<p>You may not have read the entire thread, but I was talking about the freshman retention rate. This is high for all the elite colleges. As Hawkette demonstrates, there is little variation among these places, and it only counts for 4% of the score in any case. So it simply cannot have much influence on the ranking. </p>
<p>The graduation and retention rate varies much more than the freshman retention rate, and is given 4 four fold more weight. So it could influence the rankings.</p>
<p>From the current USNWR Online edition for LACs, ranked by Freshman Retention Rate.</p>
<p>Of note, other posters have commented on Pomona's #11 overall ranking for "Graduation and Retention Rank" despite high numbers in each sub-category. Could this be a typo and mean #1 instead of #11?</p>
<p>(Graduation and Retention Rank)(Freshman Retention Rate) (2005 Predicted Graduation Rate) (2005 Actual Graduation Rate)</p>
<p>Pomona College (CA) 11 99% 94% 95%
Bowdoin College (ME) 4 98% 92% 94%
Williams College (MA) 2 97% 94% 95%
Amherst College (MA) 1 97% 95% 96%
Carleton College (MN) 11 97% 87% 87%
Swarthmore College (PA) 3 96% 94% 92%
Middlebury College (VT) 4 96% 91% 94%
Haverford College (PA) 8 96% 91% 88%
Davidson College (NC) 10 96% 89% 87%
Wesleyan University (CT) 8 96% 89% 90%
Harvey Mudd College (CA) 25 96% 95% 88%
College of the Holy Cross (MA) 4 96% 81% 91%
Wellesley College (MA) 4 95% 90% 93%
Vassar College (NY) 11 95% 87% 91%
Claremont McKenna College (CA) 25 95% 92% 88%
Washington and Lee University (VA) 16 95% 88% 87%
Bucknell University (PA) 11 95% 80% 90%
Colgate University (NY) 11 94% 85% 91%
Bates College (ME) 17 94% 86% 89%
Barnard College (NY) 17 94% 83% 89%
Lafayette College (PA) 20 94% 80% 90%
Whitman College (WA) 21 94% 84% 86%
Beloit College (WI) 79 94% 75% 72%
Wheaton College (IL) 21 94% 83% 86%
Hamilton College (NY) 21 93% 80% 88%
Bryn Mawr College (PA) 30 93% 85% 86%
Colby College (ME) 17 93% 83% 89%
Mount Holyoke College (MA) 40 93% 79% 80%
Macalester College (MN) 35 93% 85% 85%
University of Richmond (VA) 31 93% 82% 84%
Union College (NY) 25 93% 78% 84%
St. Olaf College (MN) 35 93% 76% 84%
Illinois Wesleyan University 40 93% 78% 82%
Muhlenberg College (PA) 38 93% 69% 85%
Grinnell College (IA) 21 92% 84% 87%
Trinity College (CT) 25 92% 82% 85%
Kenyon College (OH) 31 92% 81% 83%</p>