The Inkwell
Rankings
Best first-year retention

Where first-year students come back

Share of first-time, full-time students who return for a second year. Top 100 of 1,201 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 first-year retention	Net price	Grad.	Earnings
1	Arizona State University Digital ImmersionScottsdale	AZ	Public	100%	$11,594	—	$69,111
2	Charter Oak State CollegeNew Britain	CT	Public	100%	$14,594	0%	$65,844
3	Strayer University-MarylandBaltimore	MD	For-profit	100%	$17,773	80%	$44,016
4	Strayer University-South CarolinaGreenville	SC	For-profit	100%	$22,593	33%	$44,016
5	Strayer University-TennesseeNashville	TN	For-profit	100%	—	50%	$44,016
6	Strayer University-TexasFarmers Branch	TX	For-profit	100%	—	0%	$44,016
7	West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange CountyAnaheim	CA	For-profit	100%	$36,240	25%	$104,344
8	West Coast University-TexasRichardson	TX	For-profit	100%	$52,439	0%	$104,344
9	University of ChicagoChicago	IL	Nonprofit	99%	$16,776	95%	$103,872
10	Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge	MA	Nonprofit	99%	$14,815	96%	$152,553
11	University of Notre DameNotre Dame	IN	Nonprofit	99%	$25,339	95%	$113,124
12	University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia	PA	Nonprofit	99%	$29,577	97%	$121,687
13	Brown UniversityProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	99%	$26,976	96%	$99,974
14	Yale UniversityNew Haven	CT	Nonprofit	99%	$11,340	96%	$118,356
15	United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London	CT	Public	99%	—	95%	—
16	Cornell UniversityIthaca	NY	Nonprofit	98%	$33,934	94%	$113,531
17	Dartmouth CollegeHanover	NH	Nonprofit	98%	$26,707	95%	$111,162
18	Princeton UniversityPrinceton	NJ	Nonprofit	98%	$7,815	97%	$133,523
19	Harvard UniversityCambridge	MA	Nonprofit	98%	$19,148	97%	$121,957
20	Stanford UniversityStanford	CA	Nonprofit	98%	$12,307	92%	$125,340
21	Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	98%	$26,039	90%	$127,532
22	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta	GA	Public	98%	$12,028	94%	$114,210
23	Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore	MD	Nonprofit	98%	$18,431	93%	$104,590
24	Northwestern UniversityEvanston	IL	Nonprofit	98%	$34,420	96%	$104,255
25	Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh	PA	Nonprofit	98%	$35,780	94%	$125,257
26	Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York	NY	Nonprofit	98%	$15,370	95%	$109,430
27	Duke UniversityDurham	NC	Nonprofit	98%	$23,706	96%	$113,937
28	University of FloridaGainesville	FL	Public	98%	$5,969	92%	$78,456
29	Pomona CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	98%	$18,978	92%	$84,281
30	University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor	MI	Public	98%	$14,362	93%	$92,832
31	University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville	VA	Public	98%	$18,056	94%	$96,468
32	Rice UniversityHouston	TX	Nonprofit	97%	$11,164	95%	$90,773
33	Amherst CollegeAmherst	MA	Nonprofit	97%	$19,536	92%	$95,161
34	United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis	MD	Public	97%	—	88%	—
35	University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles	CA	Public	97%	$14,659	93%	$88,581
36	American Public University SystemCharles Town	WV	For-profit	97%	$11,116	60%	$41,320
37	Northeastern UniversityBoston	MA	Nonprofit	97%	$29,060	91%	$99,371
38	Williams CollegeWilliamstown	MA	Nonprofit	97%	$15,157	95%	$95,954
39	Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick	ME	Nonprofit	97%	$15,595	93%	$90,153
40	Georgetown UniversityWashington	DC	Nonprofit	97%	$33,661	94%	$110,516
41	University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley	CA	Public	97%	$14,538	94%	$100,212
42	The University of Texas at AustinAustin	TX	Public	97%	$18,554	89%	$81,694
43	Barnard CollegeNew York	NY	Nonprofit	97%	$28,930	92%	$98,280
44	Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale	MI	Nonprofit	97%	—	89%	—
45	University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill	NC	Public	97%	$11,305	91%	$81,094
46	Washington and Lee UniversityLexington	VA	Nonprofit	97%	$25,279	96%	$102,966
47	Carleton CollegeNorthfield	MN	Nonprofit	96%	$25,295	89%	$82,742
48	United States Air Force AcademyUSAF Academy	CO	Public	96%	—	84%	—
