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 |
|---|---|
|
Allegheny Wesleyan College
Salem, Ohio |
100% |
|
Athenaeum of Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio |
100% |
|
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
Cincinnati, Ohio |
100% |
|
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio |
100% |
|
University of Northwestern Ohio
Lima, Ohio |
100% |
|
University of Rio Grande
Rio Grande, Ohio |
100% |
|
Tri State Bible College
South Point, Ohio |
100% |
|
Bacone College
Muskogee, Oklahoma |
100% |
|
Southern Nazarene University
Bethany, Oklahoma |
100% |
|
Southwestern Christian University
Bethany, Oklahoma |
100% |
|
Mount Angel Seminary
Saint Benedict, Oregon |
100% |
|
University of Western States
Portland, Oregon |
100% |
|
American College of Financial Services
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania |
100% |
|
Geneva College
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania |
100% |
|
Gratz College
Melrose Park, Pennsylvania |
100% |
|
Peirce College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
100% |
|
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
100% |
|
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary Overbrook
Ambler, Pennsylvania |
100% |
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.