Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the South

Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the South, ranked by first-year retention rate. Region: Census South region. Included states / district: DE DC FL GA MD NC SC VA WV AL KY MS TN AR LA OK TX. 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 395 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

1West Coast University-TexasRichardson, Texas100.0%——$53k$103k31%2,67313 mi 2Strayer University-TexasFarmers Branch, Texas100.0%———$40k25%2,293244 mi 3Strayer University-South CarolinaGreenville, South Carolina100.0%——$18k$40k17%1,868182 mi 4Strayer University-TennesseeNashville, Tennessee100.0%——$12k$40k0%1,784319 mi 5Strayer University-MarylandBaltimore, Maryland100.0%———$40k38%1,0436 mi 6Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland98.1%6%1553$19k$88k94%5,6935 mi 7Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, Georgia98.1%14%1480$12k$103k94%18,785222 mi 8Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina97.9%6%1548$30k$98k97%6,442111 mi 9University of FloridaGainesville, Florida97.7%24%1403$7k$72k91%35,62942 mi 10University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia97.5%17%1480$22k$87k96%17,59767 mi 11Rice UniversityHouston, Texas97.4%8%1553$13k$90k95%4,77620 mi 12United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, Maryland97.3%9%1307——93%4,474< 1 mi 13Georgetown UniversityWashington, District of Columbia96.8%13%1487$41k$103k95%7,5691 mi 14The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas96.7%27%1395$20k$75k89%42,855126 mi 15University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina96.6%15%1439$12k$72k91%20,752115 mi 16Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia96.6%14%1498$24k$95k94%1,881121 mi 17Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee96.3%6%1549$16k$92k94%7,208380 mi 18University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland96.2%45%1473$16k$83k89%30,7609 mi 19Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida96.0%24%1361$11k$62k86%32,21224 mi 20Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia95.7%11%1520$23k$80k91%7,298219 mi 21Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama94.8%46%1345$24k$65k82%26,816151 mi 22Davidson CollegeDavidson, North Carolina94.6%13%1469$17k$81k91%1,867167 mi 23William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia94.6%34%1473$19k$73k89%7,0553 mi 24North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina94.5%42%1376$17k$69k85%27,37193 mi 25Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas94.3%57%1280$21k$72k84%59,61597 mi 26Spelman CollegeAtlanta, Georgia94.1%25%1220$39k$60k78%3,414222 mi 27University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia94.0%38%1397$14k$69k90%32,137175 mi 28University of MiamiCoral Gables, Florida93.8%19%1415$37k$75k84%12,9132 mi 29Clemson UniversityClemson, South Carolina93.5%38%1353$22k$72k87%23,300187 mi 30Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia93.1%55%1364$25k$82k86%30,923173 mi 31Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, Texas92.9%44%1298$37k$68k86%11,026246 mi 32Samford UniversityBirmingham, Alabama92.9%82%1201$33k$58k77%4,206198 mi 33Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, Texas92.9%26%1416$23k$72k84%2,505120 mi 34Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North Carolina92.6%22%1475$29k$78k89%5,485183 mi 35Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana92.5%14%1448$40k$63k86%7,7676 mi 36University of Central FloridaOrlando, Florida92.3%40%1269$10k$58k78%59,14623 mi 37Rhodes CollegeMemphis, Tennessee92.3%50%1362$29k$67k85%1,836326 mi 38George Washington UniversityWashington, District of Columbia92.2%47%1433$37k$91k84%11,1821 mi 39University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, South Carolina92.2%60%1297$23k$62k79%29,820101 mi 40University of TulsaTulsa, Oklahoma92.1%62%1389$15k$61k72%2,813443 mi 41James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia92.0%72%1256$23k$70k80%20,88882 mi 42University of DelawareNewark, Delaware92.0%71%1292$18k$73k81%19,0718 mi 43The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, Tennessee91.9%42%1311$19k$60k74%30,418294 mi 44Florida International UniversityMiami, Florida91.8%55%1163$9k$60k74%39,5088 mi 45University of South FloridaTampa, Florida91.3%43%1227$10k$58k77%37,2079 mi 46Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, South Carolina91.0%52%1296$19k$69k84%1,816178 mi 47Baylor