Pennsylvania Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 82 private colleges in Pennsylvania with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Curtis Institute of Music leads the list by accepting 5% 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 Pennsylvania Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

97%

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

97%

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

99%

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

100%

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

100%

Melrose Park, Pennsylvania

100%

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

100%

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

100%
100%

Scranton, 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.