Outcomes
These colleges graduate the largest share of their first-time, full-time students within six years. 353 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 Harvard University (Massachusetts).
Across all 353 qualifying colleges the graduation rate runs from 0.0% (Arizona State University Digital Immersion) to 97.6% (Harvard University), with a median of 73.1%. For comparison, the median across the 353 colleges in the full dataset that report it is 73.1%.
| # | College | State | Graduation rate | Retention | Acceptance rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | 97.6% | 98.3% | 3.6% | $19,066 |
| 2 | Princeton University | NJ | 97.6% | 98.4% | 4.6% | $6,128 |
| 3 | Duke University | NC | 96.8% | 97.9% | 5.7% | $29,612 |
| 4 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | 96.5% | 98.9% | 5.4% | $28,699 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | 96.4% | 99.1% | 4.5% | $20,111 |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | 96.1% | 98.0% | 4.0% | $21,590 |
| 7 | University of Chicago | IL | 95.9% | 99.3% | 4.5% | $14,860 |
| 8 | Brown University | RI | 95.7% | 98.8% | 5.4% | $25,184 |
| 9 | Yale University | CT | 95.7% | 98.8% | 3.9% | $23,777 |
| 10 | University of Virginia | VA | 95.6% | 97.5% | 16.8% | $21,565 |
| 11 | Dartmouth College | NH | 95.5% | 98.4% | 5.4% | $29,519 |
| 12 | Cornell University | NY | 95.4% | 98.4% | 8.8% | $28,690 |
| 13 | Bowdoin College | ME | 95.3% | 96.8% | 7.1% | $14,398 |
| 14 | University of Notre Dame | IN | 95.2% | 99.1% | 11.3% | $26,780 |
| 15 | Northwestern University | IL | 95.1% | 98.1% | 7.7% | $29,167 |
| 16 | Georgetown University | DC | 94.8% | 96.8% | 12.9% | $40,815 |
| 17 | Rice University | TX | 94.6% | 97.4% | 8.0% | $13,370 |
| 18 | California Institute of Technology | CA | 94.4% | 97.4% | 2.6% | $16,075 |
| 19 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | 94.3% | 95.0% | 12.1% | $21,786 |
| 20 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | 94.1% | 98.0% | 11.7% | $31,944 |
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 353 qualifying colleges, 172 are public and 181 are private nonprofit. Within the table, Massachusetts appears 2 times, Pennsylvania appears 2 times, New York appears 2 times. The median retention among the 20 listed colleges that report it is 98.2%, against 87.1% for the whole dataset. The median acceptance rate among the 20 listed colleges that report it is 5.6%, against 44.6% for the whole dataset. 19 of the 20 listed colleges report an SAT range, and the midpoints of those ranges have a median near 1540.
The Scorecard graduation rate follows a cohort of first-time, full-time students and counts those who finish a bachelor's degree at the same college within 150 percent of normal time, which is six years.
Each column in the table means the following.
The measure leaves out part-time students and students who transfer in, and it counts a student who finishes elsewhere as not graduating. Highly selective colleges post high rates partly because of whom they admit.
To see how your own score compares, read what a 1540 SAT or a 34 ACT means for a college list, then check college costs by state for price context.
Harvard University is first on this list, with graduation rate of 97.6%. It leads 353 qualifying colleges in the dataset, so check what the number measures before treating it as a recommendation.
353 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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