Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Highest Retention Rates

Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Highest Retention Rates, ranked by first-year retention rate. Retention measures returning students, not satisfaction. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 608 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan94.3%79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 2Creighton UniversityOmaha, Nebraska94.2%80%1321$32k$74k83%4,348424 mi 3Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, Washington92.9%82%1335$35k$79k86%5,198224 mi 4Samford UniversityBirmingham, Alabama92.9%82%1201$33k$58k77%4,206198 mi 5University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri92.7%78%1247$20k$63k75%23,929318 mi 6Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois92.6%87%1380$27k$64k85%2,12124 mi 7Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana91.7%77%1427$43k$101k78%2,309148 mi 8University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota91.1%80%1362$17k$69k85%31,855134 mi 9Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana91.1%78%1313$16k$64k80%37,806174 mi 10Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, Wisconsin91.0%81%1310$31k$78k83%7,6602 mi 11University of IowaIowa City, Iowa90.4%84%1200$23k$65k75%22,264195 mi 12University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, Colorado90.1%78%1357$25k$70k74%31,939750 mi 13Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio90.1%75%1317$28k$55k80%16,656161 mi 14Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan90.0%85%1269$20k$67k81%40,92271 mi 15University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, Oklahoma90.0%77%1246$15k$63k75%22,734402 mi 16Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania89.5%79%1345$39k$85k78%13,2333 mi 17The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama89.5%77%1285$22k$59k73%33,227173 mi 18Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, Massachusetts89.1%76%—$24k$44k69%1,8313 mi 19University of DenverDenver, Colorado88.9%78%1355$36k$71k76%6,025742 mi 20Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan88.8%92%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 21Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, Oregon88.8%78%—$36k$62k75%2,12055 mi 22Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania88.7%89%1258$30k$87k79%4,9486 mi 23Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, Pennsylvania88.6%79%1236$27k$54k75%2,25961 mi 24University of St ThomasSaint Paul, Minnesota88.4%85%1296$29k$74k76%6,245134 mi 25Hope CollegeHolland, Michigan88.4%79%1249$27k$58k80%3,2886 mi 26University of PortlandPortland, Oregon88.3%89%1277$28k$83k80%2,95746 mi 27Saint Anselm CollegeManchester, New Hampshire88.1%78%1201$35k$73k80%2,08734 mi 28Saint Mary's CollegeNotre Dame, Indiana88.1%76%1246$25k$59k69%1,45824 mi 29Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri87.8%75%1317$24k$71k80%7,267256 mi 30Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon87.8%77%1290$20k$64k70%30,74336 mi 31University of California-RiversideRiverside, California87.6%76%—$14k$68k76%22,59340 mi 32Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa87.6%89%1204$19k$63k75%25,367299 mi 33Butler UniversityIndianapolis, Indiana87.5%85%1274$36k$77k80%4,317135 mi 34California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California87.4%75%—$12k$72k68%25,04227 mi 35University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDurham, New Hampshire87.3%88%1218$24k$66k76%11,26110 mi 36University of MississippiUniversity, Mississippi87.2%97%1184$13k$51k72%21,473266 mi 37Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, Maryland87.1%75%1290$31k$83k79%3,8696 mi 38Transylvania UniversityLexington, Kentucky87.1%87%1287$22k$55k71%1,005247 mi 39Belmont UniversityNashville, Tennessee86.9%95%1280$33k$56k71%7,137380 mi 40Ursinus CollegeCollegeville, Pennsylvania86.9%92%1310$31k$74k73%1,49123 mi 41San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, California86.8%85%—$14k$79k69%27,60112 mi 42University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky86.8%93%1215$19k$59k71%24,763249 mi 43Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, Massachusetts86.8%95%—$22k$82k74%1,395< 1 mi 44Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona86.6%90%—$15k$63k68%64,674166 mi 45University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, Wisconsin86.5%76%1220$16k$60k71%9,277167 mi 46The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, District of Columbia86.5%83%—$30k$73k79%3,1544 mi 47Willamette