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
681 Charter Oak State College New Britain, Connecticut $8,506 $23,210 45% 52% — —
682 Goldey-Beacom College Wilmington, Delaware $14,940 $26,502 34% 52% — 85%
683 La Sierra University Riverside, California $37,710 $51,459 59% 52% — 92%
684 Friends University Wichita, Kansas $34,192 $50,482 58% 52% 1080 55%
685 Cascadia College Bothell, Washington $5,157 $21,077 2% 52% — —
686 University of South Carolina - Aiken Aiken, South Carolina $10,760 $21,540 43% 52% 1120 79%
687 Coastal Carolina University Conway, South Carolina $11,640 $26,692 57% 52% 1143 75%
688 University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Fort Smith, Arkansas $7,334 $19,048 26% 52% 1050 80%
689 Columbia Basin College Pasco, Washington $6,555 $18,261 4% 52% — —
690 University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana $37,200 $52,590 38% 52% — 67%
691 Huntingdon College Montgomery, Alabama $29,070 $40,908 71% 51% 1142 69%
692 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, Alabama $9,098 $28,145 40% 51% 1258 88%
693 Guilford College Greensboro, North Carolina $41,362 $55,689 51% 51% 1105 80%
694 Northwest Florida State College Niceville, Florida $2,583 $12,914 20% 51% — —
695 California State University, Dominguez Hills Carson, California $7,449 $23,191 20% 51% — 93%
696 The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, Texas $9,987 $16,830 26% 51% 985 94%
697 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, Tennessee $10,472 $27,042 34% 51% 1144 86%
698 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, Illinois $13,334 $28,329 45% 51% 1055 87%
699 University of Advancing Technology Tempe, Arizona $19,365 $32,794 68% 50% — 98%
700 Athens State University Athens, Alabama — — 41% 50% — —
701 Andrews University Berrien Springs, Michigan $35,056 $45,218 31% 50% 1150 82%
702 University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, Connecticut $35,760 $52,957 76% 50% — 83%
703 New Jersey City University Jersey City, New Jersey $14,460 $28,255 28% 50% — 98%
704 Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa $19,475 $34,022 40% 50% 1090 96%
705 Pensacola State College Pensacola, Florida $2,361 $11,894 8% 50% — —
706 Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana $10,258 $24,535 26% 50% — 81%
707 National University San Diego, California $13,284 $33,978 25% 50% — —
708 Northeastern Junior College Sterling, Colorado $5,730 $21,558 17% 50% — —
709 Washburn University Topeka, Kansas $9,945 $21,512 31% 50% — —
710 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, Tennessee $10,266 $24,289 28% 50% 1121 69%
711 Tuskegee University Tuskegee, Alabama $25,386 $43,454 59% 50% 1120 49%
712 Indiana University at South Bend South Bend, Indiana $8,424 $17,364 35% 49% 1081 84%
713 Saginaw Valley State University University Center, Michigan $12,930 $24,936 50% 49% 1052 72%
714 Indiana University Southeast New Albany, Indiana $8,424 $16,411 29% 49% 1072 84%
715 Winthrop University Rock Hill, South Carolina $14,678 $30,710 54% 49% 1139 79%
716 Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, Colorado $9,927 $24,046 31% 49% 1055 82%
717 Colorado Christian University Lakewood, Colorado $41,342 $54,242 45% 49% — —
718 Southern Arkansas University Magnolia, Arkansas $9,960 $24,951 63% 49% 1047 75%
719 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky $10,320 $23,735 41% 48% 1149 78%
720 Park University Parkville, Missouri $17,500 $29,427 31% 48% — —

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
Charter Oak State College — 52% 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.