The college experience is a transformative journey, marked by academic pursuits, personal growth, and the forging of lifelong connections. However, it's no secret that not all students complete their four-year education at the institution where they initially enrolled. The phenomenon of undergraduates transferring from one college to another is a natural part of the higher education landscape.
There are various reasons behind this student mobility, from academic struggles to changing career goals. But understanding why and how colleges lose undergraduates to transfers is essential for institutions seeking to foster a supportive and engaging learning environment that retains students throughout their academic journey.
Here, BrokeScholar decided to conduct a study of all four-year public and private not-for-profit colleges in the United States in order to identify which colleges retain their undergraduate students the most. Read on to find out what colleges are the best at keeping their undergraduate students.
Table of Contents
Colleges Who Retain Their Students the Most
In order to identify the colleges that retain their undergraduate students the most, we analyzed more than 1,500 four-year colleges in terms of their:
- Transfer-out rate: The percentage of the full-time, first-time students who transferred to another institution without completing at the current institution.
- Retention rate: Retention rates measure the percentage of first-time students who are seeking bachelor's degrees who return to the institution to continue their studies the following fall.
Data was sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The transfer-out rates and retention rates were scored, added up, and each college was given a final score, which we then ranked.
Top 50 Colleges Who Keep Their Undergraduates the Most
Below is a table detailing the top 50 colleges that ranked the highest in our study. Included in the table are each school’s transfer-out rate, retention rate, plus graduation rate, undergraduate acceptance rate, and cost of tuition and required fees per academic year:
|
Name |
State |
Transfer-Out Rate |
Retention Rate |
Undergraduate Acceptance Rate |
Graduation Rate |
In-State Tuition and Required Fees |
Out-of-State Tuition and Required Fees |
|
Massachusetts |
3% |
99% |
19% |
94% |
$60,766 |
$60,766 |
|
|
New York |
3% |
99% |
11% |
89% |
$52,500 |
$52,500 |
|
|
California |
3% |
98% |
3% |
94% |
$60,864 |
$60,864 |
|
|
Georgia |
4% |
98% |
17% |
93% |
$11,764 |
$32,876 |
|
|
Virginia |
3% |
97% |
19% |
95% |
$20,342 |
$55,914 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
3% |
97% |
7% |
91% |
$60,192 |
$60,192 |
|
|
Maryland |
3% |
97% |
7% |
94% |
$60,480 |
$60,480 |
|
|
California |
3% |
97% |
9% |
92% |
$13,401 |
$43,473 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
2% |
95% |
36% |
91% |
$58,360 |
$58,360 |
|
|
California |
1% |
94% |
30% |
85% |
$10,319 |
$28,229 |
|
|
Maine |
4% |
96% |
9% |
94% |
$61,528 |
$61,528 |
|
|
New Jersey |
1% |
93% |
46% |
88% |
$58,624 |
$58,624 |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
5% |
96% |
14% |
91% |
$63,628 |
$63,628 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
5% |
96% |
10% |
94% |
$65,222 |
$65,222 |
|
|
North Carolina |
5% |
96% |
17% |
91% |
$8,989 |
$37,550 |
|
|
Rhode Island |
4% |
95% |
17% |
91% |
$57,505 |
$57,505 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
5% |
95% |
7% |
92% |
$64,100 |
$64,100 |
|
|
Vermont |
5% |
95% |
13% |
94% |
$62,460 |
$62,460 |
|
|
Connecticut |
5% |
95% |
14% |
93% |
$64,322 |
$64,322 |
|
|
New York |
4% |
94% |
12% |
88% |
$0 |
$0 |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
1% |
91% |
55% |
83% |
$19,835 |
$38,651 |
|
|
New York |
5% |
94% |
19% |
92% |
$64,800 |
$64,800 |
|
|
Colorado |
5% |
94% |
58% |
82% |
$20,040 |
$42,120 |
|
|
Florida |
5% |
94% |
25% |
85% |
$5,656 |
$18,786 |
|
|
New York |
3% |
92% |
100% |
85% |
$14,500 |
$14,500 |
|
|
Maine |
5% |
93% |
14% |
93% |
$61,066 |
$61,066 |
|
|
New York |
4% |
92% |
39% |
90% |
$61,678 |
$61,678 |
|
|
California |
2% |
89% |
39% |
78% |
$8,174 |
$20,054 |
|
|
Minnesota |
5% |
91% |
28% |
88% |
$62,500 |
$62,500 |
|
|
Oklahoma |
3% |
89% |
100% |
57% |
$28,600 |
$28,600 |
|
|
California |
2% |
87% |
55% |
66% |
$7,439 |
$19,319 |
|
|
New York |
5% |
89% |
50% |
76% |
$57,599 |
$57,599 |
|
|
California |
2% |
86% |
67% |
69% |
$7,007 |
$18,887 |
|
|
California |
5% |
88% |
47% |
77% |
$14,240 |
$44,312 |
|
|
New York |
4% |
87% |
55% |
79% |
$52,550 |
$52,550 |
|
|
California |
2% |
85% |
85% |
73% |
$6,884 |
$18,764 |
|
|
California |
3% |
85% |
77% |
68% |
$7,899 |
$19,779 |
|
|
Tennessee |
4% |
85% |
66% |
52% |
$23,870 |
$23,870 |
|
|
Indiana |
1% |
82% |
78% |
71% |
$28,830 |
$28,830 |
|
|
Maryland |
5% |
85% |
83% |
79% |
$53,430 |
$53,430 |
|
|
California |
1% |
80% |
91% |
54% |
$7,486 |
$19,366 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
3% |
81% |
76% |
74% |
$44,350 |
$44,350 |
|
|
California |
3% |
81% |
97% |
55% |
$7,734 |
$19,614 |
|
|
California |
3% |
80% |
93% |
54% |
$7,484 |
$19,364 |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
2% |
79% |
84% |
32% |
$23,900 |
$23,900 |
|
|
California |
4% |
80% |
95% |
64% |
$7,972 |
$19,852 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
4% |
78% |
89% |
79% |
$10,634 |
$24,522 |
|
|
California |
2% |
76% |
95% |
56% |
$6,663 |
$18,543 |
|
|
Washington |
4% |
77% |
100% |
63% |
$31,758 |
$31,758 |
|
|
Missouri |
2% |
75% |
61% |
51% |
$27,480 |
$27,480 |
Two colleges posted retention rates of 99%: Olin College of Engineering and the Juilliard School. Both had low transfer-out rates of 3%.
The Bottom Line on College Retention Rates
It becomes evident that a combination of academic support, a vibrant campus culture, and financial incentives such as scholarships and student discounts play a pivotal role in reducing the transfer rates. These institutions understand that investing in their students' success goes beyond the classroom; it extends to the financial well-being of the students and their families.
By offering opportunities for reduced tuition costs through scholarships and discounts, colleges not only mitigate the financial barriers that often lead to transfers but also demonstrate their commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive academic community. In the end, the colleges that retain their students the most are those that understand the value of nurturing both the academic and financial aspects of a student's college journey, ensuring that more undergraduates have the opportunity to persist and thrive in their pursuit of higher education.
