Test-Optional Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates

Test-Optional Colleges 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 815 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois99.3%4%1554$15k$92k96%7,5691 mi 2University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana99.1%11%1520$27k$100k95%8,81825 mi 3University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania98.9%5%1553$29k$111k97%10,6503 mi 4Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island98.8%5%1546$25k$93k96%7,2261 mi 5Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut98.8%4%1534$24k$101k96%6,7581 mi 6United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London, Connecticut98.6%22%1339——93%1,1082 mi 7Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire98.4%5%1534$30k$97k96%4,54188 mi 8Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York98.4%9%1535$29k$104k95%15,99561 mi 9Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey98.4%5%1553$6k$110k98%5,70922 mi 10Stanford UniversityStanford, California98.2%4%1553$14k$124k92%7,5544 mi 11Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California98.1%10%1527$29k$105k91%1,38834 mi 12Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois98.1%8%1533$29k$89k95%9,2011 mi 13Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland98.1%6%1553$19k$88k94%5,6935 mi 14Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, New York98.0%4%1553$22k$102k96%8,973< 1 mi 15Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania98.0%12%1546$32k$115k94%7,304110 mi 16Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina97.9%6%1548$30k$98k97%6,442111 mi 17University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia97.5%17%1480$22k$87k96%17,59767 mi 18Pomona CollegeClaremont, California97.5%7%1534$19k$78k93%1,66633 mi 19University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan97.5%16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 20Rice UniversityHouston, Texas97.4%8%1553$13k$90k95%4,77620 mi 21Amherst CollegeAmherst, Massachusetts97.3%9%1533$23k$78k94%1,91169 mi 22United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, Maryland97.3%9%1307——93%4,474< 1 mi 23Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts96.9%5%1497$31k$93k91%17,3262 mi 24Williams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts96.9%8%1533$18k$89k94%2,07698 mi 25Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, Maine96.8%7%1520$14k$83k95%1,8733 mi 26The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas96.7%27%1395$20k$75k89%42,855126 mi 27University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina96.6%15%1439$12k$72k91%20,752115 mi 28Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia96.6%14%1498$24k$95k94%1,881121 mi 29Barnard CollegeNew York, New York96.6%9%1520$29k$81k93%3,264< 1 mi 30Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, Michigan96.6%21%1415——90%1,57361 mi 31Wellesley CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts96.5%14%1520$25k$85k92%2,30013 mi 32Carleton CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota96.5%20%1517$25k$76k90%2,086164 mi 33Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee96.3%6%1549$16k$92k94%7,208380 mi 34University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland96.2%45%1473$16k$83k89%30,7609 mi 35University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin96.2%45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 36Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, Massachusetts96.0%16%1507$42k$104k91%10,0856 mi 37University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California95.9%10%1495$33k$92k92%20,44310 mi 38New York UniversityNew York, New York95.8%9%1520$37k$83k88%28,6631 mi 39Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia95.7%11%1520$23k$80k91%7,298219 mi 40Tufts UniversityMedford, Massachusetts95.5%11%1513$40k$83k94%7,0615 mi 41Villanova UniversityVillanova, Pennsylvania95.1%27%1460$44k$100k92%6,93812 mi 42Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, Rhode Island95.0%19%1473$51k$68k89%2,0841 mi 43Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri95.0%12%1530$22k$86k94%7,857258 mi 44Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, New York94.9%19%1494$39k$71k91%2,44426 mi 45Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, Connecticut94.9%16%1501$30k$74k93%3,06719 mi 46Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York94.8%14%1506$29k$78k91%2,03054 mi 47University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois94.8%42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 48Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama94.8%46%1345$24k$65k82%26,816151 mi 49College of the Holy CrossWorcester, Massachusetts94.8%18%1353$39k$91k87%3,10636 mi 50Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts94.7%11%1480$24k$83k89%18,2483 mi 51Davidson CollegeDavidson, North Carolina94.6%13%1469$17k$81k91%1,867167 mi 52Babson CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts94.6%17%1457$41k$124k93%2,72811 mi 53William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia94.6%34%1473$19k$73k89%7,0553 mi 54North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina94.5%42%1376$17k$69k85%27,37193 mi 55Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas94.3%57%1280$21k$72k84%59,61597 mi 56Smith CollegeNorthampton, Massachusetts94.3%21%1500$28k$64k89%2,54467 mi 57Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan94.3%79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 58Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio94.2%61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 59Creighton UniversityOmaha, Nebraska94.2%80%1321$32k$74k83%4,348424 mi 60Spelman CollegeAtlanta, Georgia94.1%25%1220$39k$60k78%3,414222 mi 61Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, Pennsylvania94.0%7%1534$23k$80k92%1,6133 mi 62Providence CollegeProvidence, Rhode Island94.0%51%1346$49k$87k86%4,2293 mi 63Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, California93.9%48%1426$50k$109k88%6,5529 mi 64Haverford CollegeHaverford, Pennsylvania93.8%12%1513$25k$80k90%1,4309 mi 65Scripps CollegeClaremont, California93.8%38%1492$36k$78k83%1,11334 mi 66University of MiamiCoral Gables, Florida93.8%19%1415$37k$75k84%12,9132 mi 67Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania93.7%26%1440$37k$106k88%5,89845 mi 68Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, Pennsylvania93.7%29%1410$41k$94k86%3,876105 mi 69Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, Vermont93.7%11%1508$31k$76k91%2,73895 mi 70Colby CollegeWaterville, Maine93.7%7%1501$17k$80k89%2,40735 mi 71Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, New Jersey93.6%48%1446$41k$109k87%4,222< 1 mi 72Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, Colorado93.6%18%1365$33k$65k88%2,014705 mi 73Clemson UniversityClemson, South Carolina93.5%38%1353$22k$72k87%23,300187 mi 74Colgate UniversityHamilton, New York93.4%14%1508$29k$85k91%3,18061 mi 75Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia93.1%55%1364$25k$82k86%30,923173 mi 76Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, New Jersey93.0%58%1410$24k$74k84%37,7519 mi 77Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, Washington92.9%82%1335$35k$79k86%5,198224 mi 78Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, Texas92.9%44%1298$37k$68k86%11,026246 mi 79Samford UniversityBirmingham, Alabama92.9%82%1201$33k$58k77%4,206198 mi 80Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, Texas92.9%26%1416$23k$72k84%2,505120 mi 81Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado92.8%61%1412$29k$97k82%6,155737 mi 82University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri92.7%78%1247$20k$63k75%23,929318 mi 83Bentley UniversityWaltham, Massachusetts92.7%45%1352$38k$121k87%4,4749 mi 84Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, Pennsylvania92.6%61%1337$33k$63k86%42,284124 mi 85Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois92.6%87%1380$27k$64k85%2,12124 mi 86Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North Carolina92.6%22%1475$29k$78k89%5,485183 mi 87Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, Iowa92.6%15%1486$18k$63k88%1,729254 mi 88Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana92.5%14%1448$40k$63k86%7,7676 mi 89Rhodes CollegeMemphis, Tennessee92.3%50%1362$29k$67k85%1,836326 mi 90Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota92.3%29%1440$32k$64k87%2,131134 mi 91Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania92.2%29%1396$32k$75k82%1,35911 mi 92George Washington UniversityWashington, District of Columbia92.2%47%1433$37k$91k84%11,1821 mi 93St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota92.2%48%1380$24k$66k84%3,093165 mi 94University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, South Carolina92.2%60%1297$23k$62k79%29,820101 mi 95Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio92.1%37%1513$41k$88k87%6,4373 mi 96University of TulsaTulsa, Oklahoma92.1%62%1389$15k$61k72%2,813443 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.