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.
| # | University | In-state | Cost of attendance | Borrow | Paying down | SAT | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 241 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas | $67,040 | $85,606 | 21% | 75% | 1428 | 63% |
| 242 | Transylvania University Lexington, Kentucky | $46,870 | $60,993 | 47% | 75% | 1287 | 87% |
| 243 | University of Dallas Irving, Texas | $53,930 | $68,583 | 44% | 75% | 1227 | 53% |
| 244 | University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California | $16,005 | $41,179 | 28% | 75% | — | 66% |
| 245 | Pratt Institute Brooklyn, New York | $61,845 | $80,049 | 35% | 75% | 1290 | 73% |
| 246 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, Pennsylvania | $10,775 | $28,394 | 54% | 75% | 1187 | 78% |
| 247 | Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin | $51,900 | $63,540 | 70% | 75% | 1176 | 80% |
| 248 | University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming | $7,768 | $24,818 | 28% | 75% | — | 97% |
| 249 | Mount St. Mary's University Emmitsburg, Maryland | $48,630 | $63,731 | 51% | 75% | 1176 | 74% |
| 250 | John Brown University Siloam Springs, Arkansas | $31,756 | $44,710 | 33% | 75% | 1195 | 76% |
| 251 | Millsaps College Jackson, Mississippi | $44,680 | $60,061 | 59% | 75% | 1181 | 43% |
| 252 | University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California | $16,414 | $41,573 | 18% | 75% | — | 33% |
| 253 | Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art New York, New York | $46,820 | $64,190 | 21% | 75% | 1410 | 21% |
| 254 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, Wisconsin | $9,488 | $20,079 | 49% | 74% | 1150 | 92% |
| 255 | Pepperdine University Malibu, California | $69,918 | $93,512 | 37% | 74% | 1384 | 63% |
| 256 | Southwestern University Georgetown, Texas | $53,813 | $67,493 | 46% | 74% | 1241 | 43% |
| 257 | Sacred Heart University Fairfield, Connecticut | $50,404 | $69,289 | 57% | 74% | — | 65% |
| 258 | The College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio | $61,640 | $75,656 | 45% | 74% | 1353 | 60% |
| 259 | University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota | $21,750 | $34,274 | 67% | 74% | — | 83% |
| 260 | Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington | $9,582 | $30,359 | 29% | 74% | 1289 | 93% |
| 261 | San Jose State University San Jose, California | $8,410 | $26,593 | 20% | 74% | — | 85% |
| 262 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, Virginia | $14,640 | $31,137 | 29% | 74% | 1272 | 80% |
| 263 | Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, Oklahoma | $27,180 | $39,106 | 45% | 74% | 1122 | 97% |
| 264 | University of Nebraska, Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska | $10,434 | $26,697 | 33% | 74% | 1191 | 87% |
| 265 | Biola University La Mirada, California | $48,984 | $62,757 | 44% | 74% | 1261 | 74% |
| 266 | Illinois State University Normal, Illinois | $16,144 | $34,309 | 43% | 74% | 1113 | 88% |
| 267 | Roanoke College Salem, Virginia | $38,068 | $54,283 | 80% | 74% | 1211 | 83% |
| 268 | Champlain College Burlington, Vermont | $47,850 | $65,009 | 52% | 74% | 1312 | 83% |
| 269 | Keene State College Keene, New Hampshire | $14,784 | $29,993 | 67% | 74% | — | 90% |
| 270 | Longwood University Farmville, Virginia | $15,744 | $34,588 | 46% | 74% | 1120 | 90% |
| 271 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado | $15,666 | $37,684 | 25% | 74% | 1357 | 78% |
| 272 | Bennington College Bennington, Vermont | $66,262 | $87,284 | 50% | 74% | 1364 | 45% |
| 273 | Alma College Alma, Michigan | $49,552 | $63,650 | 57% | 74% | — | 57% |
| 274 | Lycoming College Williamsport, Pennsylvania | $50,029 | $64,105 | 71% | 74% | 1160 | 74% |
| 275 | Xavier University Cincinnati, Ohio | $50,640 | $65,476 | 53% | 73% | 1217 | 86% |
| 276 | Hampshire College Amherst, Massachusetts | $58,896 | $74,195 | 62% | 73% | — | 75% |
| 277 | University of Miami Coral Gables, Florida | $62,616 | $86,078 | 27% | 73% | 1415 | 19% |
| 278 | University of New England Biddeford, Maine | $44,210 | $63,245 | 41% | 73% | — | 92% |
| 279 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, California | $60,492 | $80,141 | 47% | 73% | 1295 | 62% |
| 280 | Goucher College Baltimore, Maryland | $53,350 | $70,544 | 53% | 73% | 1248 | 78% |
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Universities without a published figure for the ranked measure are not listed.