For some students, college is a stepping stone to a higher level of education. And the value of a graduate degree continues to increase as the percentage growth of Americans with bachelor's degrees outpaces that of the nation's population. For high schoolers interested in one day pursuing a graduate degree, it's important to take note of the schools that are well versed in preparing students for the next level. At some schools, the majority of their recent graduates go on to graduate school, according to data provided by colleges to U.S. News in a 2010 survey of undergraduate programs.
Of the 1,756 undergraduate programs surveyed by U.S. News, 627 reported the percentage of their 2009 graduating class that had gone on to pursue a graduate degree within a year of graduation. Among those schools, an average of 25.5 percent of students opted to attend graduate school within a year of receiving their diplomas. A handful institutions, however, are well above that average.
[Read about the value of a graduate degree.]
At Yeshiva University, 89 percent of graduates went on to graduate school within a year, by far the most of any school in the nation. It is one of five New York-based institutions, including Niagara University and SUNY College--Old Westbury, on the list of the 10 schools that send the highest proportion of students to graduate school.
Schools that were designated by U.S. News as Unranked were not considered for this report. U.S. News did not calculate numerical rankings for Unranked programs because the schools did not supply U.S. News with enough key statistical data to be eligible.
Below is a list of the 10 colleges with the highest percentages of 2009 graduates that went on to pursue graduate degrees within a year:
| School name | Graduates pursuing advanced degree | U.S. News rank & category |
|---|---|---|
| Yeshiva University (NY) | 89% | 50, National Universities |
| SUNY College--Old Westbury | 78% | RNP*, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology (NY) | 78% | 36, Regional Colleges (North) |
| Niagara University (NY) | 76% | 58, Regional Universities (North) |
| Hawaii Pacific University | 75% | 68, Regional Universities (West) |
| SUNY College of Technology--Delhi | 75% | 39, Regional Colleges (North) |
| Waldorf College (IA) | 75% | RNP, Regional Colleges (Midwest) |
| South Carolina State University | 70% | 170, National Universities |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 70% | 126, Regional Universities (North) |
| Missouri Western State University | 66% | 66, Regional Colleges (Midwest) |
*RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one fourth of all national universities. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find tuition data, complete rankings, and much more.
U.S. News surveyed more than 1,700 colleges and universities for our 2010 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported a myriad of data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News's data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data comes from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News's rankings of Best Colleges or Best Graduate Schools.
