Cost and earnings get the attention, but the graduation rate is one of the most under-rated numbers in a college decision — because the worst financial outcome isn’t an expensive degree, it’s paying for a degree you never finish.
What it measures
The standard rate, reported by the College Scorecard, is the share of students who complete their degree within 150% of normal time — i.e. within six years for a four-year program. It’s a measure of follow-through, not speed.
How the top schools compare
| College | Graduation rate |
|---|---|
| Princeton University | 97.6% |
| Harvard University | 97.6% |
| Duke University | 96.8% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 96.5% |
| MIT | 96.4% |
| Columbia University | 96.1% |
Source: College Scorecard, snapshot June 2026.
The most selective schools cluster near 96–98%. Across the broader landscape, rates fall sharply at less-selective and open-access institutions — sometimes below 50% — which is where the financial risk concentrates.
Why it’s a cost signal
Think of the graduation rate as the probability your tuition turns into a degree. If you borrow to attend a school where only half of students finish, you carry a meaningful chance of holding the debt without the earnings premium a completed degree brings — and non-completers default on student loans at far higher rates.
How to use it
- Treat a high graduation rate as risk reduction, especially if you’ll borrow.
- Read it with net price and earnings — a cheap school with a low completion rate may be a worse bet than a pricier one where almost everyone graduates.
- Compare graduation rates across schools in our highest-grad-rate ranking and on each school page, and weigh the full picture with the best-ROI ranking.