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 |
|---|---|
|
Keser Torah Mayan Hatalmud
Lakewood, New Jersey |
100% |
|
Los Angeles Pacific University
San Dimas, California |
100% |
|
The University of America
Temecula, California |
100% |
|
Criswell College
Dallas, Texas |
100% |
|
Grace Mission University
Fullerton, California |
100% |
|
Mid South Christian College
Memphis, Tennessee |
100% |
|
Grace School of Theology
Conroe, Texas |
100% |
|
Ana G. Mendez University
Orlando, Florida |
100% |
|
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
100% |
|
Valor Christian College
Canal Winchester, Ohio |
100% |
|
Claremont Lincoln University
Claremont, California |
100% |
|
University of the People
Pasadena, California |
100% |
|
Presbyterian Theological Seminary in America
Santa Fe Springs, California |
100% |
|
America Evangelical University
Gardena, California |
100% |
|
Reformed University
Lawrenceville, Georgia |
100% |
|
The Chicago School at San Diego
San Diego, California |
100% |
|
Champion Christian College
Hot Springs, Arkansas |
100% |
|
Institute of Lutheran Theology
Brookings, South Dakota |
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.