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 |
|---|---|
|
Lesley University
Cambridge, Massachusetts |
97% |
|
Hilbert College
Hamburg, New York |
97% |
|
Trocaire College
Buffalo, New York |
97% |
|
Oklahoma Christian University
Edmond, Oklahoma |
97% |
|
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
97% |
|
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
97% |
|
Limestone University
Gaffney, South Carolina |
97% |
|
Bellin College
Green Bay, Wisconsin |
97% |
|
St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, Florida |
98% |
|
Bethel University
Mishawaka, Indiana |
98% |
|
Benedictine College
Atchison, Kansas |
98% |
|
Davenport University
Grand Rapids, Michigan |
98% |
|
Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan |
98% |
|
Doane University
Crete, Nebraska |
98% |
|
Rabbinical Seminary of America
Flushing, New York |
98% |
|
University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, Texas |
98% |
|
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas |
98% |
|
Virginia Union University
Richmond, Virginia |
98% |
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.