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
41 Cornell University Ithaca, New York $69,314 $88,140 18% 87% 1535 9%
42 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania $47,505 $64,197 86% 87% 1243 81%
43 University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois $70,662 $90,360 5% 87% 1554 4%
44 Rice University Houston, Texas $64,144 $79,788 6% 87% 1553 8%
45 Barnard College New York, New York $69,888 $89,538 26% 87% 1520 9%
46 Colby College Waterville, Maine $69,600 $85,420 9% 87% 1501 7%
47 Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois $68,322 $91,250 17% 87% 1533 8%
48 Brown University Providence, Rhode Island $71,412 $87,648 10% 87% 1546 5%
49 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts $64,500 $80,334 38% 87% 1353 18%
50 Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island $52,677 $69,964 52% 87% 1265 65%
51 Kenyon College Gambier, Ohio $71,520 $87,590 21% 87% 1429 31%
52 Dartmouth College Hanover, New Hampshire $68,268 $87,793 12% 87% 1534 5%
53 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, California $13,596 $32,265 25% 87% — 31%
54 University of Portland Portland, Oregon $58,100 $73,224 39% 87% 1277 89%
55 Colgate University Hamilton, New York $70,306 $87,070 12% 86% 1508 14%
56 Kettering University Flint, Michigan $48,470 $61,250 45% 86% 1251 79%
57 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, Pennsylvania $65,494 $84,103 11% 86% 1534 7%
58 Trinity University San Antonio, Texas $53,676 $68,224 44% 86% 1416 26%
59 Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey $62,688 $84,040 2% 86% 1553 5%
60 Clarkson University Potsdam, New York $59,398 $79,022 62% 86% 1304 77%
61 Yale University New Haven, Connecticut $67,250 $88,300 5% 86% 1534 4%
62 Union College Schenectady, New York $69,039 $84,561 44% 86% 1395 44%
63 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York $67,290 $85,270 33% 86% 1405 21%
64 University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia $21,803 $39,926 20% 86% 1480 17%
65 Pomona College Claremont, California $65,420 $85,300 9% 85% 1534 7%
66 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio $66,608 $85,851 47% 85% 1513 37%
67 Concordia College - Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota $31,170 $45,942 53% 85% 1190 63%
68 Reed College Portland, Oregon $69,350 $86,376 40% 85% 1437 25%
69 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, Pennsylvania $70,794 $85,776 44% 85% 1392 28%
70 Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia $12,058 $28,167 17% 85% 1480 14%
71 St. Lawrence University Canton, New York $65,900 $82,000 54% 85% 1371 54%
72 Gonzaga University Spokane, Washington $55,480 $73,178 36% 85% 1335 82%
73 Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana $47,560 $65,970 43% 85% 1274 85%
74 Ohio Northern University Ada, Ohio $39,800 $53,580 55% 85% 1252 74%
75 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania $68,686 $89,028 10% 84% 1553 5%
76 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, Illinois $57,704 $70,700 63% 84% 1275 39%
77 University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland — — 20% 84% — —
78 Saint Michael's College Colchester, Vermont $51,450 $69,079 58% 84% 1245 85%
79 University of Dayton Dayton, Ohio $49,140 $65,881 40% 84% 1335 65%
80 The College of New Jersey Ewing, New Jersey $19,632 $38,860 48% 84% 1246 62%

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
Cornell University — 87% 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.