Colleges With The Highest Rate Of Students With Pell Grants In Every State

The different ways in which college students access and utilize student financial aid — such as, a federal grant versus getting a federal student loan versus getting a private student loan — can reveal a lot about America’s college landscape. In a recent study published by BrokeScholar, each state was broken down by the number of four-year public and private not-for-profit colleges it contained, and then each college within the states were analyzed in terms of the percentage of full-time beginning students receiving various forms of financial aid. That study focused on the colleges with the highest share of students using private student loans; here, we’re focusing on a different dataset from that study: The colleges with the highest percentage of students with Pell Grants.

Pell Grants are a type of financial aid provided by the United States federal government to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Named after Senator Claiborne Pell, these grants aim to make attending college more possible for students from low-income backgrounds. Pell Grants do not need to be repaid, which makes them a particularly awesome source of college financial aid. them a valuable source of funding for students pursuing a college education. The determine the amount of the Pell Grant for an individual college-bound student, a variety of factors are considered, such as the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), cost of attendance, and enrollment status.

Thus, we analyzed every four-year public and private not-for-profit college in all 50 states and determined which school has the highest percentage of full-time beginning students with Pell Grant financial aid. The list that results is quite interesting, containing colleges that the average American may not be aware of.

Here’s a look at the college in each state with the highest share of students with Pell Grants.

Colleges With the Highest Rate of Pell Grants in Every State

Some patterns do emerge after analyzing the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and identifying the colleges with the highest proportion of beginning students with Pell Grants. For example, the graduation rates at the colleges tend to be on the lower side. Taking the 51 colleges representing the 50 states plus D.C., the average graduation rate is 34%.

Another theme is the appearance of four-year colleges that are primarily focused on associate degrees yet offer four-year bachelor’s degrees. A good example is the college in Colorado with the highest share of students with Pell Grants, Pueblo Community College, or, in Texas, South Texas College, another four-year public college that’s primarily for earning degrees on the associate level but offer bachelor’s degrees.

In terms of size, the colleges with the highest percentage of beginning students with Pell Grants vary widely. On the low end, there’s Alaska’s school, Alaska Pacific University, with under 380 undergraduate students. On the high end, there’s Western Governors University, based in Utah, with nearly 108,000 undergraduate students.

More importantly, the average amount of aid received via Pell Grants ranges from approximately $6,590 per beginning student, down to just $1,740 per beginning student. Thus, the funds from Pell Grants do not typically cover the whole cost of tuition and required fees, and they are often used in conjunction with other forms of financial aid.

So, here’s the detailed breakdown, state by state, of the four-year colleges and universities that have the highest proportion of beginning, full-time students with Pell Grants:

Alabama

College or university: Miles College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 79%

Average amount of aid received: $5,440

Graduation rate: 24%

Alaska

College or university: Alaska Pacific University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 63%

Average amount of aid received: $5,164

Graduation rate: 22%

Arizona

College or university: Dine College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 69%

Average amount of aid received: $2,958

Graduation rate: 6%

Arkansas

College or university: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 81%

Average amount of aid received: $5,554

Graduation rate: 41%

California

College or university: National University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 100%

Average amount of aid received: N/A

Graduation rate: 47%

Colorado

College or university: Pueblo Community College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 64%

Average amount of aid received: $5,550

Graduation rate: 19%

Connecticut

College or university: Goodwin University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 62%

Average amount of aid received: $4,423

Graduation rate: 38%

Delaware

College or university: Delaware State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 52%

Average amount of aid received: $4,959

Graduation rate: 47%

District of Columbia

College or university: Trinity Washington University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 63%

Average amount of aid received: $5,329

Graduation rate: 41%

Florida

College or university: Ana G. Mendez University / AGM University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 98%

Average amount of aid received: $5,883

Graduation rate: N/A

Georgia

College or university: Fort Valley State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 82%

Average amount of aid received: $5,668

Graduation rate: 45%

Hawaii

College or university: Chaminade University of Honolulu

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 49%

Average amount of aid received: $5,508

Graduation rate: 66%

Idaho

College or university: College of Southern Idaho

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 46%

Average amount of aid received: $4,646

Graduation rate: 27%

Illinois

College or university: Chicago State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 80%

