Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Great Plains

Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Great Plains, ranked by first-year retention rate. Region: Census West North Central division. Included states / district: IA KS MN MO NE ND SD. 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 114 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

#

1Carleton CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota96.5%20%1517$25k$76k90%2,086164 mi 2Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri95.0%12%1530$22k$86k94%7,857258 mi 3Creighton UniversityOmaha, Nebraska94.2%80%1321$32k$74k83%4,348424 mi 4University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri92.7%78%1247$20k$63k75%23,929318 mi 5Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, Iowa92.6%15%1486$18k$63k88%1,729254 mi 6Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota92.3%29%1440$32k$64k87%2,131134 mi 7St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota92.2%48%1380$24k$66k84%3,093165 mi 8University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota91.1%80%1362$17k$69k85%31,855134 mi 9University of IowaIowa City, Iowa90.4%84%1200$23k$65k75%22,264195 mi 10College of the OzarksPoint Lookout, Missouri90.2%12%1118$6k$42k64%1,444459 mi 11University of St ThomasSaint Paul, Minnesota88.4%85%1296$29k$74k76%6,245134 mi 12Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, Minnesota88.0%61%1290$23k$66k77%1,878190 mi 13Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri87.8%75%1317$24k$71k80%7,267256 mi 14Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa87.6%89%1204$19k$63k75%25,367299 mi 15Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri86.6%73%1317$16k$83k64%5,521344 mi 16University of KansasLawrence, Kansas86.5%93%1190$18k$62k69%21,217448 mi 17College of Saint BenedictSaint Joseph, Minnesota86.3%92%1151$27k$63k77%1,370134 mi 18Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, South Dakota86.1%68%1195$24k$59k73%1,965317 mi 19University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, Nebraska86.0%87%1191$18k$57k67%19,178469 mi 20Saint Johns UniversityCollegeville, Minnesota85.8%91%1183$26k$77k75%1,395136 mi 21Bethel UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota85.7%88%1249$29k$64k71%1,871127 mi 22Kansas State UniversityManhattan, Kansas85.6%82%1151$19k$57k71%15,142505 mi 23Truman State UniversityKirksville, Missouri84.7%84%1320$13k$56k69%2,513283 mi 24Maryville University of Saint LouisSaint Louis, Missouri84.7%95%—$22k$62k66%5,658264 mi 25Dordt UniversitySioux Center, Iowa84.7%68%1221$26k$53k70%1,597322 mi 26Drake UniversityDes Moines, Iowa84.1%64%1292$29k$72k74%2,543303 mi 27South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, South Dakota84.1%80%1245$20k$72k53%2,071569 mi 28University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota84.0%77%—$19k$64k60%9,981245 mi 29South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, South Dakota83.8%98%1120$20k$55k62%9,198282 mi 30Concordia College at MoorheadMoorhead, Minnesota83.6%63%1190$25k$59k61%1,829220 mi 31University of MaryBismarck, North Dakota83.5%75%1159$18k$61k67%2,416409 mi 32Benedictine CollegeAtchison, Kansas83.2%98%1252$28k$53k62%2,272423 mi 33University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota82.9%93%1173$28k$51k68%1,442128 mi 34Loras CollegeDubuque, Iowa82.3%100%—$21k$58k68%1,083145 mi 35The College of Saint ScholasticaDuluth, Minnesota81.8%93%1120$28k$66k71%1,7651 mi 36University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, Iowa81.7%93%1122$16k$55k68%7,529234 mi 37Simpson CollegeIndianola, Iowa81.3%86%1440$22k$59k63%1,227302 mi 38University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, Minnesota81.1%89%1251$19k$63k65%7,336< 1 mi 39St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota80.3%92%1147$20k$59k61%2,473135 mi 40Minnesota State University-MankatoMankato, Minnesota80.3%88%1150$19k$57k54%11,703201 mi 41University of Minnesota-CrookstonCrookston, Minnesota80.0%88%—$12k$58k50%1,729222 mi 42University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, Nebraska80.0%89%1118$16k$50k58%4,088544 mi 43Central CollegePella, Iowa79.9%86%1147$23k$54k66%1,070269 mi 44Concordia University-NebraskaSeward, Nebraska79.5%86%—$24k$52k65%1,283473 mi 45Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, Iowa79.5%80%1234$24k$53k62%1,086186 