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 |
|---|---|
|
Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel
Monroe, New York |
100% |
|
Huntsville Bible College
Huntsville, Alabama |
100% |
|
University of the West
Rosemead, California |
100% |
|
Providence Christian College
Pasadena, California |
100% |
|
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Miami
Miami, Florida |
100% |
|
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Orlando
Orlando, Florida |
100% |
|
Homestead Schools
Torrance, California |
100% |
|
Horizon University
Indianapolis, California |
100% |
|
University of Fort Lauderdale
Lauderhill, Florida |
100% |
|
Pacific Rim Christian University
Honolulu, Hawaii |
100% |
|
City Vision University
Kansas City, Missouri |
100% |
|
Ascent College
Gainesville, Virginia |
100% |
|
Touro University Worldwide
Los Alamitos, California |
100% |
|
Touro University Nevada
Henderson, Nevada |
100% |
|
Carolina College of Biblical Studies
Fayetteville, North Carolina |
100% |
|
Shepherds Theological Seminary
Cary, North Carolina |
100% |
|
Simmons College of Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky |
100% |
|
North American University
Stafford, Texas |
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.