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 |
|---|---|
|
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts |
40% |
|
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts |
40% |
|
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York |
40% |
|
Paul Quinn College
Dallas, Texas |
40% |
|
Trine University Regional/Non Traditional Campuses
Angola, Indiana |
40% |
|
Carolina University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
40% |
|
Howard University
Washington, District Of Columbia |
41% |
|
The New England Conservatory of Music
Boston, Massachusetts |
41% |
|
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York |
41% |
|
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio |
41% |
|
Hampden Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia |
41% |
|
Saint Joseph's University Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
41% |
|
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria, Florida |
41% |
|
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
El Dorado Hills, California |
41% |
|
Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana |
42% |
|
Summit Christian College
Gering, Nebraska |
42% |
|
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina |
42% |
|
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania |
42% |
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.