Colleges with the Highest First-Year Retention Rates

Colleges with the Highest First-Year Retention Rates, ranked by first-year retention rate. Share of students returning after their first year; not a satisfaction measure. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 1,185 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange CountyAnaheim, California100.0%——$33k$103k60%3,19211 mi 2West Coast University-TexasRichardson, Texas100.0%——$53k$103k31%2,67313 mi 3Strayer University-TexasFarmers Branch, Texas100.0%———$40k25%2,293244 mi 4Strayer University-South CarolinaGreenville, South Carolina100.0%——$18k$40k17%1,868182 mi 5Strayer University-TennesseeNashville, Tennessee100.0%——$12k$40k0%1,784319 mi 6Strayer University-MarylandBaltimore, Maryland100.0%———$40k38%1,0436 mi 7University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois99.3%4%1554$15k$92k96%7,5691 mi 8University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana99.1%11%1520$27k$100k95%8,81825 mi 9Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts99.1%5%1560$20k$143k96%4,5352 mi 10University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania98.9%5%1553$29k$111k97%10,6503 mi 11Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island98.8%5%1546$25k$93k96%7,2261 mi 12Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut98.8%4%1534$24k$101k96%6,7581 mi 13United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London, Connecticut98.6%22%1339——93%1,1082 mi 14Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire98.4%5%1534$30k$97k96%4,54188 mi 15Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York98.4%9%1535$29k$104k95%15,99561 mi 16Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey98.4%5%1553$6k$110k98%5,70922 mi 17Harvard UniversityCambridge, Massachusetts98.3%4%1553$19k$102k98%7,6014 mi 18Stanford UniversityStanford, California98.2%4%1553$14k$124k92%7,5544 mi 19Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California98.1%10%1527$29k$105k91%1,38834 mi 20Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois98.1%8%1533$29k$89k95%9,2011 mi 21Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland98.1%6%1553$19k$88k94%5,6935 mi 22Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, Georgia98.1%14%1480$12k$103k94%18,785222 mi 23Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, New York98.0%4%1553$22k$102k96%8,973< 1 mi 24Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania98.0%12%1546$32k$115k94%7,304110 mi 25Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina97.9%6%1548$30k$98k97%6,442111 mi 26University of FloridaGainesville, Florida97.7%24%1403$7k$72k91%35,62942 mi 27University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia97.5%17%1480$22k$87k96%17,59767 mi 28Pomona CollegeClaremont, California97.5%7%1534$19k$78k93%1,66633 mi 29University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan97.5%16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 30Rice UniversityHouston, Texas97.4%8%1553$13k$90k95%4,77620 mi 31Amherst CollegeAmherst, Massachusetts97.3%9%1533$23k$78k94%1,91169 mi 32United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, Maryland97.3%9%1307——93%4,474< 1 mi 33University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California97.3%9%—$13k$83k93%33,4755 mi 34Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts96.9%5%1497$31k$93k91%17,3262 mi 35Williams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts96.9%8%1533$18k$89k94%2,07698 mi 36Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, Maine96.8%7%1520$14k$83k95%1,8733 mi 37University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California96.8%11%—$13k$92k93%33,0682 mi 38Georgetown UniversityWashington, District of Columbia96.8%13%1487$41k$103k95%7,5691 mi 39The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas96.7%27%1395$20k$75k89%42,855126 mi 40University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina96.6%15%1439$12k$72k91%20,752115 mi 41Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia96.6%14%1498$24k$95k94%1,881121 mi 42Barnard CollegeNew York, New York96.6%9%1520$29k$81k93%3,264< 1 mi 43Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, Michigan96.6%21%1415——90%1,57361 mi 44United States Air Force AcademyUSAF Academy, Colorado96.5%14%1350——88%4,114711 mi 45Wellesley CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts96.5%14%1520$25k$85k92%2,30013 mi 46Carleton CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota96.5%20%1517$25k$76k90%2,086164 mi 47Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee96.3%6%1549$16k$92k94%7,208380 