U.S. Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in America for 2024

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in the United States. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is Fairfax University of America which sent acceptance letters to only 1% of the 378 students who applied and rejected 99%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore US rankings of the colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.


245 results nationwide

Fairfax University of America
F
Fairfax, Virginia
 

Fairfax University of America

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

1% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 43enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Minerva University
M
San Francisco, California
 

Minerva University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

1% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 660enrollment
  • $15,215net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

California Institute of Technology
C
Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

3% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Colleges in America

  • 2,401enrollment
  • $20,755net price
  • 1530-1580SAT range
  • 35-36ACT range
  • 3.97Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

Harvard University
H
Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

3% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Colleges in America

  • 30,631enrollment
  • $19,491net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-36ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M
Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

4% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Colleges in America

  • 11,858enrollment
  • $20,232net price
  • 1530-1580SAT range
  • 35-36ACT range
  • 3.96Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Columbia University in the City of New York
C
New York, NY

Columbia University in the City of New York

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

4% Acceptance Rate

#22 Best Colleges in America

  • 34,782enrollment
  • $22,058net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.91Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Stanford University
S
Stanford, CA

Stanford University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

4% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Colleges in America

  • 18,283enrollment
  • $18,279net price
  • 1500-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.96Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

Yale University
Y
New Haven, CT

Yale University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

5% Acceptance Rate

#6 Best Colleges in America

  • 14,776enrollment
  • $18,647net price
  • 1500-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.95Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

University of Chicago
C
Chicago, IL

University of Chicago

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

5% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Colleges in America

  • 18,339enrollment
  • $36,991net price
  • 1500-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.95Estimated Avg GPA

Brown University
B
Providence, RI

Brown University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

5% Acceptance Rate

#11 Best Colleges in America

  • 11,189enrollment
  • $26,723net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-36ACT range
  • 3.94Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

Dartmouth College
D
Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

6% Acceptance Rate

#12 Best Colleges in America

  • 6,744enrollment
  • $19,208net price
  • 1500-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

Princeton University
P
Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

6% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Colleges in America

  • 8,842enrollment
  • $18,698net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.93Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Duke University
D
Durham, NC

Duke University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

6% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in America

  • 18,023enrollment
  • $23,694net price
  • 1490-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.94Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

Pomona College
P
Claremont, CA

Pomona College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#21 Best Colleges in America

  • 1,716enrollment
  • $19,962net price
  • 1480-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 8

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago
C
Chicago, IL
 

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,296enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Northwestern University
N
Evanston, IL

Northwestern University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#15 Best Colleges in America

  • 23,161enrollment
  • $22,095net price
  • 1490-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.92Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Johns Hopkins University
J
Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Colleges in America

  • 31,275enrollment
  • $24,034net price
  • 1520-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

Amherst College
A
Amherst, MA

Amherst College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#16 Best Colleges in America

  • 1,898enrollment
  • $21,367net price
  • 1420-1550SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.91Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2