College Dropout Factories

This is a list of the 113 U.S. colleges and universities that have graduation rates below 95 percent of all other four-year institutions. These institutions represent the bottom 5 percent of institutions that graduate fewer than 18 percent of students (based on 2013 graduation rates, the most recent data available). We label them “college dropout factories” because they fail to graduate the vast majority of their students in a timely fashion. The institutions on this list have graduation rates that range from 17.7 percent to 0.6 percent, and most of these institutions have graduation rates that are lower than many of their peer institutions (similar colleges and universities with similar students). Close to half (47 percent) are for-profit institutions, 20 percent are public, and 33 percent are nonprofit privates. Among the list are one tribal college, 14 historically black colleges and universities, and 13 Hispanic-serving institutions.

Institutions appear on this year’s list if they:

  • were eligible to receive student federal financial aid (Title IV funds),
  • enrolled at least 30 freshmen that began their studies as full-time students in the fall of 2007, and
  • had a 2013 six-year graduation rate below 18 percent for those students that initially enrolled full-time in 2007.

More information on these institutions, including how these college dropout factories stack up against their peers, can be found at College Results Online.

Select the points on the map above to see the graduation rates, or scroll down for a list of schools by state.

Alabama

Concordia College Alabama (private, nonprofit): 13.9%

Selma University (private, nonprofit): 11.3%

University of Phoenix–Birmingham Campus (private, for-profit): 10.8%

Alaska

University of Alaska Southeast (public): 12.2%

Arizona

University of Phoenix–Online Campus (private, for-profit): 7.3%

University of Phoenix–Phoenix Campus (private, for-profit): 15.9%

Arkansas

Arkansas Baptist College (private, nonprofit): 8.6%

University of Phoenix–Little Rock Campus (private, for-profit): 15.3%

California

University of Phoenix–Bay Area Campus (private, for-profit): 11.6%

University of Phoenix–Southern California Campus (private, for-profit): 14.8%

University of Phoenix–San Diego Campus (private, for-profit): 16%

University of Phoenix–Sacramento Valley Campus (private, for-profit): 17%

Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad/West Coast Talmudical Seminary (private, nonprofit): 16.7%

Colorado

Colorado Technical University–Greenwood Village (private, for-profit): 14.7%

University of Phoenix–Colorado Campus (private, for-profit): 15.6%

Delaware

None

District of Columbia

University of the District of Columbia (public): 16.4%

Florida

American InterContinental University–South Florida (private, for-profit): 12%

Florida College (private, nonprofit): 9.2%

South University–West Palm Beach (private, for-profit): 12%

 

Georgia

Brewton-Parker College (private, nonprofit): 15.3%

South University–Savannah (private, for-profit): 8.7%

South University–Savannah Online (private, for-profit): 1.2%

Truett-McConnell College (private, nonprofit): 16%

University of Phoenix–Atlanta Campus (private, for-profit): 16%

University of Phoenix–Augusta Campus (private, for-profit): 17.7%

University of Phoenix–Columbus Georgia Campus (private, for-profit): 17.7.%

University of Phoenix–Savannah Campus (private, for-profit): 12.3%

Westwood College–Atlanta Midtown (private, for-profit): 16.7%

Hawaii

None

Idaho

University of Phoenix–Idaho Campus (private, for-profit): 15.6%

Illinois

East–West University (private, nonprofit): 10.6%

Hebrew Theological College (private, nonprofit): 4.8%

International Academy of Design and Technology–Chicago (private, for-profit): 16.8%

University of Phoenix–Chicago Campus (private, for-profit): 12.9%

Indiana

ITT Technical Institute–Indianapolis (private, for-profit): 9.2%

Martin University (private, nonprofit): 11.8%

University of Phoenix–Indianapolis Campus (private, for-profit): 8.5%

Iowa

Kaplan University–Davenport Campus (private, for-profit): 5.8%

Kansas

None

Kentucky

Mid-Continent University (private, nonprofit): 15.4%

Louisiana

Southern University at New Orleans (private, for-profit): 10.5%

University of Phoenix–Baton Rouge (private, for-profit): 14.8%

 

