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.
| Rank | Institution | First Year Retention Rate | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | 99 | 5.4 | 1,510 – 1,580 | 23570 | 90555 |
#1
University of Pennsylvania
|
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | 98 | 11.66 | 1,500 – 1,570 | 35552 | 105360 |
#2
Carnegie Mellon University
|
| 3 | Villanova University | 95 | 26.98 | 1,410 – 1,510 | 37201 | 84905 |
Villanova University
|
| 4 | Bucknell University | 94 | 28.93 | 1,330 – 1,470 | 39003 | 78852 |
Bucknell University
|
| 5 | Haverford College | 94 | 12.37 | 1,460 – 1,550 | 26535 | 53353 |
Haverford College
|
| 6 | Lehigh University | 94 | 25.93 | 1,380 – 1,500 | 34154 | 88810 |
Lehigh University
|
| 7 | Swarthmore College | 94 | 7.46 | 1,490 – 1,560 | 22469 | 56211 |
Swarthmore College
|
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 93 | 60.56 | 1,250 – 1,430 | 27889 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
|
| 9 | Bryn Mawr College | 92 | 29.43 | 1,300 – 1,500 | 33221 | 53102 |
Bryn Mawr College
|
| 10 | Dickinson College | 92 | 42.09 | 1,330 – 1,460 | 38483 | 57110 |
Dickinson College
|
| 11 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 92 | 58.08 | 1,300 – 1,460 | 25223 | 54240 |
#11
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
|
| 12 | Gettysburg College | 91 | 38.9 | 1,290 – 1,460 | 32769 | 57274 |
Gettysburg College
|
| 13 | Drexel University | 90 | 79.44 | 1,250 – 1,440 | 42801 | 69063 |
#13
Drexel University
|
| 14 | Franklin and Marshall College | 90 | 28.19 | 1,330 – 1,470 | 43987 | 62544 |
Franklin and Marshall College
|
| 15 | Lafayette College | 90 | 31.45 | 1,370 – 1,490 | 38442 | 80614 |
Lafayette College
|
| 16 | Muhlenberg College | 90 | 71.99 | 1,280 – 1,430 | 34739 | 53265 |
Muhlenberg College
|
| 17 | Messiah University | 89 | 78.97 | 1,130 – 1,360 | 29408 | 50192 |
Messiah University
|
| 18 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 89 | 88.83 | 1,190 – 1,360 | 31205 | 66438 |
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
|
| 19 | Grove City College | 88 | 72.32 | 1,150 – 1,400 | 25289 | 63721 |
Grove City College
|
| 20 | Ursinus College | 87 | 91.77 | 1,220 – 1,390 | 32158 | 54542 |
Ursinus College
|
| 21 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois | 86 | 97.12 | 990 – 1,210 | 17880 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois
|
| 22 | Susquehanna University | 86 | 81.43 | 1,100 – 1,310 | 26444 | 51535 |
Susquehanna University
|
| 23 | Walnut Hill College | 86 | 42.72 | -- | 26675 | 33867 |
#23
Walnut Hill College
|
| 24 | Pennsylvania College of Art and Design | 85 | 99.24 | -- | 28826 | 23638 |
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
|
| 25 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington | 85 | 95.29 | 1,110 – 1,270 | 19504 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington
|
| 26 | Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia | 85 | 90.24 | -- | 11885 | 53468 |
Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
|
| 27 | University of Scranton | 85 | 81.23 | 1,170 – 1,330 | 34234 | 62921 |
University of Scranton
|
| 28 | Carlow University | 84 | 86.95 | 960 – 1,170 | 21002 | 44876 |
Carlow University
|
| 29 | Duquesne University | 84 | 83.56 | 1,190 – 1,360 | 37917 | 62627 |
Duquesne University
|
| 30 | Elizabethtown College | 84 | 77.87 | 1,110 – 1,320 | 27760 | 54833 |
#30
Elizabethtown College
|
| 31 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 84 | 71.47 | 980 – 1,200 | 18252 | 45398 |
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
|
| 32 | DeSales University | 83 | 77.09 | 1,100 – 1,270 | 31732 | 52721 |
DeSales University
|
| 33 | Immaculata University | 83 | 85.76 | 1,160 – 1,330 | 24708 | 56416 |
Immaculata University
|
| 34 | Juniata College | 83 | 78.91 | 1,130 – 1,330 | 24580 | 48571 |
Juniata College
|
| 35 | Lebanon Valley College | 83 | 83.77 | 1,140 – 1,310 | 27995 | 54021 |
Lebanon Valley College
|
| 36 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | 83 | 96.83 | 1,130 – 1,320 | 23764 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
|
| 37 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley | 83 | 97.37 | 1,130 – 1,320 | 19066 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley
|
| 38 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 83 | 98.21 | 980 – 1,300 | 19675 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto
|
| 39 | Robert Morris University | 83 | 89.89 | 1,050 – 1,240 | 23933 | 54449 |
Robert Morris University
|
| 40 | Saint Francis University | 83 | 76.82 | 1,060 – 1,240 | 28326 | 56920 |
