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 |
|---|---|---|
|
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC |
97% | |
|
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA |
97% | |
|
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA |
97% | |
|
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN |
97% | |
|
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO |
97% | |
|
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA |
96% | |
|
Georgetown University
Washington, DC |
96% | |
|
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL |
96% | |
|
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI |
96% | |
|
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA |
95% |