Average amount of aid received: $5,939

Graduation rate: 21%

Indiana

College or university: Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 72%

Average amount of aid received: $3,483

Graduation rate: 7%

Iowa

College or university: University of Dubuque

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 52%

Average amount of aid received: $4,638

Graduation rate: 40%

Kansas

College or university: Southwestern College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 54%

Average amount of aid received: $4,528

Graduation rate: 40%

Kentucky

College or university: Berea College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 73%

Average amount of aid received: $6,287

Graduation rate: 66%

Louisiana

College or university: Southern University and A&M College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 80%

Average amount of aid received: $6,121

Graduation rate: 32%

Maine

College or university: University of Maine at Presque Isle

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 52%

Average amount of aid received: $4,625

Graduation rate: 35%

Maryland

College or university: Coppin State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 67%

Average amount of aid received: $4,663

Graduation rate: 26%

Massachusetts

College or university: Fisher College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 68%

Average amount of aid received: $4,882

Graduation rate: 36%

Michigan

College or university: Henry Ford College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 70%

Average amount of aid received: $5,964

Graduation rate: 10%

Minnesota

College or university: Metro State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 74%

Average amount of aid received: $5,058

Graduation rate: 38%

Mississippi

College or university: Mississippi Valley State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 82%

Average amount of aid received: $5,737

Graduation rate: 27%

Missouri

College or university: Harris-Stowe State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 85%

Average amount of aid received: $5,519

Graduation rate: 19%

Montana

College or university: University of Montana Western

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 44%

Average amount of aid received: $4,254

Graduation rate: 42%

Nebraska

College or university: Peru State College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 66%

Average amount of aid received: $4,130

Graduation rate: 40%

Nevada

College or university: Nevada State College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 50%

Average amount of aid received: $5,017

Graduation rate: 29%

New Hampshire

College or university: Granite State College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 63%

Average amount of aid received: $4,310

Graduation rate: 22%

New Jersey

College or university: Bloomfield College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 82%

Average amount of aid received: $4,403

Graduation rate: 38%

New Mexico

College or university: Navajo Technical University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 65%

Average amount of aid received: $4,938

Graduation rate: 7%

New York

College or university: Bryant & Stratton College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 84%

Average amount of aid received: $3,052

Graduation rate: 19%

North Carolina

College or university: Saint Augustine’s University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 78%

Average amount of aid received: $5,561

Graduation rate: 22%

North Dakota

College or university: Valley City State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 59%

Average amount of aid received: $1,740

Graduation rate: 53%

Ohio

College or university: Central State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 83%

Average amount of aid received: $4,278

Graduation rate: 23%

Oklahoma

College or university: Rogers State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 62%

Average amount of aid received: $4,951

Graduation rate: 25%

Oregon

College or university: Portland State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 58%

Average amount of aid received: $4,508

Graduation rate: 54%

Pennsylvania

College or university: Keystone College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 68%

Average amount of aid received: $6,590

Graduation rate: 46%

Rhode Island

College or university: New England Institute of Technology

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 51%

Average amount of aid received: $4,817

Graduation rate: 49%

South Carolina

College or university: Claflin University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 81%

Average amount of aid received: $5,612

Graduation rate: 51%

South Dakota

College or university: Oglala Lakota College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 79%

Average amount of aid received: $5,339

Graduation rate: 9%

Tennessee

College or university: Lane College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 85%

Average amount of aid received: $5,017

Graduation rate: 24%

Texas

College or university: South Texas College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 77%

Average amount of aid received: $5,003

Graduation rate: 26%

Utah

College or university: Western Governors University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 41%

Average amount of aid received: $4,141

Graduation rate: 64%

Vermont

College or university: Northern Vermont University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 47%

Average amount of aid received: $4,630

Graduation rate: 38%

Virginia

College or university: Norfolk State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 70%

Average amount of aid received: $5,190

Graduation rate: 37%

Washington

College or university: Renton Technical College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 51%

Average amount of aid received: $4,553

Graduation rate: 57%

West Virginia

College or university: Glenville State University

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 59%

Average amount of aid received: $4,731

Graduation rate: 38%

Wisconsin

College or university: Herzing University-Madison

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 73%

Average amount of aid received: $4,685

Graduation rate: 32%

Wyoming

College or university: Central Wyoming College

Percent of beginning students with Pell Grants: 43%

Average amount of aid received: $4,540

Graduation rate: 42%