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 |
|---|---|
|
Marian University
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin |
75% |
|
Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin |
75% |
|
Biola University
La Mirada, California |
74% |
|
Emmanuel University
Franklin Springs, Georgia |
74% |
|
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois |
74% |
|
Taylor University
Upland, Indiana |
74% |
|
Newman University
Wichita, Kansas |
74% |
|
University of Holy Cross
New Orleans, Louisiana |
74% |
|
Capitol Technology University
Laurel, Maryland |
74% |
|
Mount St. Mary's University
Emmitsburg, Maryland |
74% |
|
Dean College
Franklin, Massachusetts |
74% |
|
Alfred University
Alfred, New York |
74% |
|
Meredith College
Raleigh, North Carolina |
74% |
|
Lourdes University
Sylvania, Ohio |
74% |
|
Ohio Northern University
Ada, Ohio |
74% |
|
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
74% |
|
Gannon University
Erie, Pennsylvania |
74% |
|
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania |
74% |
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.