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
281 University of Denver Denver, Colorado $61,398 $78,476 28% 73% 1355 78%
282 George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia $14,220 $28,604 31% 73% 1274 87%
283 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, Missouri $55,760 $71,932 30% 73% 1317 75%
284 Austin College Sherman, Texas $48,680 $61,607 50% 73% 1212 48%
285 Presbyterian College Clinton, South Carolina $44,910 $60,242 51% 73% 1118 68%
286 Randolph-Macon College Ashland, Virginia $49,466 $63,985 57% 73% 1095 87%
287 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, Iowa $40,878 $55,054 53% 73% — 83%
288 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, Minnesota $14,526 $27,039 36% 73% 1150 75%
289 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa $9,936 $22,278 46% 73% 1122 93%
290 Harding University Searcy, Arkansas $26,262 $39,534 44% 73% 1182 71%
291 Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, Wisconsin $36,110 $48,785 68% 73% 1239 78%
292 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Socorro, New Mexico $9,476 $24,967 31% 73% 1207 44%
293 York College of Pennsylvania York, Pennsylvania $25,588 $37,319 58% 73% 1162 74%
294 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, New Jersey $16,777 $29,483 38% 73% 1211 71%
295 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania $10,568 $25,537 61% 73% 1095 71%
296 Baylor University Waco, Texas $58,100 $74,226 31% 72% 1329 51%
297 Auburn University Auburn, Alabama $12,890 $34,919 26% 72% 1345 46%
298 Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania $43,496 $56,765 72% 72% 1136 91%
299 Niagara University Niagara University, New York $39,345 $51,632 55% 72% 1168 87%
300 University of Mount Union Alliance, Ohio $36,600 $49,276 76% 72% 1088 78%
301 Washington State University Pullman, Washington $13,391 $27,648 30% 72% — 87%
302 Washington State University at Vancouver Vancouver, Washington $11,937 — — 72% — —
303 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, Pennsylvania $13,720 $30,785 58% 72% 1120 87%
304 University of Maine System Orono, Maine $13,326 $27,328 42% 72% — 97%
305 University of Maine at Machias Machias, Maine $10,050 — — 72% — —
306 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma $35,648 $47,247 45% 72% 1177 77%
307 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana $41,200 $60,620 69% 72% 1144 56%
308 Walla Walla University College Place, Washington $34,227 $45,903 47% 72% — —
309 University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah $9,620 $25,557 21% 72% 1257 86%
310 Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, Virginia $26,160 $43,898 47% 72% 1230 76%
311 Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana $12,144 $28,801 27% 72% 1313 78%
312 Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina $7,579 $23,169 37% 72% 1214 90%
313 Dominican University of California San Rafael, California $52,161 $71,751 58% 72% 1290 84%
314 Canisius University Buffalo, New York $34,500 $44,322 53% 71% — 72%
315 Emmanuel College Boston, Massachusetts $48,550 $65,252 61% 71% 1250 76%
316 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New Jersey $19,974 $32,859 31% 71% 1337 65%
317 Wittenberg University Springfield, Ohio $45,940 $57,799 85% 71% 1179 72%
318 Minot State University Minot, North Dakota $8,702 $19,339 37% 71% 1051 65%
319 Hanover College Hanover, Indiana $44,638 $58,821 52% 71% 1201 84%
320 Alfred University Alfred, New York $41,500 $57,445 64% 71% 1279 74%

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
University of Denver — 73% 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.