Ranked

891 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
521 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, Illinois $56,420 $75,625 37% 61% — 77%
522 Southern Nazarene University Bethany, Oklahoma $31,190 $46,465 60% 61% — —
523 Spring Hill College Mobile, Alabama $24,054 $39,936 44% 61% 1120 77%
524 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, Connecticut $13,438 $29,673 52% 61% — 91%
525 California State University, Northridge Northridge, California $7,458 $20,485 21% 61% — 93%
526 University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, Oklahoma $9,000 $20,662 37% 60% 1152 66%
527 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, North Carolina $7,501 $21,685 39% 60% 1251 92%
528 Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, Kansas $8,400 $22,099 41% 60% 1050 89%
529 Quincy University Quincy, Illinois $37,140 $50,091 54% 60% 1098 51%
530 College of Charleston Charleston, South Carolina $12,978 $32,362 38% 60% 1247 60%
531 University of Massachusetts Boston Boston, Massachusetts $15,908 $30,544 51% 60% 1194 84%
532 Tabor College Hillsboro, Kansas $36,200 $50,350 59% 60% — 65%
533 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama $12,180 $33,382 32% 60% 1285 77%
534 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, Illinois $13,248 $28,851 47% 60% — 70%
535 Chatham University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania $44,626 $61,261 53% 60% 1198 62%
536 Bastyr University Kenmore, Washington — — 17% 60% — —
537 Rhode Island College Providence, Rhode Island $11,300 $17,454 47% 60% 990 92%
538 Keuka College Keuka Park, New York $39,332 $54,760 75% 60% — 68%
539 University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa $42,095 $53,806 70% 60% 1110 89%
540 King University Bristol, Tennessee $36,194 $49,004 55% 60% — 100%
541 University of Texas Permian Basin Odessa, Texas $9,236 $23,886 29% 60% 1033 95%
542 Saint Xavier University Chicago, Illinois $37,940 $43,244 87% 60% — 84%
543 Stephens College Columbia, Missouri $28,300 $46,643 62% 60% — 77%
544 Pacific Union College Angwin, California $37,173 $49,404 58% 60% — 47%
545 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North Carolina $4,630 $19,992 44% 59% 1157 82%
546 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, Florida $6,118 $20,807 25% 59% 1114 63%
547 Utah Valley University Orem, Utah $6,507 $14,765 9% 59% — —
548 Fort Hays State University Hays, Kansas $5,923 $19,909 24% 59% 1089 90%
549 University of Southern Indiana Evansville, Indiana $10,066 $22,383 26% 59% 1141 96%
550 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina $7,239 $23,010 39% 59% 1231 80%
551 University of the Ozarks Clarksville, Arkansas $25,950 $38,666 44% 59% 1105 60%
552 Emporia State University Emporia, Kansas $7,106 $21,967 59% 59% 1120 98%
553 Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Olney, Illinois $5,260 $17,333 4% 59% — —
554 Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois $15,264 $28,254 32% 59% — 71%
555 University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida $6,368 $23,133 23% 59% 1269 40%
556 Ferris State University Big Rapids, Michigan $14,778 $27,048 43% 59% 1012 91%
557 Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, Missouri $30,566 $40,301 50% 59% 1088 68%
558 Young Harris College Young Harris, Georgia $32,305 $48,301 33% 59% — 63%
559 University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida $6,389 $20,983 23% 59% 1153 53%
560 Montana State University - Billings Billings, Montana $7,280 $20,054 28% 59% — —

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago — 61% 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.