Schools Ranked by Retention Rate

A college’s retention rate reflects the student body’s overall interest in the college. This figure can explain many factors that compose the attractiveness of a college, including the quality of its teaching staff, the relevance of the curriculum, and the perceived value of what is being taught. The retention rate figures are provided by the College Navigator database, offered by the U.S. Department of Education. College Navigator defines retention rate as the percentage of first-time bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from fall 2010 who enrolled again in fall 2011.

College Navigator did not have retention rate figures for all of the colleges on our list. We did not, however, want to penalize those colleges without data. To that end, we simply excluded those schools from the rankings in this category.

Rank School FT to PT
Faculty Ratio		 Institution
Fin. Aid Rate		 Acceptance Rate Retention Rate Graduation Rate Accred.
Years		 Default
Rate		 Job Place. Rate  
300 Ashland University-Ohio 0.90 to 1 96% 72% 72% 61% 74 5% 100%  
300 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus 3.25 to 1 75% 76% 72% 58% 96 7% N/A  
300 Cabrillo College 0.75 to 1 0% N/A 72% 25% 51 17% N/A  
300 Chabot College 0.69 to 1 0% N/A 72% 24% 49 27% 100%  
300 Colorado Christian University 0.20 to 1 99% 81% 72% 42% 31 6% N/A  
300 Concordia University 0.33 to 1 97% 76% 72% 51% 31 5% N/A  
300 Eastern Oregon University 7.93 to 1 61% 74% 72% 32% 81 10% N/A  
300 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania 2.93 to 1 19% 77% 72% 53% 70 8% N/A  
300 Murray State University 2.67 to 1 66% 81% 72% 53% 84 8% N/A  
300 Northwest Nazarene University 0.79 to 1 98% N/A 72% 52% 82 6% N/A  
300 Oakton Community College 0.28 to 1 21% N/A 72% 13% 36 16% N/A  
300 Southern New Hampshire University 0.19 to 1 89% 84% 72% 57% 39 7% N/A  
300 University of Hartford 0.78 to 1 98% 62% 72% 55% 51 7% N/A  
300 University of Mary 0.48 to 1 98% 75% 72% 52% 43 4% N/A  
300 University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne 10.58 to 1 97% 54% 72% 54% 55 9% N/A  
300 University of Southern Mississippi 3.51 to 1 58% 63% 72% 47% 83 11% N/A  
300 Utah State University 33.35 to 1 29% 97% 72% 53% 88 4% N/A  
300 Victory University 0.36 to 1 13% 31% 72% 10% 26 20% N/A  
300 Western Carolina University 2.64 to 1 64% 39% 72% 50% 66 6% N/A  
300 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College 0.67 to 1 9% N/A 72% 41% 33 15% N/A  
321 Cardinal Stritch University 0.32 to 1 64% 48% 71% 46% 59 8% N/A  
321 Chaminade University of Honolulu 0.47 to 1 99% 90% 71% 38% 52 10% N/A  
321 Community Care College 14.00 to 1 0% N/A 71% 74% 14 26% N/A  
321 Cumberland University 0.51 to 1 96% 49% 71% 34% 50 14% N/A  
321 Ferris State University 1.86 to 1 67% 77% 71% 42% 53 6% N/A  
321 Fisher College 0.25 to 1 86% 59% 71% 40% 42 19% N/A  
321 Frostburg State University 2.02 to 1 39% 55% 71% 45% 59 8% N/A  
321 Georgetown College 2.58 to 1 100% 88% 71% 59% 93 4% N/A  
321 Northern Illinois University 3.47 to 1 36% 53% 71% 56% 97 7% N/A  
321 Southeast Missouri State University 102.25 to 1 69% 97% 71% 46% 97 10% N/A  
321 SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome 0.72 to 1 43% 38% 71% 47% 33 4% N/A  
321 The University of Texas at Arlington 2.29 to 1 50% 69% 71% 40% 48 10% N/A  
321 Union Institute & University 0.10 to 1 53% N/A 71% 9% 27 6% N/A  
321 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 0.90 to 1 42% 67% 71% 41% 42 8% N/A  
321 University of North Alabama 2.32 to 1 34% 88% 71% 27% 78 14% N/A  
321 University of Wisconsin-Stout 2.35 to 1 11% 89% 71% 53% 84 4% N/A  
321 Viterbo University 0.52 to 1 98% 78% 71% 47% 58 6% N/A  
321 Western Illinois University 10.25 to 1 45% 66% 71% 53% 99 11% N/A  
321 Wheeling Jesuit University 1.53 to 1 100% 72% 71% 62% 50 7% N/A  
340 Chatham University 0.46 to 1 100% 62% 70% 60% 88 3% 68%  
340 Clarion University of Pennsylvania 2.63 to 1 7% 79% 70% 49% 64 7% 95%  
340 Columbus State University 1.37 to 1 11% 54% 70% 31% 49 9% N/A  
340 Cuyahoga Valley Career Center 0.55 to 1 0% 94% 70% 72% 82 9% N/A  
340 East Tennessee State University 2.43 to 1 13% 85% 70% 44% 85 14% N/A  
