10 Best Public Colleges With the Highest Graduation Rates

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published 1 January 2012

Want to know the single best measure of quality and affordability?

Look to a college’s four-year graduation rate. This number measures a college's ability to get students the classes and academic support they need to succeed in their education; it also measures the college's ability to deliver that education on time and on budget.

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Lists College Rankings

1. University of Virginia

Undergraduate enrollment: 15,595

Designed as an "Academical Village" by Thomas Jefferson, UVA not only provides an environment that makes for happy campers (96% of freshmen return for sophomore year), but it also helps students get their degree on time. UVA's four-year graduation rate (85%) is the highest among our top-100 best values. Ironically, Jefferson prized education but considered degrees to be "artificial embellishments." UVA did not award bachelor's degrees until 1849, 30 years after its founding.

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2. College of William and Mary

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,898

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3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Undergraduate enrollment: 18,579

Add grad rate to the list of measures at which Carolina excels; its four-year grad rate is more than twice the average rate (29.9%) for full-time students at public colleges. Carolina's stellar record across the board -- which also includes moderate cost and generous financial aid ($11,080 in need-based aid a year, on average) -- has made this flagship institution the number-one school in our overall rankings 11 times in a row.

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4. St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,982

Designated an honors college in 1992, this small, liberal arts institution outperforms its Maryland counterparts, including the flagship University of Maryland in College Park, on grad rates and student-faculty ratio (12-1). The college not only nurtures students on their way to a degree but also encourages them to explore the world before graduation. Nearly half of the most recent graduating class studied abroad.

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5. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Undergraduate enrollment: 27,027

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6. College of New Jersey

Undergraduate enrollment: 6,460

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7. University of California, Berkeley

Total undergraduate enrollment: 25,540

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8. University of California, Los Angeles

Undergraduate enrollment: 26,162

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9. University of Mary Washington

Undergraduate enrollment: 4,354

Located between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., this century-old institution started out as a teachers' college for women, then became the women's college of the University of Virginia and finally arrived at its current status as an independent, co-ed university. Mary Washington's four-year grad rate reflects its small classes and emphasis on teaching. More than 90% of its professors have their doctorate or are fully credentialed in their field; the college does not use teaching assistants.