UniversityWaco, Texas91.0%51%1329$41k$66k80%14,785175 mi 48Howard UniversityWashington, District of Columbia90.9%41%1213$51k$63k70%10,1083 mi 49University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, Virginia90.8%22%1497$31k$76k85%2,98022 mi 50Furman UniversityGreenville, South Carolina90.6%43%1371$30k$69k79%2,379188 mi 51Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, Texas90.5%63%1428$41k$78k84%7,277237 mi 52University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, Oklahoma90.0%77%1246$15k$63k75%22,734402 mi 53The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, Texas90.0%65%1286$18k$68k76%21,751245 mi 54Elon UniversityElon, North Carolina89.8%66%1208$42k$75k84%6,452143 mi 55The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama89.5%77%1285$22k$59k73%33,227173 mi 56Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee, Florida89.2%21%1107$14k$44k53%7,58223 mi 57Union UniversityJackson, Tennessee89.0%60%1256$27k$54k66%1,607345 mi 58The University of the SouthSewanee, Tennessee88.9%57%1344$28k$65k80%1,607324 mi 59University of West FloridaPensacola, Florida88.8%58%1138$9k$49k59%9,3302 mi 60American UniversityWashington, District of Columbia88.2%62%1381$42k$77k75%7,2663 mi 61University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina88.2%64%1287$20k$55k71%14,9223 mi 62Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, Florida88.1%65%1257$41k$84k67%7,8604 mi 63Centre CollegeDanville, Kentucky87.5%54%1352$21k$66k81%1,400279 mi 64University of MississippiUniversity, Mississippi87.2%97%1184$13k$51k72%21,473266 mi 65Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, Maryland87.1%75%1290$31k$83k79%3,8696 mi 66Transylvania UniversityLexington, Kentucky87.1%87%1287$22k$55k71%1,005247 mi 67University of HoustonHouston, Texas87.0%74%1250$14k$62k65%38,38017 mi 68Belmont UniversityNashville, Tennessee86.9%95%1280$33k$56k71%7,137380 mi 69Morehouse CollegeAtlanta, Georgia86.9%44%1090$39k$53k59%2,844222 mi 70University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky86.8%93%1215$19k$59k71%24,763249 mi 71The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, District of Columbia86.5%83%—$30k$73k79%3,1544 mi 72Harding UniversitySearcy, Arkansas86.4%71%1182$22k$53k69%3,382347 mi 73University of ArkansasFayetteville, Arkansas86.4%74%1169$18k$58k71%28,677421 mi 74Ringling College of Art and DesignSarasota, Florida86.4%70%—$58k$43k72%1,6621 mi 75Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia86.3%83%1173$49k$46k69%15,24311 mi 76George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia86.0%87%1274$18k$76k68%27,75212 mi 77Freed-Hardeman UniversityHenderson, Tennessee85.9%60%1109$22k$47k71%1,212327 mi 78Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina85.8%23%1208$21k$72k75%2,705< 1 mi 79St. Mary's College of MarylandSt. Mary's City, Maryland85.8%69%1261$18k$60k70%1,603< 1 mi 80The University of TampaTampa, Florida85.5%40%—$36k$59k64%10,5721 mi 81High Point UniversityHigh Point, North Carolina85.4%75%1288$39k$61k74%5,129165 mi 82Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, Virginia85.3%93%1137$23k$58k63%20,75318 mi 83Hampton UniversityHampton, Virginia85.3%62%969$25k$59k57%3,7271 mi 84Rollins CollegeWinter Park, Florida85.2%48%1271$35k$58k75%2,63132 mi 85University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBaltimore, Maryland85.0%72%1323$16k$70k70%10,7015 mi 86University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina85.0%80%1231$15k$57k69%24,453153 mi 87Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, Texas85.0%73%1190$19k$62k69%32,394456 mi 88Oklahoma State University-Main CampusStillwater, Oklahoma84.8%75%1150$17k$57k68%21,773456 mi 89Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, Louisiana84.7%73%1285$19k$61k69%30,59447 mi 90University of North FloridaJacksonville, Florida84.7%53%1153$10k$56k69%13,3597 mi 91Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, Florida84.5%66%1127$9k$57k63%23,7572 mi 92University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, Virginia84.4%80%1272$21k$61k66%3,5668 mi 93University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, Alabama84.3%69%1319$19k$62k64%6,591285 mi 94Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City, Oklahoma83.9%77%1177$23k$55k65%1,514423 mi 95Randolph-Macon CollegeAshland, Virginia83.7%87%1095$28k$58k70%1,63931 mi 96Appalachian State UniversityBoone, North Carolina83.7%90%1214$17k$52k75%19,444236 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.