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Highest first-year retention
2,737 colleges in the U.S. with this figure reported (500+ students).
1921Dallas Baptist University · TX · Private (nonprofit)64%1922Davis Technical College · UT · Public64%1923East Mississippi Community College · MS · Public64%1924Eastwick College-Hackensack · NJ · Private (for-profit)64%1925El Paso Community College · TX · Public64%1926Fairmont State University · WV · Public64%1927Full Sail University · FL · Private (for-profit)64%1928Georgia Southwestern State University · GA · Public64%1929Graceland University-Lamoni · IA · Private (nonprofit)64%1930Great Bay Community College · NH · Public64%1931Highlands College of Montana Tech · MT · Public64%1932Jacksonville State University · AL · Public64%1933Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte · NC · Private (nonprofit)64%1934J Sargeant Reynolds Community College · VA · Public64%1935Lamar State College-Orange · TX · Public64%1936Lansing Community College · MI · Public64%1937Lewis-Clark State College · ID · Public64%1938Lourdes University · OH · Private (nonprofit)64%1939Macomb Community College · MI · Public64%1940Mercer County Community College · NJ · Public64%1941Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · MO · Public64%1942Mid-Plains Community College · NE · Public64%1943Miller-Motte College-Augusta · GA · Private (for-profit)64%1944Minnesota State College Southeast · MN · Public64%1945Muskegon Community College · MI · Public64%1946Nassau Community College · NY · Public64%1947North Georgia Technical College · GA · Public64%1948Oakwood University · AL · Private (nonprofit)64%1949Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus · OH · Public64%1950Ohio University-Lancaster Campus · OH · Public64%1951Purdue University Fort Wayne · IN · Public64%1952Quincy University · IL · Private (nonprofit)64%1953Reading Area Community College · PA · Public64%1954Richland Community College · IL · Public64%1955Rock Valley College · IL · Public64%1956Rocky Mountain College · MT · Private (nonprofit)64%1957Rogers State University · OK · Public64%1958Salem Community College · NJ · Public64%1959Southeastern Illinois College · IL · Public64%1960Southwest University at El Paso · TX · Private (for-profit)64%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS (latest survey year). Sorted only by highest first-year retention — this is not an overall quality ranking. Open-admission colleges do not report an admit rate and are not listed here.