United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate
Below is a ranking of the 1198 private colleges in the United States with the highest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Amridge University leads the list by accepting 100% of high school students that applied.
Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.
| College | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
|
Iona University
New Rochelle, New York |
87% |
|
Manhattanville University
Purchase, New York |
87% |
|
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York |
87% |
|
Villa Maria College
Buffalo, New York |
87% |
|
Campbell University
Buies Creek, North Carolina |
87% |
|
Carlow University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
87% |
|
Christian Brothers University
Memphis, Tennessee |
87% |
|
The University of Tennessee Southern
Pulaski, Tennessee |
87% |
|
Randolph Macon College
Ashland, Virginia |
87% |
|
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin |
87% |
|
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
87% |
|
Simpson University
Redding, California |
86% |
|
Regis University
Denver, Colorado |
86% |
|
Hawaii Pacific University
Honolulu, Hawaii |
86% |
|
Central College
Pella, Iowa |
86% |
|
Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa |
86% |
|
Bellarmine University
Louisville, Kentucky |
86% |
|
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri |
86% |
This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026
Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.