mi 48University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland96.2%45%1473$16k$83k89%30,7609 mi 49University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin96.2%45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 50Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida96.0%24%1361$11k$62k86%32,21224 mi 51Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, Massachusetts96.0%16%1507$42k$104k91%10,0856 mi 52University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California95.9%10%1495$33k$92k92%20,44310 mi 53Yeshivath ViznitzMonsey, New York95.9%——$9k—69%1,1598 mi 54New York UniversityNew York, New York95.8%9%1520$37k$83k88%28,6631 mi 55Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia95.7%11%1520$23k$80k91%7,298219 mi 56California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California95.5%31%—$17k$91k86%21,9969 mi 57Tufts UniversityMedford, Massachusetts95.5%11%1513$40k$83k94%7,0615 mi 58Villanova UniversityVillanova, Pennsylvania95.1%27%1460$44k$100k92%6,93812 mi 59Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, Rhode Island95.0%19%1473$51k$68k89%2,0841 mi 60Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri95.0%12%1530$22k$86k94%7,857258 mi 61Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, New York94.9%19%1494$39k$71k91%2,44426 mi 62Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, Connecticut94.9%16%1501$30k$74k93%3,06719 mi 63Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York94.8%14%1506$29k$78k91%2,03054 mi 64University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois94.8%42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 65Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama94.8%46%1345$24k$65k82%26,816151 mi 66College of the Holy CrossWorcester, Massachusetts94.8%18%1353$39k$91k87%3,10636 mi 67University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, Washington94.7%39%—$14k$78k85%31,9423 mi 68Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts94.7%11%1480$24k$83k89%18,2483 mi 69United States Military AcademyWest Point, New York94.6%12%1355——87%4,4085 mi 70Davidson CollegeDavidson, North Carolina94.6%13%1469$17k$81k91%1,867167 mi 71Babson CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts94.6%17%1457$41k$124k93%2,72811 mi 72William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia94.6%34%1473$19k$73k89%7,0553 mi 73North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina94.5%42%1376$17k$69k85%27,37193 mi 74Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas94.3%57%1280$21k$72k84%59,61597 mi 75Smith CollegeNorthampton, Massachusetts94.3%21%1500$28k$64k89%2,54467 mi 76Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan94.3%79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 77Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio94.2%61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 78Creighton UniversityOmaha, Nebraska94.2%80%1321$32k$74k83%4,348424 mi 79Spelman CollegeAtlanta, Georgia94.1%25%1220$39k$60k78%3,414222 mi 80University of California-IrvineIrvine, California94.0%29%—$14k$81k87%30,1974 mi 81University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia94.0%38%1397$14k$69k90%32,137175 mi 82University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, California94.0%27%—$12k$85k86%34,9481 mi 83Uta Mesivta of Kiryas JoelMonroe, New York94.0%——$4k$32k70%2,95710 mi 84Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, Pennsylvania94.0%7%1534$23k$80k92%1,6133 mi 85Providence CollegeProvidence, Rhode Island94.0%51%1346$49k$87k86%4,2293 mi 86Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, California93.9%48%1426$50k$109k88%6,5529 mi 87Haverford CollegeHaverford, Pennsylvania93.8%12%1513$25k$80k90%1,4309 mi 88Scripps CollegeClaremont, California93.8%38%1492$36k$78k83%1,11334 mi 89Pitzer CollegeClaremont, California93.8%25%—$34k$70k83%1,22734 mi 90University of MiamiCoral Gables, Florida93.8%19%1415$37k$75k84%12,9132 mi 91Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania93.7%26%1440$37k$106k88%5,89845 mi 92Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, Pennsylvania93.7%29%1410$41k$94k86%3,876105 mi 93Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, Massachusetts93.7%60%—$43k$103k90%5,44738 mi 94Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, Vermont93.7%11%1508$31k$76k91%2,73895 mi 95Colby CollegeWaterville, Maine93.7%7%1501$17k$80k89%2,40735 mi 96Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, New Jersey93.6%48%1446$41k$109k87%4,222< 1 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.