The Inkwell
Rankings
Best graduation rate

Colleges with the highest graduation rate

Share of first-time, full-time students who finish within six years (150% of normal time); colleges with 1,000+ undergraduates, mostly full-time. Top 100 of 1,134 qualifying colleges.

Highest-earning graduates Lowest net price Best graduation rate Most selective Highest SAT scores Lowest student debt Best first-year retention Pell Grant access Largest colleges Earnings vs. price Oldest colleges

#	College	State	Sector	Best graduation rate	Net price	Grad.	Earnings
1	Arizona College of Nursing-Las VegasLas Vegas	NV	For-profit	100%	$32,127	100%	$41,223
2	Princeton UniversityPrinceton	NJ	Nonprofit	97%	$7,815	97%	$133,523
3	Harvard UniversityCambridge	MA	Nonprofit	97%	$19,148	97%	$121,957
4	University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia	PA	Nonprofit	97%	$29,577	97%	$121,687
5	Yale UniversityNew Haven	CT	Nonprofit	96%	$11,340	96%	$118,356
6	Duke UniversityDurham	NC	Nonprofit	96%	$23,706	96%	$113,937
7	Northwestern UniversityEvanston	IL	Nonprofit	96%	$34,420	96%	$104,255
8	Washington and Lee UniversityLexington	VA	Nonprofit	96%	$25,279	96%	$102,966
9	Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge	MA	Nonprofit	96%	$14,815	96%	$152,553
10	Brown UniversityProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	96%	$26,976	96%	$99,974
11	University of Notre DameNotre Dame	IN	Nonprofit	95%	$25,339	95%	$113,124
12	Dartmouth CollegeHanover	NH	Nonprofit	95%	$26,707	95%	$111,162
13	Rice UniversityHouston	TX	Nonprofit	95%	$11,164	95%	$90,773
14	Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York	NY	Nonprofit	95%	$15,370	95%	$109,430
15	Williams CollegeWilliamstown	MA	Nonprofit	95%	$15,157	95%	$95,954
16	University of ChicagoChicago	IL	Nonprofit	95%	$16,776	95%	$103,872
17	United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London	CT	Public	95%	—	95%	—
18	Cornell UniversityIthaca	NY	Nonprofit	94%	$33,934	94%	$113,531
19	University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville	VA	Public	94%	$18,056	94%	$96,468
20	Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh	PA	Nonprofit	94%	$35,780	94%	$125,257
21	Georgetown UniversityWashington	DC	Nonprofit	94%	$33,661	94%	$110,516
22	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta	GA	Public	94%	$12,028	94%	$114,210
23	University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley	CA	Public	94%	$14,538	94%	$100,212
24	Tufts UniversityMedford	MA	Nonprofit	94%	$38,797	94%	$89,187
25	Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore	MD	Nonprofit	93%	$18,431	93%	$104,590
26	University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor	MI	Public	93%	$14,362	93%	$92,832
27	Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick	ME	Nonprofit	93%	$15,595	93%	$90,153
28	University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles	CA	Public	93%	$14,659	93%	$88,581
29	Villanova UniversityVillanova	PA	Nonprofit	93%	$41,536	93%	$115,382
30	Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis	MO	Nonprofit	93%	$13,360	93%	$91,497
31	Vanderbilt UniversityNashville	TN	Nonprofit	93%	$15,497	93%	$99,080
32	Amherst CollegeAmherst	MA	Nonprofit	92%	$19,536	92%	$95,161
33	Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury	VT	Nonprofit	92%	$32,102	92%	$85,077
34	Pomona CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	92%	$18,978	92%	$84,281
35	University of FloridaGainesville	FL	Public	92%	$5,969	92%	$78,456
36	Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	92%	$50,513	92%	$69,341
37	Barnard CollegeNew York	NY	Nonprofit	92%	$28,930	92%	$98,280
38	Stanford UniversityStanford	CA	Nonprofit	92%	$12,307	92%	$125,340
39	Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore	PA	Nonprofit	92%	$17,392	92%	$86,311
40	Babson CollegeWellesley	MA	Nonprofit	92%	$34,096	92%	$138,950
41	University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill	NC	Public	91%	$11,305	91%	$81,094
42	Emory UniversityAtlanta	GA	Nonprofit	91%	$16,754	91%	$93,897
43	Macalester CollegeSaint Paul	MN	Nonprofit	91%	$27,851	91%	$69,951
44	Wellesley CollegeWellesley	MA	Nonprofit	91%	$23,995	91%	$90,458
45	Northeastern UniversityBoston	MA	Nonprofit	91%	$29,060	91%	$99,371
46	Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem	NC	Nonprofit	90%	$28,165	90%	$104,443
47	University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles	CA	Nonprofit	90%	$33,056	90%	$103,420