340 Everglades University 0.44 to 1 42% 86% 70% 65% 19 13% N/A  
340 Fayetteville State University 5.83 to 1 61% 61% 70% 31% 65 17% N/A  
340 Florida National College-Main Campus 1.33 to 1 0% N/A 70% 57% 15 22% N/A  
340 Holy Names University 0.32 to 1 98% 64% 70% 39% 63 11% N/A  
340 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla 0.40 to 1 31% 66% 70% 20% 36 28% N/A  
340 Keystone College 0.35 to 1 90% 91% 70% 44% 76 13% N/A  
340 Lakeland College 0.16 to 1 100% 82% 70% 42% 51 5% N/A  
340 Lindenwood University 0.43 to 1 94% 53% 70% 45% 94 5% N/A  
340 Marshall University 2.53 to 1 54% 81% 70% 45% 84 10% N/A  
340 Marymount University 0.61 to 1 89% 78% 70% 48% 54 4% N/A  
340 Middle Tennessee State University 2.37 to 1 21% 70% 70% 45% 84 12% N/A  
340 Mount Vernon Nazarene University 0.76 to 1 99% 72% 70% 57% 40 5% N/A  
340 New Mexico State University-Main Campus 2.72 to 1 31% 80% 70% 46% 86 15% N/A  
340 Newman University 0.53 to 1 99% 43% 70% 28% 45 8% N/A  
340 Nova Southeastern University 0.98 to 1 86% 58% 70% 43% 41 4% N/A  
340 Queens University of Charlotte 0.80 to 1 93% 74% 70% 60% 80 8% N/A  
340 Robeson Community College 0.38 to 1 1% N/A 70% 44% 37 0% N/A  
340 Southern University and A & M College 4.06 to 1 18% 43% 70% 25% 74 12% N/A  
340 Southwestern College (1) 0.29 to 1 100% 87% 70% 57% 80 9% N/A  
340 University of Antelope Valley 1.07 to 1 0% N/A 70% 73% 11 31% N/A  
340 University of Northern Colorado 2.58 to 1 74% 73% 70% 46% 96 8% N/A  
340 University of South Carolina-Aiken 1.75 to 1 28% 50% 70% 41% 35 6% N/A  
340 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1.98 to 1 8% 90% 70% 40% 43 6% N/A  
368 Alexandria Technical & Community College 0.86 to 1 25% N/A 69% 56% 32 10% 90%  
368 Austin Peay State University 1.25 to 1 17% 88% 69% 34% 65 17% N/A  
368 Boise State University 1.23 to 1 25% 85% 69% 31% 71 8% 95%  
368 Brenau University 0.65 to 1 96% 34% 69% 44% 65 8% N/A  
368 Brevard Community College 0.30 to 1 10% N/A 69% 47% 47 20% N/A  
368 Briar Cliff University 1.97 to 1 99% N/A 69% 45% 67 8% N/A  
368 Briarcliffe College 0.15 to 1 13% N/A 69% 42% 16 22% N/A  
368 Bryan College 0.77 to 1 94% 57% 69% 56% 43 7% N/A  
368 Cabarrus College of Health Sciences 3.63 to 1 19% 68% 69% 71% 17 3% N/A  
368 Chamberlain College of Nursing - Missouri 0.24 to 1 19% 89% 69% 75% N/A N/A 65%  
368 Emporia State University 12.10 to 1 64% 82% 69% 43% 97 8% N/A  
368 Everest University-South Orlando 0.92 to 1 3% N/A 69% 23% 13 31% N/A  
368 Hartnell College 0.37 to 1 3% N/A 69% 23% 60 18% N/A  
368 Haywood Community College 0.61 to 1 3% N/A 69% 23% 39 0% N/A  
368 Lone Star College System 0.21 to 1 4% N/A 69% 10% 36 18% N/A  
368 Mt Sierra College 0.00 to 1 42% 40% 69% 27% 16 11% N/A  
368 Northwest Missouri State University 4.08 to 1 90% 70% 69% 50% 91 7% N/A  
368 Northwestern State University of Louisiana 2.13 to 1 56% 82% 69% 34% 71 14% N/A  
368 Pfeiffer University 1.24 to 1 87% 59% 69% 45% 70 7% N/A  
368 Pinnacle Career Institute-Lawrence 0.13 to 1 8% N/A 69% 71% 23 5% N/A  
368 Saint Cloud State University 1.80 to 1 36% 90% 69% 49% 65 6% N/A  
368 Southern Oregon University 2.07 to 1 61% 59% 69% 33% 84 7% N/A  
368 Tabor College 0.54 to 1 100% 91% 69% 52% 47 9% N/A  
368 Tiffin University 0.21 to 1 68% 51% 69% 47% 27 7% N/A  
368 University of Central Arkansas 2.79 to 1 37% 91% 69% 40% 81 13% N/A  
368 University of Guam 0.87 to 1 1% N/A 69% 23% 49 12% N/A  
368 University of Hawaii at Hilo 3.67 to 1 39% 71% 69% 36% 36 9% N/A  
368 University of Louisiana Monroe 4.09 to 1 47% 92% 69% 35% 57 13% N/A  
368 Wake Technical Community College 0.57 to 1 3% N/A 69% 15% 42 12% N/A  
368 Washington Adventist University 24.50 to 1 93% N/A 69% 28% 70 10% N/A  
398 Arkansas Tech University 1.69 to 1 32% 90% 68% 43% 82 19% N/A  
398 Bemidji State University 1.38 to 1 31% 90% 68% 45% 69 7% N/A  
398 Blue Mountain College 2.21 to 1 89% 52% 68% 50% 85 12% N/A  

Methodology

For each college, we gathered data for nine different metrics: the number of full-time faculty per part-time faculty member; institutional financial aid, acceptance, retention, graduation, job placement, and default rates; years accredited; and undergraduate tuition. Learn more