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.

List of United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Amherst, New York

68%

Hempstead, New York

68%

Keuka Park, New York

68%

Mars Hill, North Carolina

68%
68%

Newport, Rhode Island

68%

Spartanburg, South Carolina

68%

Clinton, South Carolina

68%

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

68%

Nashville, Tennessee

68%
68%

Roanoke, Virginia

68%

Decatur, Illinois

67%
67%

Rochester, New York

67%

Bluffton, Ohio

67%

Eugene, Oregon

67%

East Greenwich, Rhode Island

67%

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.