Saint Francis University
|
| 41 | Temple University | 83 | 80.41 | 1,030 – 1,240 | 28088 | 50860 |
Temple University
|
| 42 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 83 | 78.4 | 1,110 – 1,280 | 22546 | 51013 |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
|
| 43 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 82 | 97.6 | 1,120 – 1,320 | 23788 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
|
| 44 | Rosemont College | 82 | 76.34 | 980 – 1,190 | 20994 | 40852 |
Rosemont College
|
| 45 | Saint Vincent College | 82 | 61.73 | 1,030 – 1,240 | 23758 | 47267 |
Saint Vincent College
|
| 46 | Thomas Jefferson University | 82 | 80.97 | 1,170 – 1,340 | 29325 | 64335 |
Thomas Jefferson University
|
| 47 | Moore College of Art and Design | 81 | 56.46 | 1,200 – 1,390 | 43626 | 30512 |
Moore College of Art and Design
|
| 48 | Pennsylvania College of Technology | 81 | 0 | -- | 23675 | 47995 | |
| 49 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre | 81 | 96.99 | 1,090 – 1,330 | 16621 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre
|
| 50 | Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster | 81 | 41.21 | 1,050 – 1,220 | 38730 | 69019 |
Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster
|
| 51 | Seton Hill University | 81 | 79.53 | 1,020 – 1,250 | 23056 | 43700 |
Seton Hill University
|
| 52 | Washington & Jefferson College | 81 | 80.64 | 1,010 – 1,270 | 22702 | 52082 |
Washington & Jefferson College
|
| 53 | Westminster College | 81 | 92.56 | 1,040 – 1,260 | 20394 | 43938 |
Westminster College
|
| 54 | Marywood University | 80 | 60.58 | 1,060 – 1,260 | 26217 | 47000 |
Marywood University
|
| 55 | Mercyhurst University | 80 | 81.02 | 990 – 1,190 | 25946 | 39565 |
Mercyhurst University
|
| 56 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 80 | 98.06 | 1,080 – 1,300 | 21618 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona
|
| 57 | Arcadia University | 79 | 80.22 | 1,070 – 1,270 | 30037 | 44004 |
Arcadia University
|
| 58 | Lancaster Bible College Capital Seminary & Graduate School | 79 | 55.89 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 25940 | 36747 |
Lancaster Bible College Capital Seminary & Graduate School
|
| 59 | Moravian University | 79 | 54.17 | 1,080 – 1,290 | 31743 | 53471 |
Moravian University
|
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | 79 | 98.52 | 1,100 – 1,270 | 17536 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton
|
| 61 | Allegheny College | 78 | 54.57 | 1,190 – 1,370 | 26420 | 45603 |
Allegheny College
|
| 62 | Chatham University | 78 | 61.96 | 1,080 – 1,320 | 31280 | 48709 |
Chatham University
|
| 63 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | 78 | 93.09 | 990 – 1,190 | 16111 | 44053 |
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
|
| 64 | Geneva College | 78 | 79.05 | 1,020 – 1,270 | 23528 | 46107 |
Geneva College
|
| 65 | Gwynedd Mercy University | 78 | 89.63 | 1,030 – 1,190 | 27960 | 65976 |
Gwynedd Mercy University
|
| 66 | Holy Family University | 78 | 71.04 | 910 – 1,150 | 14072 | 55285 |
Holy Family University
|
| 67 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 78 | 90.75 | 1,120 – 1,310 | 22134 | 43309 |
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
|
| 68 | Misericordia University | 78 | 70.93 | 1,060 – 1,230 | 26747 | 55910 |
Misericordia University
|
| 69 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly | 78 | 95.47 | 1,120 – 1,250 | 15112 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly
|
| 70 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 78 | 96.47 | 1,080 – 1,280 | 15574 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny
|
| 71 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 78 | 96.64 | 1,020 – 1,230 | 19039 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill
|
| 72 | University of Valley Forge | 78 | 61.2 | 840 – 1,100 | 27083 | 35671 |
University of Valley Forge
|
| 73 | Widener University | 78 | 70.93 | 1,080 – 1,290 | 26778 | 63375 |
Widener University
|
| 74 | York College of Pennsylvania | 78 | 73.74 | 1,030 – 1,280 | 20096 | 50940 |
York College of Pennsylvania
|
| 75 | Cairn University-Langhorne | 77 | 88.17 | 1,000 – 1,160 | 23273 | 37077 |
Cairn University-Langhorne
|
| 76 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 77 | 86.19 | 1,020 – 1,210 | 20551 | 44813 |
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
|
| 77 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 77 | 96.77 | 1,080 – 1,270 | 19232 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington
|
| 78 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 77 | 98.67 | 1,090 – 1,280 | 23721 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
