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
281 Goucher College Baltimore, Maryland $53,350 $70,544 53% 73% 1248 78%
282 University of Denver Denver, Colorado $61,398 $78,476 28% 73% 1355 78%
283 George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia $14,220 $28,604 31% 73% 1274 87%
284 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, Missouri $55,760 $71,932 30% 73% 1317 75%
285 Austin College Sherman, Texas $48,680 $61,607 50% 73% 1212 48%
286 Presbyterian College Clinton, South Carolina $44,910 $60,242 51% 73% 1118 68%
287 Randolph-Macon College Ashland, Virginia $49,466 $63,985 57% 73% 1095 87%
288 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, Iowa $40,878 $55,054 53% 73% 83%
289 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, Minnesota $14,526 $27,039 36% 73% 1150 75%
290 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa $9,936 $22,278 46% 73% 1122 93%
291 Harding University Searcy, Arkansas $26,262 $39,534 44% 73% 1182 71%
292 Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, Wisconsin $36,110 $48,785 68% 73% 1239 78%
293 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Socorro, New Mexico $9,476 $24,967 31% 73% 1207 44%
294 York College of Pennsylvania York, Pennsylvania $25,588 $37,319 58% 73% 1162 74%
295 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania $10,568 $25,537 61% 73% 1095 71%
296 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, New Jersey $16,777 $29,483 38% 73% 1211 71%
297 Baylor University Waco, Texas $58,100 $74,226 31% 72% 1329 51%
298 Auburn University Auburn, Alabama $12,890 $34,919 26% 72% 1345 46%
299 Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania $43,496 $56,765 72% 72% 1136 91%
300 Niagara University Niagara University, New York $39,345 $51,632 55% 72% 1168 87%
301 University of Mount Union Alliance, Ohio $36,600 $49,276 76% 72% 1088 78%
302 Washington State University Pullman, Washington $13,391 $27,648 30% 72% 87%
303 Washington State University at Vancouver Vancouver, Washington $11,937 72%
304 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, Pennsylvania $13,720 $30,785 58% 72% 1120 87%
305 University of Maine at Machias Machias, Maine $10,050 72%
306 University of Maine System Orono, Maine $13,326 $27,328 42% 72% 97%
307 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma $35,648 $47,247 45% 72% 1177 77%
308 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana $41,200 $60,620 69% 72% 1144 56%
309 Walla Walla University College Place, Washington $34,227 $45,903 47% 72%
310 University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah $9,620 $25,557 21% 72% 1257 86%
311 Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, Virginia $26,160 $43,898 47% 72% 1230 76%
312 Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana $12,144 $28,801 27% 72% 1313 78%
313 Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina $7,579 $23,169 37% 72% 1214 90%
314 Dominican University of California San Rafael, California $52,161 $71,751 58% 72% 1290 84%
315 Canisius University Buffalo, New York $34,500 $44,322 53% 71% 72%
316 Emmanuel College Boston, Massachusetts $48,550 $65,252 61% 71% 1250 76%
317 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New Jersey $19,974 $32,859 31% 71% 1337 65%
318 Wittenberg University Springfield, Ohio $45,940 $57,799 85% 71% 1179 72%
319 Minot State University Minot, North Dakota $8,702 $19,339 37% 71% 1051 65%
320 Hanover College Hanover, Indiana $44,638 $58,821 52% 71% 1201 84%

Questions

Best repayment in the US: which university leads?
Goucher College — 73% 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.

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Universities without a published figure for the ranked measure are not listed.