Outcomes
These colleges admit at least 60 percent of applicants and still graduate a large share of their students. 103 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify for this list, and colleges with a missing value for the fields used here are left out rather than guessed. The table below shows the top 20, led by Ohio State University (Ohio).
Across all 103 qualifying colleges the graduation rate runs from 0.0% (Arizona State University Digital Immersion) to 87.7% (Ohio State University), with a median of 65.3%. For comparison, the median across the 353 colleges in the full dataset that report it is 73.1%.
| # | College | State | Graduation rate | Acceptance rate | Retention | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State University | OH | 87.7% | 60.6% | 94.2% | $17,339 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University | PA | 86.1% | 60.6% | 92.6% | $32,875 |
| 3 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | 85.3% | 79.8% | 91.1% | $16,778 |
| 4 | Brigham Young University | UT | 81.0% | 67.8% | 91.0% | $15,564 |
| 5 | Michigan State University | MI | 80.7% | 84.8% | 90.0% | $19,680 |
| 6 | University of Delaware | DE | 80.5% | 70.6% | 92.0% | $17,799 |
| 7 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | 80.2% | 78.2% | 91.1% | $16,264 |
| 8 | Miami University-Oxford | OH | 79.8% | 75.4% | 90.1% | $28,384 |
| 9 | James Madison University | VA | 79.7% | 71.5% | 92.0% | $23,322 |
| 10 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | 78.8% | 60.2% | 92.2% | $22,811 |
| 11 | University of California-Riverside | CA | 76.0% | 76.4% | 87.6% | $14,304 |
| 12 | The University of Texas at Dallas | TX | 75.7% | 65.1% | 90.0% | $18,267 |
| 13 | Iowa State University | IA | 75.3% | 88.7% | 87.6% | $18,589 |
| 14 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | 75.3% | 76.6% | 90.0% | $15,300 |
| 15 | University at Buffalo | NY | 75.2% | 74.2% | 85.2% | $20,995 |
| 16 | University of California-Santa Cruz | CA | 75.1% | 65.8% | 87.9% | $17,890 |
| 17 | Temple University | PA | 75.0% | 80.4% | 82.6% | $28,198 |
| 18 | University of Cincinnati | OH | 75.0% | 85.3% | 85.4% | $25,648 |
| 19 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | 74.9% | 78.5% | 92.7% | $20,268 |
| 20 | University of Iowa | IA | 74.6% | 83.6% | 90.4% | $22,531 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution, May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26). Data fetched 2026-10-14. Open any row for the full college profile.
Of the 103 qualifying colleges, 97 are public and 6 are private nonprofit. Within the table, Ohio appears 3 times, Pennsylvania appears 2 times, California appears 2 times. The median acceptance rate among the 20 listed colleges that report it is 75.9%, against 44.6% for the whole dataset. The median retention among the 20 listed colleges that report it is 90.2%, against 87.1% for the whole dataset. 17 of the 20 listed colleges report an SAT range, and the midpoints of those ranges have a median near 1280.
This list filters for an acceptance rate of 60 percent or higher, then sorts by six-year graduation rate. It points to colleges that are accessible to most applicants and still get students to a degree.
Each column in the table means the following.
A 60 percent cutoff is our own filter, not an official category, and it is applied to the acceptance rate reported for a single year.
To see how your own score compares, read what a 1280 SAT or a 28 ACT means for a college list, then check college costs by state for price context.
Ohio State University is first on this list, with graduation rate of 87.7%. It leads 103 qualifying colleges in the dataset, so check what the number measures before treating it as a recommendation.
103 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify, and the table shows the top 20. Colleges with a missing value are excluded.
No. The list sorts on one number. It does not measure teaching, fit, program strength or what you would pay, so use it to find colleges to look at and then check each profile and the college's own website.
Colleges are drawn from the 354-college dataset built from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26); fetched 2026-10-14). Selection: Four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduates: every college admitting 55% or fewer applicants, plus the 150 largest by undergraduate enrollment. Colleges that do not report test ranges are included with ranges shown as not reported. Reporting periods for the fields on this page: AcadYr 2021-22; Fall 2016 or AcadYr 2016-17 entry cohort, as applicable; Fall 2021 bachelor's-seeking cohort; Fall 2022. Full definitions are on the methodology page, and the numbers are available as an open download.
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