Ohio Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 59 private colleges in Ohio with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Denison University leads the list by accepting 17% 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.

List of Ohio Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Wickliffe, Ohio

83%
84%
84%

Westerville, Ohio

85%

Tiffin, Ohio

86%

Cincinnati, Ohio

86%

Yellow Springs, Ohio

89%

Wilmington, Ohio

92%

Toledo, Ohio

93%

Hiram, Ohio

94%

Columbus, Ohio

94%
95%
96%
100%

Cincinnati, Ohio

100%
100%

Columbus, Ohio

100%
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.