Maine

University of Maine at Augusta (public): 12.3%

Maryland

Coppin State University (public): 13.9%

Sojourner-Douglass College (private, nonprofit): 16.7%

University of Maryland–University College (public): 2.9%

University of Phoenix–Maryland Campus (private, for-profit): 15.2%

Massachusetts

Bay State College (private, for-profit): 14.6%

Boston Architectural College (private, nonprofit): 6.6%

Cambridge College (private, nonprofit): 2.5%

University of Phoenix–Boston Campus (private, for-profit): 7.1%

Michigan

Baker College of Flint (private, nonprofit): 9.1%

Baker College of Muskegon (private, nonprofit): 16.7%

Baker College of Owosso (private, nonprofit): 8.8%

University of Phoenix–Metro Detroit Campus (private, for-profit): 13.6%

University of Phoenix–West Michigan Campus (private, for-profit): 14.6%

Minnesota

None

Missouri

Harris-Stowe State University (public): 10.4%

University of Phoenix–St. Louis Campus (private, for-profit): 3.4%

Montana

None

Nebraska

None

Nevada

Nevada State College (public): 13.8%

University of Phoenix–Northern Nevada Campus (private, for-profit): 10%

 

New Jersey

University of Phoenix–Jersey City Campus (private, for-profit): 7.3%

Yeshiva Toras Chaim (private, nonprofit): 2.9%

 

New Mexico

University of the Southwest (private, nonprofit): 14.1%

Western New Mexico University (public): 16.8%

 

New York

Beis Medrash Heichal Dovid (private, nonprofit): 10%

Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz (private, nonprofit): 9.9%

CUNY Medgar Evers College (public): 14.7%

Mirrer Yeshiva Cent Institute (private, nonprofit): 9.6%

Rabbinical College of Long Island (private, nonprofit): 2.8%

SUNY Empire State College (public): 15.7%

Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah (private, nonprofit): 6.7%

Torah Temimah Talmudical Seminary (private, nonprofit): 2.2%

Yeshivat Mikdash Melech (private, nonprofit): 6.1%

North Carolina

University of Phoenix–Charlotte Campus (private, for-profit): 14.6%

University of Phoenix–Raleigh Campus (private, for-profit): 12.5%

Northern Marianas

Northern Marianas College (public): 7.3%

Ohio

Franklin University (private, nonprofit): 15%

Kent State University at Ashtabula (public): 10.7%

Ohio University–Chillicothe Campus (public): 16%

Ohio University–Southern Campus (public): 17.6%

Oklahoma

Bacone College (private, nonprofit): 3.2%

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College (private, nonprofit): 14.6%

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology-Okmulgee (public): 0.6%

University of Phoenix–Oklahoma City Campus (private, for-profit): 15.5%

Oregon

None

Pennsylvania

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh–Online Division (private, for-profit): 11.3%

The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College (private, for-profit): 9.7%

University of Phoenix–Philadelphia Campus (private, for-profit): 7.1%

Puerto Rico

Bayamon Central University (private, nonprofit): 15.7%

National University College–Arecibo (private, for-profit): 11.1%

National University College–Bayamon (private, for-profit): 15.3%

National University College–Rio Grande (private, for-profit): 8.2%

Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico–Hato Rey Campus (private, nonprofit): 15%

University of Puerto Rico–Utuado (public): 14.2%

South Carolina

University of Phoenix–Columbia Campus (private, for-profit): 13.2%

South Dakota

National American University–Rapid City (private, for-profit): 11.9%

Oglala Lakota College (public): 6.9%

Tennessee

Le Moyne-Owen College (private, nonprofit): 16.9%

Tennessee Temple University (private, nonprofit): 17.5%

University of Phoenix–Memphis Campus (private, for-profit): 16.6%

University of Phoenix–Nashville Campus (private, for-profit): 15.1%

Victory University (private, for-profit): 5.4%

Texas

Jarvis Christian College (private, nonprofit): 9%

Paul Quinn College (private, nonprofit): 4.9%

Texas College (private, nonprofit): 14.6%

Texas Southern University (public): 16.3%

University of Houston–Downtown (public): 14.1%

University of Phoenix–Austin Campus (private, for-profit): 8.6%

University of Phoenix–Houston Campus (private, for-profit): 16.4%

Utah

None

Vermont

None

Virginia

ITT Technical Institute–Norfolk (private, for-profit): 17.4%

Washington

Heritage University (private, nonprofit): 15.3%

West Virginia

Bluefield State College (public): 17.7%

Salem International University (private, for-profit): 7.2%

West Virginia State University (public): 17%

Wisconsin

ITT Technical Institute–Greenfield (private, for-profit): 14.3%

University of Phoenix–Milwaukee Campus (private, for-profit): 14.6%

Wyoming

None