United States Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 633 public colleges in the United States with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. University of California Los Angeles leads the list by accepting 9% 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 United States Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate
97%

Erie, Pennsylvania

97%

Dallas, Pennsylvania

97%

Center Valley, Pennsylvania

97%

DuBois, Pennsylvania

97%

Abington, Pennsylvania

97%

Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania

97%

York, Pennsylvania

97%

Houston, Texas

97%

Bluefield, West Virginia

97%

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

97%

West Liberty, West Virginia

97%

Laramie, Wyoming

97%
97%

Montgomery, Alabama

98%
98%
98%

Brunswick, Georgia

98%

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.