1156$13k$53k58%15,5874 mi 55Bradley UniversityPeoria, Illinois82.7%77%—$23k$67k76%3,574130 mi 56University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, Michigan82.5%56%1115$9k$60k58%5,9526 mi 57College for Creative StudiesDetroit, Michigan82.2%92%—$35k$45k71%1,2304 mi 58Augustana CollegeRock Island, Illinois82.1%63%1165$23k$63k73%2,490150 mi 59The College of WoosterWooster, Ohio82.1%60%1353$23k$60k74%1,73047 mi 60Davenport UniversityGrand Rapids, Michigan82.0%98%—$18k$45k57%3,13435 mi 61Hanover CollegeHanover, Indiana81.8%84%1201$22k$54k67%1,031221 mi 62University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire, Wisconsin81.8%82%1220$17k$59k64%8,895127 mi 63Loyola University ChicagoChicago, Illinois81.7%82%1297$36k$72k73%11,737< 1 mi 64Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBowling Green, Ohio81.6%81%1117$24k$48k64%12,81226 mi 65Illinois State UniversityNormal, Illinois81.4%88%1113$19k$62k65%19,057113 mi 66Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, Michigan81.1%85%—$15k$54k58%12,56836 mi 67Kent State University at KentKent, Ohio80.9%86%1099$21k$45k64%19,32031 mi 68University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois80.2%77%1250$11k$69k62%22,1702 mi 69Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, Illinois80.0%39%1275$28k$71k75%1,582114 mi 70Trine UniversityAngola, Indiana79.9%85%—$25k$57k64%2,32480 mi 71Otterbein UniversityWesterville, Ohio79.9%85%1220$19k$53k68%2,15790 mi 72Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, Illinois79.9%74%1151$24k$61k70%3,00616 mi 73Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon, Ohio79.4%84%1131$22k$50k68%1,35871 mi 74Lewis UniversityRomeoville, Illinois79.1%71%1096$17k$66k67%4,01529 mi 75University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin79.0%89%1190$16k$62k56%5,837132 mi 76University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie, Wisconsin78.9%88%1150$17k$58k55%5,842126 mi 77Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, Michigan78.8%——$13k$49k51%1,3256 mi 78University of St FrancisJoliet, Illinois78.8%65%1141$13k$64k67%1,22332 mi 79Northwood UniversityMidland, Michigan78.6%65%—$27k$63k63%1,97418 mi 80Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, Michigan78.4%56%—$33k$69k61%1,66814 mi 81Aquinas CollegeGrand Rapids, Michigan78.3%90%1025$17k$50k65%1,08330 mi 82Cornerstone UniversityGrand Rapids, Michigan78.3%78%—$20k$47k62%1,29832 mi 83Carroll UniversityWaukesha, Wisconsin78.3%67%1190$15k$58k71%2,52317 mi 84Concordia University-WisconsinMequon, Wisconsin78.1%78%1190$36k$56k68%2,1971 mi 85University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater, Wisconsin78.0%86%1050$14k$55k59%9,40545 mi 86Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, Michigan78.0%84%—$14k$47k52%6,5561 mi 87Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan77.9%88%1120$9k$59k58%12,35126 mi 88Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, Illinois77.9%90%1002$12k$60k55%2,5619 mi 89University of Michigan-FlintFlint, Michigan77.8%70%1102$7k$53k40%4,41141 mi 90Ball State UniversityMuncie, Indiana77.7%86%1160$15k$52k62%13,988131 mi 91Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan77.6%91%1012$9k$55k47%8,10648 mi 92Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, Michigan77.6%72%1052$11k$52k48%5,98912 mi 93Xavier UniversityCincinnati, Ohio77.5%86%1217$33k$65k69%4,207176 mi 94Grace College and Theological SeminaryWinona Lake, Indiana77.4%82%1119$20k$45k69%1,46463 mi 95University of ToledoToledo, Ohio77.3%92%1235$17k$51k57%9,7709 mi 96North Central CollegeNaperville, Illinois77.1%77%1213$21k$60k64%2,42828 mi

US Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS. Missing or suppressed values are excluded. A ranking is a comparison of the named measure, not an overall quality score.