Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Highest Retention Rates

Colleges Admitting at Least 50% 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 923 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas94.3%57%1280$21k$72k84%59,61597 mi 2Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan94.3%79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 3Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio94.2%61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 4Creighton UniversityOmaha, Nebraska94.2%80%1321$32k$74k83%4,348424 mi 5Providence CollegeProvidence, Rhode Island94.0%51%1346$49k$87k86%4,2293 mi 6Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, Massachusetts93.7%60%—$43k$103k90%5,44738 mi 7Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia93.1%55%1364$25k$82k86%30,923173 mi 8Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, New Jersey93.0%58%1410$24k$74k84%37,7519 mi 9Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, Washington92.9%82%1335$35k$79k86%5,198224 mi 10Samford UniversityBirmingham, Alabama92.9%82%1201$33k$58k77%4,206198 mi 11Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado92.8%61%1412$29k$97k82%6,155737 mi 12University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri92.7%78%1247$20k$63k75%23,929318 mi 13Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, Pennsylvania92.6%61%1337$33k$63k86%42,284124 mi 14Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois92.6%87%1380$27k$64k85%2,12124 mi 15University of ConnecticutStorrs, Connecticut92.5%52%1348$25k$74k83%19,83531 mi 16Rhodes CollegeMemphis, Tennessee92.3%50%1362$29k$67k85%1,836326 mi 17University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, South Carolina92.2%60%1297$23k$62k79%29,820101 mi 18University of TulsaTulsa, Oklahoma92.1%62%1389$15k$61k72%2,813443 mi 19University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, Pennsylvania92.0%58%1370$30k$66k86%20,370110 mi 20James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia92.0%72%1256$23k$70k80%20,88882 mi 21University of DelawareNewark, Delaware92.0%71%1292$18k$73k81%19,0718 mi 22University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts91.9%60%1423$22k$72k83%23,67170 mi 23Florida International UniversityMiami, Florida91.8%55%1163$9k$60k74%39,5088 mi 24Chapman UniversityOrange, California91.8%65%1357$47k$70k82%7,47813 mi 25Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana91.7%77%1427$43k$101k78%2,309148 mi 26Yeshiva UniversityNew York, New York91.5%56%1426$50k$71k83%2,852< 1 mi 27University of San DiegoSan Diego, California91.4%52%—$30k$87k84%5,6713 mi 28The College of New JerseyEwing, New Jersey91.3%62%1246$28k$73k86%7,10522 mi 29University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota91.1%80%1362$17k$69k85%31,855134 mi 30Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana91.1%78%1313$16k$64k80%37,806174 mi 31Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, South Carolina91.0%52%1296$19k$69k84%1,816178 mi 32Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah91.0%68%1376$16k$76k81%32,952547 mi 33Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, Wisconsin91.0%81%1310$31k$78k83%7,6602 mi 34Baylor UniversityWaco, Texas91.0%51%1329$41k$66k80%14,785175 mi 35St Lawrence UniversityCanton, New York90.8%54%1371$29k$67k79%1,91831 mi 36Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, New York90.7%63%1456$36k$102k84%5,71499 mi 37Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, Texas90.5%63%1428$41k$78k84%7,277237 mi 38University of IowaIowa City, Iowa90.4%84%1200$23k$65k75%22,264195 mi 39University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, Colorado90.1%78%1357$25k$70k74%31,939750 mi 40Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio90.1%75%1317$28k$55k80%16,656161 mi 41Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan90.0%85%1269$20k$67k81%40,92271 mi 42University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, Oklahoma90.0%77%1246$15k$63k75%22,734402 mi 43The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, Texas90.0%65%1286$18k$68k76%21,751245 mi 44Muhlenberg CollegeAllentown, Pennsylvania89.9%72%1343$29k$69k82%1,72747 mi 45Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, Illinois89.9%57%1343$29k$62k78%1,8131 mi 46Elon UniversityElon, North Carolina89.8%66%1208$42k$75k84%6,452143 mi 47Cedarville