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 |
|---|---|
|
College for Creative Studies
Detroit, Michigan |
92% |
|
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota |
92% |
|
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota |
92% |
|
New England College
Henniker, New Hampshire |
92% |
|
Rabbinical College Beth Shraga
Monsey, New York |
92% |
|
Utica University
Utica, New York |
92% |
|
Wilmington College
Wilmington, Ohio |
92% |
|
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania |
92% |
|
Wilson College
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania |
92% |
|
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia |
92% |
|
Mid America Christian University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
92% |
|
Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
Edison, New Jersey |
92% |
|
Herzing University New Orleans
Metairie, Louisiana |
92% |
|
Herzing University Kenosha
Kenosha, Wisconsin |
92% |
|
Herzing University Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama |
93% |
|
William Jessup University
Rocklin, California |
93% |
|
St. John Vianney College Seminary
Miami, Florida |
93% |
|
Life University
Marietta, Georgia |
93% |
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.