Highest Graduation Rates 2026
Schools where students are most likely to finish what they start
How this ranking is calculated
Ranks schools by their 4-year and 6-year graduation rates — the share of students who ultimately earn a degree. A high graduation rate signals strong academic support, student satisfaction, and institutional investment in student success.
Source measurement years vary and may precede the ranking edition. The update date records the published dataset, not when every outcome was measured.
See exact overall weights and a worked exampleWhat drives the score
- 4-year graduation rate (primary weight)
- 6-year graduation rate (secondary weight)
- First-year retention rate (used as a tiebreaker)
Data sources
- Federal government enrollment and completion outcome data
- Institutional graduation and retention reporting
Graduation rates reflect full-time, first-time degree-seeking students. Schools that primarily serve part-time or transfer students may appear lower despite strong outcomes for their specific populations.
Top 100 graduation results
Sorted by College Index's graduation score. The displayed list index rescales the leading score to 100; equal rounded scores may have different sequential ranks.
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
Duke University
Durham, NC
Yale University
New Haven, CT
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Brown University
Providence, RI
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Rice University
Houston, TX
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Washington University in St Louis
St. Louis, MO
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Barnard College
New York, NY
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Babson College
Wellesley, MA
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Davidson College
Davidson, NC
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Northeastern University
Boston, MA
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bates College
Lewiston, ME
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Colby College
Waterville, ME
Haverford College
Haverford, PA
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
Boston University
Boston, MA
Smith College
Northampton, MA
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA
University of Georgia
Athens, GA
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ
New York University
New York, NY
United States Air Force Academy
USAF Academy, CO
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
Bentley University
Waltham, MA
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, MI
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO
Providence College
Providence, RI
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
United States Military Academy
West Point, NY
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
Scripps College
Claremont, CA
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
Compare cost and outcomes
Explore focused comparisons with clear eligibility rules and the numbers behind each result.
Best-Value Public Colleges in California
Compare California public colleges by reported earnings relative to average annual net price, with completion and debt alongside cost.
Colleges with Higher Admission Rates and Strong Earnings
Explore schools reporting admission rates of at least 50% and median earnings of at least $60,000 ten years after enrollment.
Colleges with Low Debt and High Completion Rates
Find colleges with reported completion rates of at least 70% and median federal debt among completers of $20,000 or less.