2026 College Rankings

Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

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New England Small College Athletic Conference

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First-year retention rates measure the percentage of first-year students who come back to campus for a second year. This is an indicator of how happy students are generally with their decision to attend that institution as less students decide to drop out or transfer to another school.

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Rank	Institution	First Year Retention Rate	Acceptance Rate	SAT Score	Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price	Median Starting Salary	Save
1	Amherst College	97.34	9.01	1,480 – 1,570	17965	62537	#1 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Amherst College Amherst, MA Amherst College is an extremely selective school. A majority of their first-year students come from NY. The third oldest institution of higher education in the state, Amherst was originally a men’s college, becoming coeducational in 1975....Read more First Year Retention Rate 97 % 0.4% Acceptance Rate 9.0% SAT Score 1,480 – 1,570 Avg. Net Price $17,965 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $62,537
2	Bowdoin College	96.83	7.13	1,470 – 1,550	23110	61692	#2 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME Bowdoin College is an extremely selective private liberal arts school. The college offers more than 40 majors, including joint Engineering programs with Columbia, Dartmouth, Caltech, and the University of Maine....Read more First Year Retention Rate 97 % 0.6% Acceptance Rate 7.1% SAT Score 1,470 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $23,110 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $61,692
3	Williams College	96.7	8.25	1,500 – 1,560	16988	71754	#3 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Williams College Williamstown, MA Although it was originally founded as a men’s college in 1793, Williams College is composed of 48% men and 51% women today. It was created out of the funds of Ephraim Williams, who died in the French and Indian War. The college received 15,000 applications during the last admissions cycle and accepted 1,270. First Year Retention Rate 97 % 0.3% Acceptance Rate 8.3% SAT Score 1,500 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $16,988 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $71,754
4	Tufts University	95.5	11.53	1,470 – 1,560	33333	68337	#4 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Tufts University Medford, MA Opened in 1852 as Tufts College, Tufts University is a small liberal arts school. It became a doctoral/research university in the 1970s. The university offers over 70 undergraduate major programs. International Relations and Affairs, Computer Science, and Dentistry are popular areas of study. First Year Retention Rate 96 % 0.5% Acceptance Rate 11.5% SAT Score 1,470 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $33,333 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $68,337
5	Wesleyan University	94.88	16.49	1,330 – 1,510	20463	60385	#5 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Wesleyan University Middletown, CT Wesleyan University’s most popular major is Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. The school, located on the bends of the Connecticut River, was founded as a men’s college and became fully coeducational in 1970. Their athletes, known as the Cardinals, appropriately wear cardinal and black. First Year Retention Rate 95 % 0.1% Acceptance Rate 16.5% SAT Score 1,330 – 1,510 Avg. Net Price $20,463 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $60,385
6	Hamilton College	94.81	13.62	1,460 – 1,550	26021	60082	#6 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Hamilton College Clinton, NY With nearly 60 areas of study, a majority of Hamilton College students opt to major in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. Their motto is in Ancient Greek: Γνῶθι Σεαυτόν, which translates to “Know Thyself.” The school has been coeducational since 1978 after merging with its sister school, Kirkland College. First Year Retention Rate 95 % 0.8% Acceptance Rate 13.6% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $26,021 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $60,082
7	Middlebury College	94	10.75	1,460 – 1,550	22912	57291	#7 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Middlebury College Middlebury, VT The first operating higher education institution in Vermont was Middlebury College, founded in 1800. It’s also the first in the United States to award a bachelor’s degree to an African American (in 1823). Although it was originally all-male, the school started admitting women in 1883. First Year Retention Rate 94 % 1.5% Acceptance Rate 10.8% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $22,912 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $57,291
8	Colby College	93.39	7.09	1,460 – 1,540	15163	60052	#8 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Colby College Waterville, ME Colby College is a private liberal arts school and home to the Perkins Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary. It boasts a strong student-to-faculty of 10 to 1, a 93% first year retention rate, and an 81% four-year graduation rate....Read more First Year Retention Rate 93 % 3.8% Acceptance Rate 7.1% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,540 Avg. Net Price $15,163 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $60,052
9	Bates College	91.3	13.32	1,380 – 1,510	26658	59202	#9 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Bates College Lewiston, ME Bates College, the first coeducational college in New England, was founded in 1855. It also admitted minority students before the Emancipation Proclamation. An extremely selective school, Bates has a 91% first year retention rate, 88% four-year graduation rate, and a 9 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. First Year Retention Rate 91 % 2.9% Acceptance Rate 13.3% SAT Score 1,380 – 1,510 Avg. Net Price $26,658 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $59,202
10	Trinity College	91	33.52	1,330 – 1,460	31806	67628	#10 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Trinity College Hartford, CT Trinity College, originally known as Washington College, was founded in 1823, making it the second oldest college in the state. 67% receive institutional grant aid to attend, $50,051 on average. Students are known as Bantams and wear blue and gold. First Year Retention Rate 91 % Acceptance Rate 33.5% SAT Score 1,330 – 1,460 Avg. Net Price $31,806 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $67,628
11	Connecticut College	89.7	37.04	1,180 – 1,410	42941	49165	#11 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference Connecticut College New London, CT Found in New London, Connecticut College accepted 37% students who applied to the school in the last admissions cycle and requests unknown to apply, but fee waivers may be available. Approximately 100% of attending students will receive institutional grant aid. The first year retention rate is 89%....Read more First Year Retention Rate 90 % 3.1% Acceptance Rate 37.0% SAT Score 1,180 – 1,410 Avg. Net Price $42,941 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $49,165

School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.

2026 College Rankings

Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

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2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

97 % 0.4%

9.0%

1,480 – 1,570

$17,965

$62,537

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

97 % 0.6%

7.1%

1,470 – 1,550

$23,110

$61,692

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

97 % 0.3%

8.3%

1,500 – 1,560

$16,988

$71,754

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

96 % 0.5%

11.5%

1,470 – 1,560

$33,333

$68,337

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

95 % 0.1%

16.5%

1,330 – 1,510

$20,463

$60,385

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

95 % 0.8%

13.6%

1,460 – 1,550

$26,021

$60,082

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

94 % 1.5%

10.8%

1,460 – 1,550

$22,912

$57,291

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

93 % 3.8%

7.1%

1,460 – 1,540

$15,163

$60,052

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

91 % 2.9%

13.3%

1,380 – 1,510

$26,658

$59,202

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

91 %

33.5%

1,330 – 1,460

$31,806

$67,628

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by First Year Retention Rate – New England Small College Athletic Conference

90 % 3.1%

37.0%

1,180 – 1,410

$42,941

$49,165

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97 %
0.4%

97 %
0.6%

97 %
0.3%

96 %
0.5%

95 %
0.1%

95 %
0.8%

94 %
1.5%

93 %
3.8%

91 %
2.9%

90 %
3.1%