mi 46University of South DakotaVermillion, South Dakota79.3%99%1125$20k$52k60%5,439362 mi 47Drury UniversitySpringfield, Missouri79.2%58%1218$21k$41k62%1,383437 mi 48Rockhurst UniversityKansas City, Missouri79.1%70%1120$26k$67k75%1,580414 mi 49Winona State UniversityWinona, Minnesota79.0%75%—$18k$59k57%5,144180 mi 50North Dakota State University-Main CampusFargo, North Dakota78.4%95%1150$16k$62k64%9,471222 mi 51Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota78.2%88%1160$21k$61k60%1,776132 mi 52University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, Nebraska77.9%87%1120$13k$54k47%11,488425 mi 53Missouri State University-SpringfieldSpringfield, Missouri77.3%91%1122$18k$50k58%13,313438 mi 54Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, Kansas77.2%89%1050$16k$51k57%4,210486 mi 55Luther CollegeDecorah, Iowa77.0%72%1218$23k$60k71%1,379196 mi 56Northern State UniversityAberdeen, South Dakota77.0%93%1089$16k$48k49%1,273318 mi 57Fort Hays State UniversityHays, Kansas76.9%90%1089$13k$49k48%9,733648 mi 58Emporia State UniversityEmporia, Kansas76.8%98%1120$16k$48k56%2,239511 mi 59University of DubuqueDubuque, Iowa76.6%89%1110$23k$51k40%1,440146 mi 60Evangel UniversitySpringfield, Missouri76.4%72%1188$19k$47k65%1,229436 mi 61Buena Vista UniversityStorm Lake, Iowa76.0%78%1120$19k$49k62%1,366322 mi 62Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, Iowa75.8%77%1093$25k$60k61%1,916150 mi 63Southeast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau, Missouri75.8%74%950$16k$44k58%6,373320 mi 64Wartburg CollegeWaverly, Iowa75.7%76%1136$33k$56k64%1,452233 mi 65Dakota State UniversityMadison, South Dakota75.5%88%1215$21k$51k51%2,071308 mi 66University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri75.4%72%1204$13k$60k55%6,817415 mi 67Columbia CollegeColumbia, Missouri75.1%——$23k$45k42%4,950317 mi 68Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, Nebraska75.0%80%1189$18k$56k66%1,453466 mi 69Minnesota State University MoorheadMoorhead, Minnesota75.0%59%1090$18k$51k57%3,072220 mi 70Saint Mary's University of MinnesotaWinona, Minnesota74.6%93%—$12k$58k66%1,073180 mi 71University of Sioux FallsSioux Falls, South Dakota74.5%83%—$21k$55k63%1,218317 mi 72Morningside UniversitySioux City, Iowa74.2%71%—$31k$55k50%1,163362 mi 73Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, Missouri73.9%86%1119$16k$48k54%4,378389 mi 74Southwest Minnesota State UniversityMarshall, Minnesota73.7%62%1050$15k$51k45%2,315238 mi 75University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, Missouri73.6%64%1050$14k$50k54%5,648386 mi 76University of Missouri-St LouisSaint Louis, Missouri73.6%63%1199$15k$53k57%5,024254 mi 77Northwestern CollegeOrange City, Iowa73.5%80%—$26k$50k66%1,175323 mi 78Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids, Iowa72.8%83%—$20k$61k58%1,107197 mi 79Coe CollegeCedar Rapids, Iowa72.7%64%1223$19k$57k66%1,164198 mi 80Bemidji State UniversityBemidji, Minnesota72.7%56%1090$15k$54k48%3,139139 mi 81Wayne State CollegeWayne, Nebraska72.4%——$15k$47k52%3,010394 mi 82Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, Minnesota72.3%82%—$24k$59k52%2,494134 mi 83Black Hills State UniversitySpearfish, South Dakota71.7%96%1087$16k$47k43%1,928589 mi 84Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, Minnesota70.7%95%1092$14k$56k40%5,088129 mi 85Avila UniversityKansas City, Missouri70.5%88%972$16k$53k52%1,312419 mi 86Grand View UniversityDes Moines, Iowa70.2%99%—$22k$53k54%1,486300 mi 87Wichita State UniversityWichita, Kansas69.3%94%1092$13k$52k51%10,780565 mi 88Midland UniversityFremont, Nebraska69.3%66%1086$26k$52k42%1,159426 mi 89Webster UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri68.7%86%1102$27k$51k64%2,304262 mi 90Washburn UniversityTopeka, Kansas68.0%——$15k$50k53%4,562468 mi 91Upper Iowa UniversityFayette, Iowa67.7%96%1090$21k$53k34%1,994198 mi 92Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota67.5%99%1020$17k$65k44%5,616131 mi 93Dickinson State UniversityDickinson, North Dakota67.4%37%—$14k$51k51%1,090505 mi 94Concordia University-Saint PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota67.4%79%—$18k$60k46%3,018133 mi 95University of JamestownJamestown, North Dakota67.3%88%—$20k$57k49%1,041311 mi 96Minot State UniversityMinot, North Dakota66.5%65%1051$13k$52k45%2,062440 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.