48	Davidson CollegeDavidson	NC	Nonprofit	90%	$15,060	90%	$89,297
49	Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown	CT	Nonprofit	90%	$23,014	90%	$86,811
50	Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester	MA	Nonprofit	90%	$43,885	90%	$113,513
51	Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	90%	$26,039	90%	$127,532
52	Boston CollegeChestnut Hill	MA	Nonprofit	90%	$38,930	90%	$112,178
53	Hamilton CollegeClinton	NY	Nonprofit	90%	$25,793	90%	$84,956
54	University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison	WI	Public	90%	$16,600	90%	$80,330
55	Boston UniversityBoston	MA	Nonprofit	90%	$36,503	90%	$89,087
56	The University of Texas at AustinAustin	TX	Public	89%	$18,554	89%	$81,694
57	University of GeorgiaAthens	GA	Public	89%	$13,636	89%	$77,246
58	Haverford CollegeHaverford	PA	Nonprofit	89%	$31,075	89%	$76,397
59	Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale	MI	Nonprofit	89%	—	89%	—
60	Colgate UniversityHamilton	NY	Nonprofit	89%	$29,409	89%	$96,328
61	Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken	NJ	Nonprofit	89%	$37,396	89%	$118,358
62	Carleton CollegeNorthfield	MN	Nonprofit	89%	$25,295	89%	$82,742
63	Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie	NY	Nonprofit	89%	$36,924	89%	$75,532
64	University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park	MD	Public	88%	$14,296	88%	$89,228
65	William & MaryWilliamsburg	VA	Public	88%	$18,880	88%	$83,488
66	United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis	MD	Public	88%	—	88%	—
67	Bates CollegeLewiston	ME	Nonprofit	88%	$27,390	88%	$98,373
68	Bentley UniversityWaltham	MA	Nonprofit	88%	$38,969	88%	$126,427
69	New York UniversityNew York	NY	Nonprofit	88%	$35,737	88%	$90,957
70	Clemson UniversityClemson	SC	Public	88%	$22,032	88%	$79,064
71	Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland	OH	Nonprofit	87%	$44,622	87%	$89,865
72	Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara	CA	Nonprofit	87%	$50,570	87%	$117,193
73	Colby CollegeWaterville	ME	Nonprofit	87%	$19,835	87%	$88,776
74	Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans	LA	Nonprofit	87%	$40,693	87%	$68,226
75	Yeshiva UniversityNew York	NY	Nonprofit	87%	$49,210	87%	$77,098
76	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo	CA	Public	87%	$18,832	87%	$96,304
77	Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus	OH	Public	87%	$17,269	87%	$67,080
78	University of California-IrvineIrvine	CA	Public	87%	$13,866	87%	$83,432
79	Grinnell CollegeGrinnell	IA	Nonprofit	86%	$15,203	86%	$72,106
80	University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond	VA	Nonprofit	86%	$34,256	86%	$92,362
81	College of the Holy CrossWorcester	MA	Nonprofit	86%	$38,829	86%	$100,485
82	Providence CollegeProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	86%	$49,594	86%	$90,260
83	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign	IL	Public	86%	$13,042	86%	$87,599
84	Colorado CollegeColorado Springs	CO	Nonprofit	86%	$27,951	86%	$70,914
85	United States Military AcademyWest Point	NY	Public	86%	—	86%	—
86	University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla	CA	Public	86%	$14,794	86%	$96,197
87	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg	VA	Public	86%	$25,808	86%	$88,716
88	Florida State UniversityTallahassee	FL	Public	86%	$8,605	86%	$68,225
89	Smith CollegeNorthampton	MA	Nonprofit	86%	$25,519	86%	$69,936
90	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh	PA	Public	86%	$29,362	86%	$73,113
91	University of California-DavisDavis	CA	Public	86%	$14,318	86%	$86,999
92	Kenyon CollegeGambier	OH	Nonprofit	86%	$33,279	86%	$65,780
93	Gonzaga UniversitySpokane	WA	Nonprofit	86%	$32,750	86%	$89,110
94	Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth	TX	Nonprofit	86%	$35,045	86%	$77,334
95	Lafayette CollegeEaston	PA	Nonprofit	85%	$35,879	85%	$102,336
96	Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park	PA	Public	85%	$33,675	85%	$71,762
97	Fairfield UniversityFairfield	CT	Nonprofit	85%	$49,906	85%	$101,587
98	The College of New JerseyEwing	NJ	Public	85%	$26,752	85%	$79,651
99	Lehigh UniversityBethlehem	PA	Nonprofit	85%	$25,272	85%	$116,342
100	University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis	MN	Public	85%	$17,330	85%	$74,314

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education · ties broken alphabetically