Highest Freshman Retention Rates/America's Happiest Campuses

 The following list is courtesy of Dodge Johnson, president of IECA and seasoned consultant. This is list is based on the percentage of freshmen who return for sophomore year.  Retention does not necessarily indicate that the students are happy, but it is a good sign!

SUMMA CUM GUADIA (97%+)

Berkeley, UC at
Brown University
California Institute Of Technology
Carleton College
Chicago, University of
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Harvard University
Los Angeles, UC at
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
North Carolina, University of
Northwestern University
Notre Dame, University of
Olin College of Engineering
Pennsylvania, University of
Pomona College
Princeton University
Southern California, University of
Stanford University
Tufts University
Vanderbilt University
Washington University
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Yale University


MAGNA CUM GAUDIA (94-96%)

Amherst College
Barnard College
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Bucknell University
Carnegie-Mellon University
Claremont McKenna College
Colby College
Colorado College
Cooper Union
Cornell University
Davidson College
Emory University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute Of Technology
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Holy Cross, College of the
Illinois, University of
Irvine, UC at
Johns Hopkins University, The
Lafayette College
Macalester College
Maryland, University of
Michigan, University of
Middlebury College
New Jersey, College of
Oberlin College
Pitzer College
Rhode Island School Of Design
Rice University
Rochester, University of
San Diego, UC at
Scripps College
Skidmore College
Swarthmore College
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia, University of
Wake Forest University
Washington And Lee University
Wellesley College
William And Mary, College of
Wisconsin, University of
Worcester Polytechnic Institute


CUM GAUDIA (90-93%)

Amherst College
Barnard College
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Bucknell University
Carnegie-Mellon University
Claremont McKenna College
Colby College
Colorado College
Cooper Union
Cornell University
Davidson College
Emory University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute Of Technology
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Holy Cross, College of the
Illinois, University of
Irvine, UC at
Johns Hopkins University, The
Lafayette College
Macalester College
Maryland, University of
Michigan, University of
Middlebury College
New Jersey, College of
Oberlin College
Pitzer College
Rhode Island School Of Design
Rice University
Rochester, University of
San Diego, UC at
Scripps College
Skidmore College
Swarthmore College
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia, University of
Wake Forest University
Washington And Lee University
Wellesley College
William And Mary, College of
Wisconsin, University of
Worcester Polytechnic Institute