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
121 Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska $48,856 $63,423 42% 81% 1321 80%
122 Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts $68,560 $84,860 5% 81% 1533 8%
123 Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa $54,666 $67,372 68% 81% 1223 64%
124 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, Missouri $14,984 $29,231 40% 81% 1317 73%
125 Taylor University Upland, Indiana $40,490 $53,405 29% 81% 1220 74%
126 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, Arkansas — — 33% 81% — —
127 Hope College Holland, Michigan $41,970 $55,646 44% 81% 1249 79%
128 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina $8,994 $26,055 13% 81% 1439 15%
129 University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont $19,058 $35,649 37% 81% 1374 65%
130 Juniata College Huntingdon, Pennsylvania $58,580 $71,850 67% 81% 1227 79%
131 Centre College Danville, Kentucky $52,820 $67,787 49% 80% 1352 54%
132 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, New York $65,117 $82,602 74% 80% 1319 64%
133 St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, Maryland $15,298 $31,865 43% 80% 1261 69%
134 George Washington University Washington, District of Columbia $67,710 $83,856 32% 80% 1433 47%
135 Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan $19,123 $34,152 46% 80% 1258 92%
136 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois $52,386 $68,164 29% 80% 1311 55%
137 University of Southern California Los Angeles, California $72,097 $90,300 24% 80% 1495 10%
138 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California $16,347 $45,619 17% 80% — 11%
139 Denison University Granville, Ohio $67,000 $81,900 51% 80% 1410 17%
140 University of San Diego San Diego, California $59,486 $78,720 32% 80% — 52%
141 University of Rochester Rochester, New York $67,080 $85,962 40% 80% 1488 40%
142 Brigham Young University Provo, Utah $6,688 $22,690 11% 80% 1376 68%
143 Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts $70,480 $87,640 8% 80% 1533 9%
144 University of Delaware Newark, Delaware $16,810 $30,952 50% 80% 1292 71%
145 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts $67,018 $84,926 44% 80% 1463 36%
146 Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin $51,170 $66,768 38% 80% 1310 81%
147 Clark University Worcester, Massachusetts $58,867 $68,432 58% 80% 1370 40%
148 Emory University Atlanta, Georgia $64,280 $83,622 11% 80% 1520 11%
149 Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania $52,080 $66,497 69% 80% 1240 84%
150 Yeshiva University New York, New York $51,800 $70,892 16% 80% 1426 56%
151 SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, New York $8,589 $29,786 39% 80% 1214 72%
152 Norwich University Northfield, Vermont $49,740 $67,357 46% 79% 1190 74%
153 McDaniel College Westminster, Maryland $52,081 $65,294 58% 79% — 78%
154 University of Maryland, College Park College Park, Maryland $11,809 $29,299 22% 79% 1473 45%
155 Carroll College Helena, Montana $41,484 $55,626 45% 79% 1200 71%
156 Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin $56,982 $69,849 49% 79% 1350 64%
157 SOKA University of America Aliso Viejo, California $38,728 $55,064 37% 79% 1440 43%
158 University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma $50,061 $64,459 33% 79% 1389 62%
159 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania $65,920 $83,250 49% 79% 1396 29%
160 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan $17,736 $34,654 24% 79% 1465 16%

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
Creighton University — 81% 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.