United States Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
Below is a ranking of the 1198 private colleges in the United States with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. California Institute of Technology leads the list by accepting 3% 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 |
|---|---|
|
Torah Temimah Talmudical Seminary
Staten Island, New York |
56% |
|
Yeshiva University
New York, New York |
56% |
|
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio |
56% |
|
Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
56% |
|
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
56% |
|
Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, Texas |
56% |
|
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, Florida |
57% |
|
Hebrew Theological College
Skokie, Illinois |
57% |
|
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois |
57% |
|
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana |
57% |
|
Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland |
57% |
|
Alma College
Alma, Michigan |
57% |
|
Wesley Biblical Seminary
Ridgeland, Mississippi |
57% |
|
Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fayette, Missouri |
57% |
|
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri |
57% |
|
Marist University
Poughkeepsie, New York |
57% |
|
The University of the South
Sewanee, Tennessee |
57% |
|
McMurry University
Abilene, Texas |
57% |
This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026
Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.