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 |
|---|---|
|
Manna University
Fayetteville, North Carolina |
53% |
|
University of San Diego
San Diego, California |
52% |
|
William Penn University
Oskaloosa, Iowa |
52% |
|
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, Michigan |
52% |
|
York University
York, Nebraska |
52% |
|
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York |
52% |
|
Wofford College
Spartanburg, South Carolina |
52% |
|
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois |
51% |
|
Barclay College
Haviland, Kansas |
51% |
|
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts |
51% |
|
Bennett College
Greensboro, North Carolina |
51% |
|
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island |
51% |
|
Baylor University
Waco, Texas |
51% |
|
Hallmark University
San Antonio, Texas |
51% |
|
Anna Maria College
Paxton, Massachusetts |
50% |
|
Laboure College of Healthcare
Milton, Massachusetts |
50% |
|
Belhaven University
Jackson, Mississippi |
50% |
|
University of Providence
Great Falls, Montana |
50% |
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.