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.
| College | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
|
Penn State Berks
Reading, Pennsylvania |
99% |
|
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota |
99% |
|
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, Texas |
99% |
|
West Texas A & M University
Canyon, Texas |
99% |
|
Fairmont State University
Fairmont, West Virginia |
99% |
|
Athens State University
Athens, Alabama |
100% |
|
University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska |
100% |
|
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska |
100% |
|
Dine College
Tsaile, Arizona |
100% |
|
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Monticello, Arkansas |
100% |
|
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas |
100% |
|
Adams State University
Alamosa, Colorado |
100% |
|
Colorado Mountain College
Glenwood Springs, Colorado |
100% |
|
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado |
100% |
|
Charter Oak State College
New Britain, Connecticut |
100% |
|
University of the District of Columbia
Washington, District Of Columbia |
100% |
|
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
100% |
|
College of Central Florida
Ocala, Florida |
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.