Ranked

889 uS universities whose graduates repay fastest

Share of borrowers whose loan balance is falling three years after leaving — the clearest published signal that a degree is being paid off rather than deferred.

#UniversityIn-stateCost of attendance BorrowPaying downSATAcceptance
761 Austin Peay State University Clarksville, Tennessee $9,006 $22,233 34% 45% 1088 96%
762 University of Arkansas - Monticello Monticello, Arkansas $9,292 $22,519 39% 45% — —
763 Columbia College Columbia, South Carolina $22,214 $35,258 65% 44% — 94%
764 Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia $8,664 $28,241 40% 44% 1076 55%
765 The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, North Carolina $3,648 $17,261 43% 44% 1056 93%
766 Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, Illinois $3,504 $19,336 6% 44% — —
767 Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, Alabama $9,700 $21,353 42% 44% 1093 92%
768 Lamar University Beaumont, Texas $8,905 $22,254 42% 44% 1061 86%
769 Sul Ross State University Alpine, Texas $7,592 $24,529 41% 44% 1024 99%
770 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Michigan $16,240 $29,640 43% 44% 1066 80%
771 Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, Alabama $6,760 $18,226 26% 43% — —
772 University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia $6,088 $21,981 35% 43% 1032 52%
773 University of Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland $9,992 $26,406 38% 43% 940 79%
774 Everett Community College Everett, Washington $5,032 $20,451 3% 43% — —
775 Hampton University Hampton, Virginia $30,592 $46,027 56% 43% 969 62%
776 Regent University Virginia Beach, Virginia $21,650 $32,838 57% 43% 1153 38%
777 Wilmington University New Castle, Delaware $12,630 $19,644 46% 43% — —
778 University of Houston-Downtown Houston, Texas $7,708 $20,749 30% 43% 1029 90%
779 National-Louis University Chicago, Illinois $12,705 $24,154 22% 43% — 95%
780 Spelman College Atlanta, Georgia $31,556 $50,952 48% 42% 1220 25%
781 Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia $9,162 $22,022 40% 42% 1061 96%
782 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, Indiana $8,675 $15,571 25% 42% 1024 72%
783 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, Alabama $12,894 $24,257 44% 42% 1059 78%
784 New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas, New Mexico $7,416 $20,868 18% 42% — —
785 Aspen University Phoenix, Arizona $6,870 — 10% 42% — —
786 Irvine Valley College Irvine, California $1,156 $13,001 1% 41% — —
787 Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown, Maryland $4,320 $12,747 14% 41% — —
788 University of Michigan–Flint Flint, Michigan $14,704 $20,915 43% 41% 1102 70%
789 Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia $6,124 $20,801 44% 41% 1013 72%
790 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, Maryland $4,322 $19,841 8% 40% — —
791 Barry University Miami, Florida $34,350 $50,778 44% 40% — 77%
792 Franklin University Columbus, Ohio $9,577 $30,696 41% 40% — —
793 Fisk University Nashville, Tennessee $25,858 $39,450 53% 40% 1200 37%
794 Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs, Colorado $10,482 — 11% 40% — —
795 Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio $11,113 $21,708 38% 39% 1120 84%
796 Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, Florida $3,050 $16,830 11% 39% — —
797 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, Florida $2,764 $11,576 4% 39% — —
798 Cameron University Lawton, Oklahoma $7,095 $19,862 26% 39% — —
799 Glen Oaks Community College Centreville, Michigan $4,176 $17,124 10% 39% — —
800 Jackson State University Jackson, Mississippi $8,965 $32,415 82% 39% 965 93%

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
Austin Peay State University — 45% of borrowers paying their balance down.
Where does this data come from?
The US Department of Education College Scorecard, which publishes what institutions charge, what students borrow and repay, and the test scores of admitted students. Nothing here is estimated — universities without a published figure are left out of the ranking.
Is the cheapest university the best value?
Not necessarily. Price is one half of value; the other is what graduates earn and whether they clear the debt. Each university page links to its earnings and repayment record.
All university data Cheapest tuition Most expensive Fewest borrowers Highest SAT Highest acceptance

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Universities without a published figure for the ranked measure are not listed.