49	Wellesley CollegeWellesley	MA	Nonprofit	96%	$23,995	91%	$90,458
50	Vanderbilt UniversityNashville	TN	Nonprofit	96%	$15,497	93%	$99,080
51	University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park	MD	Public	96%	$14,296	88%	$89,228
52	University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison	WI	Public	96%	$16,600	90%	$80,330
53	Boston CollegeChestnut Hill	MA	Nonprofit	96%	$38,930	90%	$112,178
54	Florida State UniversityTallahassee	FL	Public	96%	$8,605	86%	$68,225
55	University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles	CA	Nonprofit	96%	$33,056	90%	$103,420
56	Yeshivath ViznitzMonsey	NY	Nonprofit	96%	$10,421	57%	$20,032
57	New York UniversityNew York	NY	Nonprofit	96%	$35,737	88%	$90,957
58	Emory UniversityAtlanta	GA	Nonprofit	96%	$16,754	91%	$93,897
59	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo	CA	Public	96%	$18,832	87%	$96,304
60	Tufts UniversityMedford	MA	Nonprofit	96%	$38,797	94%	$89,187
61	Villanova UniversityVillanova	PA	Nonprofit	95%	$41,536	93%	$115,382
62	Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	95%	$50,513	92%	$69,341
63	Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis	MO	Nonprofit	95%	$13,360	93%	$91,497
64	Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie	NY	Nonprofit	95%	$36,924	89%	$75,532
65	Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown	CT	Nonprofit	95%	$23,014	90%	$86,811
66	Auburn UniversityAuburn	AL	Public	95%	$25,424	82%	$73,273
67	College of the Holy CrossWorcester	MA	Nonprofit	95%	$38,829	86%	$100,485
68	Hamilton CollegeClinton	NY	Nonprofit	95%	$25,793	90%	$84,956
69	University of Florida-OnlineGainesville	FL	Public	95%	$4,336	83%	$78,456
70	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign	IL	Public	95%	$13,042	86%	$87,599
71	Boston UniversityBoston	MA	Nonprofit	95%	$36,503	90%	$89,087
72	University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle	WA	Public	95%	$13,663	85%	$83,105
73	Babson CollegeWellesley	MA	Nonprofit	95%	$34,096	92%	$138,950
74	Davidson CollegeDavidson	NC	Nonprofit	95%	$15,060	90%	$89,297
75	United States Military AcademyWest Point	NY	Public	95%	—	86%	—
76	William & MaryWilliamsburg	VA	Public	95%	$18,880	88%	$83,488
77	North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh	NC	Public	94%	$16,486	85%	$77,810
78	Kettering UniversityFlint	MI	Nonprofit	94%	$29,797	74%	$96,136
79	Smith CollegeNorthampton	MA	Nonprofit	94%	$25,519	86%	$69,936
80	Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station	TX	Public	94%	$21,527	84%	$78,159
81	Creighton UniversityOmaha	NE	Nonprofit	94%	$32,456	83%	$80,642
82	Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus	OH	Public	94%	$17,269	87%	$67,080
83	Spelman CollegeAtlanta	GA	Nonprofit	94%	$46,089	77%	$65,773
84	Providence CollegeProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	94%	$49,594	86%	$90,260
85	Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore	PA	Nonprofit	94%	$17,392	92%	$86,311
86	University of California-IrvineIrvine	CA	Public	94%	$13,866	87%	$83,432
87	University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla	CA	Public	94%	$14,794	86%	$96,197
88	University of GeorgiaAthens	GA	Public	94%	$13,636	89%	$77,246
89	Uta Mesivta of Kiryas JoelMonroe	NY	Nonprofit	94%	$5,694	71%	$31,810
90	Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara	CA	Nonprofit	94%	$50,570	87%	$117,193
91	Haverford CollegeHaverford	PA	Nonprofit	94%	$31,075	89%	$76,397
92	Pitzer CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	94%	$36,135	83%	$72,270
93	Scripps CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	94%	$29,998	84%	$84,025
94	University of MiamiCoral Gables	FL	Nonprofit	94%	$36,483	84%	$84,093
95	Bucknell UniversityLewisburg	PA	Nonprofit	94%	$50,021	85%	$109,954
96	Colby CollegeWaterville	ME	Nonprofit	94%	$19,835	87%	$88,776
97	Lehigh UniversityBethlehem	PA	Nonprofit	94%	$25,272	85%	$116,342
98	Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury	VT	Nonprofit	94%	$32,102	92%	$85,077
99	Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester	MA	Nonprofit	94%	$43,885	90%	$113,513
100	Colorado CollegeColorado Springs	CO	Nonprofit	94%	$27,951	86%	$70,914

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