Small Colleges (500–2,500 Undergraduates) with the Highest Retention Rates

Small Colleges (500–2,500 Undergraduates) with the Highest Retention Rates, ranked by first-year retention rate. Retention measures returning students, not satisfaction. Four-year colleges with at least 500 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. Enrollment is capped at 2,500 undergraduates. This page lists all 776 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1Strayer University-TexasFarmers Branch, Texas100.0%———$40k25%2,293244 mi 2Strayer University-South CarolinaGreenville, South Carolina100.0%——$18k$40k17%1,868182 mi 3Strayer University-TennesseeNashville, Tennessee100.0%——$12k$40k0%1,784319 mi 4Strayer University-MarylandBaltimore, Maryland100.0%———$40k38%1,0436 mi 5Chamberlain University-CaliforniaRancho Cordova, California100.0%80%—$37k$92k—75138 mi 6Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional CampusesAngola, Indiana100.0%40%—$16k$57k0%60780 mi 7Chamberlain University-VirginiaVienna, Virginia100.0%90%—$33k$92k100%5578 mi 8Cambridge CollegeBoston, Massachusetts100.0%——$31k$46k11%5322 mi 9United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London, Connecticut98.6%22%1339——93%1,1082 mi 10Be'er Yaakov Talmudic SeminarySpring Valley, New York98.3%——$5k$17k59%7655 mi 11Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California98.1%10%1527$29k$105k91%1,38834 mi 12Minerva UniversitySan Francisco, California98.0%3%————6371 mi 13Yeshiva of Machzikai HadasBrooklyn, New York97.7%70%—$23k—74%5152 mi 14Pomona CollegeClaremont, California97.5%7%1534$19k$78k93%1,66633 mi 15California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California97.4%3%—$16k$129k94%98722 mi 16Amherst CollegeAmherst, Massachusetts97.3%9%1533$23k$78k94%1,91169 mi 17Williams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts96.9%8%1533$18k$89k94%2,07698 mi 18Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, Maine96.8%7%1520$14k$83k95%1,8733 mi 19Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia96.6%14%1498$24k$95k94%1,881121 mi 20Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, Michigan96.6%21%1415——90%1,57361 mi 21Wellesley CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts96.5%14%1520$25k$85k92%2,30013 mi 22Carleton CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota96.5%20%1517$25k$76k90%2,086164 mi 23Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, California96.4%13%1545$36k$139k92%92134 mi 24Yeshivath ViznitzMonsey, New York95.9%——$9k—69%1,1598 mi 25Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, Rhode Island95.0%19%1473$51k$68k89%2,0841 mi 26Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, New York94.9%19%1494$39k$71k91%2,44426 mi 27Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York94.8%14%1506$29k$78k91%2,03054 mi 28Davidson CollegeDavidson, North Carolina94.6%13%1469$17k$81k91%1,867167 mi 29Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan94.3%79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 30Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, Pennsylvania94.0%7%1534$23k$80k92%1,6133 mi 31Haverford CollegeHaverford, Pennsylvania93.8%12%1513$25k$80k90%1,4309 mi 32Scripps CollegeClaremont, California93.8%38%1492$36k$78k83%1,11334 mi 33Pitzer CollegeClaremont, California93.8%25%—$34k$70k83%1,22734 mi 34Colby CollegeWaterville, Maine93.7%7%1501$17k$80k89%2,40735 mi 35Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, Colorado93.6%18%1365$33k$65k88%2,014705 mi 36Manhattan School of MusicNew York, New York93.0%41%—$52k$27k78%539< 1 mi 37Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, Indiana93.0%63%1180$24k$70k77%866111 mi 38University of North Carolina School of the ArtsWinston Salem, North Carolina92.8%30%1260$15k$38k78%945178 mi 39Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois92.6%87%1380$27k$64k85%2,12124 mi 40Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, Iowa92.6%15%1486$18k$63k88%1,729254 mi 41Rhodes CollegeMemphis, Tennessee92.3%50%1362$29k$67k85%1,836326 mi 42Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota92.3%29%1440$32k$64k87%2,131134 mi 43Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania92.2%29%1396$32k$75k82%1,35911 mi 44New Orleans Baptist Theological SeminaryNew Orleans, Louisiana92.0%——$11k—74%8652 mi 45Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, Pennsylvania92.0%42%1391$38k$70k80%2,27370 mi 46The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, New York91.9%21%1410$13k$84k81%8421 mi 47Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana91.7%77%1427$43k$101k78%2,309148 mi 48Kenyon CollegeGambier, Ohio91.6%31%1429$39k$72k82%1,73270 mi 49Thomas Aquinas CollegeSanta Paula, California91.6%83%1329$26k$56k84%56616 mi 50Bates CollegeLewiston, Maine91.3%13%1468$29k$69k90%1,76018 mi 51Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, Pennsylvania91.2%39%1379$31k$72k83%2,09952 mi 52Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, South Carolina91.0%52%1296$19k$69k84%1,816178 mi 53United Talmudical SeminaryBrooklyn, New York90.8%——$7k$25k58%2,2411 mi 54St Lawrence UniversityCanton, New York90.8%54%1371$29k$67k79%1,91831 mi 55Furman UniversityGreenville, South Carolina90.6%43%1371$30k$69k79%2,379188 mi 56Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, Pennsylvania90.2%28%1392$36k$76k84%1,79936 mi 57College of the OzarksPoint Lookout, Missouri90.2%12%1118$6k$42k64%1,444459 mi 58Union CollegeSchenectady, New York90.2%44%1395$35k$89k80%2,046104 mi 59Trinity CollegeHartford, Connecticut90.0%29%1415$35k$91k84%2,14631 mi 60Muhlenberg CollegeAllentown, Pennsylvania89.9%72%1343$29k$69k82%1,72747 mi 61Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, Illinois89.9%57%1343$29k$62k78%1,8131 mi 62Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, California89.8%44%1452$38k$76k81%1,87718 mi 63Connecticut CollegeNew London, Connecticut89.7%37%1432$36k$75k82%1,9372 mi 64Taylor UniversityUpland, Indiana89.3%74%1220$25k$52k74%2,025114 mi 65University of Maine at Fort KentFort Kent, Maine89.3%98%—$7k$51k39%59960 mi 66Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, Massachusetts89.1%76%—$24k$44k69%1,8313 mi 67Union UniversityJackson, Tennessee89.0%60%1256$27k$54k66%1,607345 mi 68The University of the SouthSewanee, Tennessee88.9%57%1344$28k$65k80%1,607324 mi 69Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, Oregon88.8%78%—$36k$62k75%2,12055 mi 70Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, Massachusetts88.6%36%1463$26k$58k84%2,16962 mi 71DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana88.6%57%1340$22k$71k75%1,905139 mi 72Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, Pennsylvania88.6%79%1236$27k$54k75%2,25961 mi 73Denison UniversityGranville, Ohio88.5%17%1410$40k$68k79%2,38091 mi 74Drew UniversityMadison, New Jersey88.4%68%1227$24k$64k70%1,53314 mi 75Grove City CollegeGrove City, Pennsylvania88.3%72%1272——83%2,21661 mi 76Maranatha Baptist UniversityWatertown, Wisconsin88.2%72%1170$26k$46k64%54142 mi 77Covenant CollegeLookout Mountain, Georgia88.2%87%1294$26k$50k71%939309 mi 78Saint Anselm CollegeManchester, New Hampshire88.1%78%1201$35k$73k80%2,08734 mi 79Saint Mary's CollegeNotre Dame, Indiana88.1%76%1246$25k$59k69%1,45824 mi 80Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, Minnesota88.0%61%1290$23k$66k77%1,878190 mi 81Cleveland Institute of ArtCleveland, Ohio87.8%61%1193$29k$43k58%5393 mi 82Reed CollegePortland, Oregon87.6%25%1437$33k$63k71%1,32054 mi 83Centre CollegeDanville, Kentucky87.5%54%1352$21k$66k81%1,400279 mi 84Sarah Lawrence CollegeBronxville, New York87.4%62%1366$41k$54k71%1,5303 mi 85Lourdes UniversitySylvania, Ohio87.1%74%—$23k$48k32%54313 mi 86Transylvania UniversityLexington, Kentucky87.1%87%1287$22k$55k71%1,005247 mi 87SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuse, New York87.0%63%—$19k$56k66%1,83935 mi 88Ursinus CollegeCollegeville, Pennsylvania86.9%92%1310$31k$74k73%1,49123 mi 89Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, Massachusetts86.8%95%—$22k$82k74%1,395< 1 mi 90Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, Washington86.7%38%1410$33k$68k81%1,531209 mi 91California College of the ArtsSan Francisco, California86.7%91%—$54k$49k61%9901 mi 92Mercy College of OhioToledo, Ohio86.7%93%947$18k$65k56%9397 mi 93Lawrence UniversityAppleton, Wisconsin86.6%64%1350$23k$56k77%1,39628 mi 94Willamette UniversitySalem, Oregon86.5%77%1377$25k$57k71%1,59248 mi 95Hobart William Smith CollegesGeneva, New York86.4%64%1319$32k$69k77%1,78628 mi 96Ringling College of Art and DesignSarasota, Florida86.4%70%—$58k$43k72%1,6621 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.