Freshman Retention Rate National Universities

As many as one in three first year students doesn't make it back for sophomore year. The reasons run the gamut, from family problems and loneliness to academic struggles and a lack of money. If schools you're considering have a low freshman retention rate, you'll want to ask the admissions office why. Some colleges do a great job of taking care of their freshman; some don't. The retention rates shown below, from highest to lowest, are the average proportion of freshmen entering starting in fall 2007 through fall 2010 who returned to school the following fall.

Save	School	Average freshman retention rate
	DePaul University Chicago, IL	86%
	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	86%
	Iowa State University Ames, IA	86%
	Missouri University of Science & Technology Rolla, MO	86%
	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–Newark Newark, NJ	86%
	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX	86%
	University of California–Riverside Riverside, CA	86%
	University of Maryland–Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	86%
	University of San Diego San Diego, CA	86%
	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	86%
	Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA	85%
	Biola University La Mirada, CA	85%
	Brigham Young University–Provo Provo, UT	85%
	Illinois State University Normal, IL	85%
	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	85%
	Polytechnic Institute of New York University Brooklyn, NY	85%
	St. Louis University St. Louis, MO	85%
	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY	85%
	University at Albany–SUNY Albany, NY	85%
	University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	85%
	University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH	85%
	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	85%
	University of Missouri Columbia, MO	85%
	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	85%
	University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN	85%

Save

School

Average freshman retention rate

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

86%

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

86%

Iowa State University

Ames, IA

86%

Missouri University of Science & Technology

Rolla, MO

86%

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–Newark

Newark, NJ

86%

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

86%

University of California–Riverside

Riverside, CA

86%

University of Maryland–Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD

86%

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA

86%

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

86%

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA

85%

Biola University

La Mirada, CA

85%

Brigham Young University–Provo

Provo, UT

85%

Illinois State University

Normal, IL

85%

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL

85%

Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Brooklyn, NY

85%

St. Louis University

St. Louis, MO

85%

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY

85%

University at Albany–SUNY

Albany, NY

85%

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

85%

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

85%

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

85%

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO

85%

University of Oregon

Eugene, OR

85%

University of Tennessee

Knoxville, TN

85%