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
601 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia $16,945 $38,954 39% 57% 1137 93%
602 University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri $12,587 $25,320 24% 56% 1204 72%
603 Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida $44,480 $67,880 36% 56% 1134 73%
604 Arkansas Tech University Russellville, Arkansas $8,674 $22,808 26% 56% 1049 96%
605 Gallaudet University Washington, District of Columbia $19,654 $40,374 38% 56% 868 58%
606 Agnes Scott College Decatur, Georgia $50,604 $63,283 53% 56% 1260 62%
607 Webster University Saint Louis, Missouri $31,750 $51,188 46% 56% 1102 86%
608 Augusta University Augusta, Georgia $8,414 $23,524 35% 56% 1070 86%
609 Golden Gate University San Francisco, California — — 28% 56% — —
610 Rollins College Winter Park, Florida $60,580 $76,108 39% 56% 1271 48%
611 Newberry College Newberry, South Carolina $31,100 $46,442 73% 56% — 90%
612 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, Michigan $14,760 $30,681 69% 56% 1091 90%
613 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona $13,009 $29,933 32% 56% — 90%
614 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan $15,252 $29,237 47% 56% — 85%
615 Excelsior University Albany, New York — — 34% 56% — —
616 East Texas Baptist University Marshall, Texas $30,680 $44,211 51% 55% — 58%
617 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, Mississippi $9,998 $26,566 48% 55% 1190 99%
618 Davis & Elkins College Elkins, West Virginia $31,820 $44,888 63% 55% — 94%
619 University of Tennessee, Martin Martin, Tennessee $10,560 $23,079 31% 55% 1120 88%
620 Peru State College Peru, Nebraska $8,640 $22,240 44% 55% — —
621 California State University, Bakersfield Bakersfield, California $8,090 $19,522 23% 55% — 94%
622 Tarleton State University Stephenville, Texas $8,302 $24,100 40% 55% 1075 90%
623 Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, Texas $10,580 $22,652 40% 55% — 94%
624 Evergreen State College Olympia, Washington $9,264 $28,477 40% 55% 1216 96%
625 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma $8,818 $26,392 33% 55% 1090 78%
626 Dallas Baptist University Dallas, Texas $40,190 $52,716 32% 55% 1120 89%
627 University of North Texas Denton, Texas $11,309 $26,243 36% 55% 1109 72%
628 University of Alaska - Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska $7,738 $24,096 14% 55% — —
629 University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, Texas $9,011 $22,352 39% 55% 1105 87%
630 University of Alaska - Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska $8,736 $22,407 17% 55% — —
631 Dillard University New Orleans, Louisiana $23,918 $39,202 79% 55% 1050 42%
632 Texas Woman's University Denton, Texas $8,640 $22,234 38% 55% — 96%
633 Angelo State University San Angelo, Texas $8,460 $23,441 23% 55% 1054 83%
634 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, Kentucky $11,088 $19,725 31% 55% 1087 68%
635 The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, North Carolina $7,661 $21,373 46% 55% 1193 89%
636 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida $4,879 $21,522 26% 55% 1127 66%
637 Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, North Carolina $35,070 $45,542 70% 55% — 96%
638 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion Marion, Indiana $32,352 $44,776 71% 54% 1082 89%
639 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, Utah $8,658 $16,728 43% 54% — —
640 Colorado State University - Global Campus Denver, Colorado $9,000 $21,201 34% 54% — 98%

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
Virginia Commonwealth University — 57% 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.