|
| 79 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York | 77 | 97.41 | 1,060 – 1,260 | 18887 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York
|
| 80 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | 77 | 86.5 | 890 – 1,310 | 23772 | 45010 |
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
|
| 81 | Gannon University | 76 | 74.16 | 1,000 – 1,270 | 23123 | 55319 |
Gannon University
|
| 82 | King's College | 76 | 93.11 | 1,070 – 1,270 | 23689 | 51734 |
King's College
|
| 83 | Lycoming College | 76 | 74.07 | 1,080 – 1,300 | 20492 | 43713 |
Lycoming College
|
| 84 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 76 | 95.65 | 1,100 – 1,290 | 18581 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver
|
| 85 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus | 75 | 90.77 | 980 – 1,190 | 17626 | 42278 |
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
|
| 86 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 75 | 96.41 | 1,090 – 1,290 | 17512 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton
|
| 87 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 75 | 94.84 | 990 – 1,230 | 18452 | 54240 |
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown
|
| 88 | Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 74 | 87.35 | -- | 15984 | 34365 |
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
|
| 89 | La Salle University | 74 | 96.59 | 1,050 – 1,270 | 18069 | 53701 |
La Salle University
|
| 90 | Point Park University | 74 | 96.91 | 1,030 – 1,250 | 26502 | 36906 |
Point Park University
|
| 91 | Wilson College | 74 | 92.11 | 930 – 1,180 | 21748 | 37049 |
Wilson College
|
| 92 | Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 73 | 82.94 | 1,060 – 1,300 | 20728 | 32083 |
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
|
| 93 | Lincoln University | 73 | 65.72 | 820 – 960 | 14473 | 32865 |
Lincoln University
|
| 94 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 73 | 98.11 | 1,080 – 1,310 | 22710 | 55620 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
|
| 95 | Thiel College | 73 | 71.55 | 950 – 1,180 | 22545 | 40686 |
Thiel College
|
| 96 | Alvernia University | 72 | 58.06 | 1,100 – 1,290 | 28645 | 49938 |
Alvernia University
|
| 97 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 72 | 92.05 | 1,010 – 1,180 | 18610 | 44290 |
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
|
| 98 | Neumann University | 72 | 81.28 | 910 – 1,100 | 28469 | 48556 |
Neumann University
|
| 99 | Pennsylvania Western University | 72 | 94.33 | 940 – 1,150 | 18094 | 38474 |
Pennsylvania Western University
|
| 100 | Waynesburg University | 72 | 89.82 | 950 – 1,240 | 18667 | 48994 |
Waynesburg University
|
| 101 | Wilkes University | 72 | 90.64 | 1,030 – 1,260 | 28511 | 54128 |
Wilkes University
|
| 102 | Cedar Crest College | 71 | 84.07 | 1,000 – 1,230 | 23691 | 48295 |
Cedar Crest College
|
| 103 | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | 69 | 0 | -- | 14207 | 28568 | |
| 104 | Delaware Valley University | 69 | 93.21 | 1,100 – 1,320 | 28975 | 41324 |
Delaware Valley University
|
| 105 | La Roche University | 69 | 75.76 | 930 – 1,190 | 24108 | 45308 |
La Roche University
|
| 106 | University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | 69 | 95.21 | 1,050 – 1,260 | 18365 | 54240 |
#106
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
|
| 107 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango | 66 | 92.2 | 1,040 – 1,230 | 18383 | 55620 |
#107
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango
|
| 108 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | 66 | 91.15 | 1,120 – 1,350 | 19314 | 55620 |
#108
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
|
| 109 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 66 | 88.54 | 1,020 – 1,210 | 15830 | 54240 |
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford
|
| 110 | Central Penn College | 65 | 18.46 | 660 – 910 | 17263 | 40798 |
Central Penn College
|
| 111 | Eastern University | 65 | 90.77 | 1,020 – 1,190 | 27422 | 41580 |
Eastern University
|
| 112 | Albright College | 62 | 76.33 | 950 – 1,150 | 20587 | 45391 |
#112
Albright College
|
| 113 | Chestnut Hill College | 62 | 74.46 | 900 – 1,090 | 28588 | 45221 |
Chestnut Hill College
|
| 114 | Keystone College | 57 | 84.8 | 910 – 1,130 | 21952 | 36653 |
Keystone College
|
| 115 | Manor College | 56 | 94.86 | 730 – 940 | 13684 | 36013 |
#115
Manor College
|
| 116 | Mount Aloysius College | 56 | 82.05 | 920 – 1,170 | 22216 | 45211 |
Mount Aloysius College
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.