UniversityCedarville, Ohio89.6%65%1241$24k$55k73%4,024125 mi 48New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, New Jersey89.5%65%1337$17k$84k73%9,0194 mi 49Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania89.5%79%1345$39k$85k78%13,2333 mi 50The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama89.5%77%1285$22k$59k73%33,227173 mi 51Taylor UniversityUpland, Indiana89.3%74%1220$25k$52k74%2,025114 mi 52University of VermontBurlington, Vermont89.2%65%1374$19k$62k79%11,74366 mi 53Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, Connecticut89.1%72%1242$41k$84k76%6,5318 mi 54Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, Massachusetts89.1%76%—$24k$44k69%1,8313 mi 55University of DaytonDayton, Ohio89.1%65%1335$30k$76k80%7,682133 mi 56Union UniversityJackson, Tennessee89.0%60%1256$27k$54k66%1,607345 mi 57University of DenverDenver, Colorado88.9%78%1355$36k$71k76%6,025742 mi 58The University of the SouthSewanee, Tennessee88.9%57%1344$28k$65k80%1,607324 mi 59Touro UniversityNew York, New York88.8%61%1348$30k$53k72%4,0401 mi 60Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan88.8%92%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 61Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, Oregon88.8%78%—$36k$62k75%2,12055 mi 62Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, New York88.8%67%1383$35k$77k70%13,21513 mi 63University of West FloridaPensacola, Florida88.8%58%1138$9k$49k59%9,3302 mi 64Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania88.7%89%1258$30k$87k79%4,9486 mi 65DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana88.6%57%1340$22k$71k75%1,905139 mi 66Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, Pennsylvania88.6%79%1236$27k$54k75%2,25961 mi 67Fordham UniversityBronx, New York88.5%59%1418$44k$86k82%10,5122 mi 68University of the PacificStockton, California88.5%71%1346$25k$78k69%3,2047 mi 69University of St ThomasSaint Paul, Minnesota88.4%85%1296$29k$74k76%6,245134 mi 70Hope CollegeHolland, Michigan88.4%79%1249$27k$58k80%3,2886 mi 71Drew UniversityMadison, New Jersey88.4%68%1227$24k$64k70%1,53314 mi 72Grove City CollegeGrove City, Pennsylvania88.3%72%1272——83%2,21661 mi 73University of PortlandPortland, Oregon88.3%89%1277$28k$83k80%2,95746 mi 74Pratt Institute-MainBrooklyn, New York88.3%73%1290$53k$54k74%3,9101 mi 75American UniversityWashington, District of Columbia88.2%62%1381$42k$77k75%7,2663 mi 76University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina88.2%64%1287$20k$55k71%14,9223 mi 77Saint Anselm CollegeManchester, New Hampshire88.1%78%1201$35k$73k80%2,08734 mi 78Saint Mary's CollegeNotre Dame, Indiana88.1%76%1246$25k$59k69%1,45824 mi 79Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, Florida88.1%65%1257$41k$84k67%7,8604 mi 80Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, Minnesota88.0%61%1290$23k$66k77%1,878190 mi 81University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California87.9%66%—$18k$68k75%17,9403 mi 82Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri87.8%75%1317$24k$71k80%7,267256 mi 83Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon87.8%77%1290$20k$64k70%30,74336 mi 84University of California-RiversideRiverside, California87.6%76%—$14k$68k76%22,59340 mi 85Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa87.6%89%1204$19k$63k75%25,367299 mi 86Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, California87.6%63%1384$58k$83k83%3,5531 mi 87Centre CollegeDanville, Kentucky87.5%54%1352$21k$66k81%1,400279 mi 88Butler UniversityIndianapolis, Indiana87.5%85%1274$36k$77k80%4,317135 mi 89Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenville, Ohio87.5%58%1220$24k$50k75%2,90196 mi 90California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California87.4%75%—$12k$72k68%25,04227 mi 91Emerson CollegeBoston, Massachusetts87.4%51%1358$49k$63k77%3,8701 mi 92Sarah Lawrence CollegeBronxville, New York87.4%62%1366$41k$54k71%1,5303 mi 93University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDurham, New Hampshire87.3%88%1218$24k$66k76%11,26110 mi 94University of MississippiUniversity, Mississippi87.2%97%1184$13k$51k72%21,473266 mi 95Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, Maryland87.1%75%1290$31k$83k79%3,8696 mi 96Transylvania UniversityLexington, Kentucky87.1%87%1287$22k$55k71%1,005247 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.