UniversitySalem, Oregon86.5%77%1377$25k$57k71%1,59248 mi 48University of KansasLawrence, Kansas86.5%93%1190$18k$62k69%21,217448 mi 49University of OregonEugene, Oregon86.4%88%1272$22k$61k72%20,49752 mi 50Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia86.3%83%1173$49k$46k69%15,24311 mi 51Susquehanna UniversitySelinsgrove, Pennsylvania86.3%81%1232$29k$62k82%2,16395 mi 52College of Saint BenedictSaint Joseph, Minnesota86.3%92%1151$27k$63k77%1,370134 mi 53University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah86.2%86%1257$16k$67k65%27,264547 mi 54George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia86.0%87%1274$18k$76k68%27,75212 mi 55University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, Nebraska86.0%87%1191$18k$57k67%19,178469 mi 56Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, Colorado85.9%89%—$21k$61k67%25,538775 mi 57St Bonaventure UniversitySaint Bonaventure, New York85.9%82%1197$27k$57k67%2,01249 mi 58University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, Washington85.8%91%—$12k$78k65%5,4579 mi 59Saint Johns UniversityCollegeville, Minnesota85.8%91%1183$26k$77k75%1,395136 mi 60Bethel UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota85.7%88%1249$29k$64k71%1,871127 mi 61Kansas State UniversityManhattan, Kansas85.6%82%1151$19k$57k71%15,142505 mi 62Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, California85.5%84%1287$39k$64k77%3,188< 1 mi 63DePaul UniversityChicago, Illinois85.5%76%1262$31k$69k68%14,0901 mi 64School of Visual ArtsNew York, New York85.5%93%1320$58k$46k76%3,2441 mi 65Dominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael, California85.5%84%1290$35k$85k78%1,1141 mi 66University of ScrantonScranton, Pennsylvania85.4%81%1237$33k$75k80%3,55487 mi 67Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, California85.4%87%—$30k$79k70%1,9478 mi 68University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio85.4%85%1282$26k$55k75%29,882178 mi 69High Point UniversityHigh Point, North Carolina85.4%75%1288$39k$61k74%5,129165 mi 70Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, Virginia85.3%93%1137$23k$58k63%20,75318 mi 71Molloy UniversityRockville Centre, New York85.2%82%1187$24k$78k70%3,1624 mi 72Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara, California85.0%77%1328$29k$65k70%1,3022 mi 73University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina85.0%80%1231$15k$57k69%24,453153 mi 74Oklahoma State University-Main CampusStillwater, Oklahoma84.8%75%1150$17k$57k68%21,773456 mi 75Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, New York84.8%77%1304$30k$90k75%2,19627 mi 76Truman State UniversityKirksville, Missouri84.7%84%1320$13k$56k69%2,513283 mi 77Maryville University of Saint LouisSaint Louis, Missouri84.7%95%—$22k$62k66%5,658264 mi 78The Master's University and SeminarySanta Clarita, California84.7%84%—$33k$57k68%1,62224 mi 79Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, Michigan84.5%75%1280$19k$66k76%1,14936 mi 80Carlow UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania84.4%87%1080$21k$51k60%1,348110 mi 81University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, Virginia84.4%80%1272$21k$61k66%3,5668 mi 82Seattle UniversitySeattle, Washington84.2%77%1307$35k$75k76%4,0621 mi 83Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania84.2%84%1276$38k$75k77%5,350110 mi 84South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, South Dakota84.1%80%1245$20k$72k53%2,071569 mi 85University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota84.0%77%—$19k$64k60%9,981245 mi 86Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, California84.0%88%1195$22k$67k62%2,75930 mi 87University of RedlandsRedlands, California84.0%83%1241$30k$73k67%2,04951 mi 88University of Massachusetts-LowellLowell, Massachusetts84.0%83%1285$17k$65k65%11,43424 mi 89Assumption UniversityWorcester, Massachusetts83.9%83%—$29k$75k75%1,66940 mi 90Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City, Oklahoma83.9%77%1177$23k$55k65%1,514423 mi 91Moody Bible InstituteChicago, Illinois83.9%83%—$22k$45k62%1,5101 mi 92Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio83.9%85%1212$22k$53k65%19,633144 mi 93Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, Ohio83.8%76%1194$28k$54k67%2,8428 mi 94School of the Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, Illinois83.8%77%—$50k$40k67%2,8051 mi 95South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, South Dakota83.8%98%1120$20k$55k62%9,198282 mi 96Huntington UniversityHuntington, Indiana83.8%76%1052$19k$47k64%1,08290 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.