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 |
|---|---|
|
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio |
81% |
|
Mercyhurst University
Erie, Pennsylvania |
81% |
|
Neumann University
Aston, Pennsylvania |
81% |
|
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania |
81% |
|
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania |
81% |
|
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
81% |
|
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania |
81% |
|
Saint Edward's University
Austin, Texas |
81% |
|
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
81% |
|
Everglades University
Boca Raton, Florida |
81% |
|
Husson University
Bangor, Maine |
81% |
|
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama |
82% |
|
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California |
82% |
|
Woodbury University
Burbank, California |
82% |
|
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida |
82% |
|
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois |
82% |
|
Grace College and Theological Seminary
Winona Lake, Indiana |
82% |
|
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, Maryland |
82% |
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.