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 |
|---|---|
|
Dalton State College
Dalton, Georgia |
100% |
|
Savannah State University
Savannah, Georgia |
100% |
|
University of Hawaii Maui College
Kahului, Hawaii |
100% |
|
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho |
100% |
|
Vincennes University
Vincennes, Indiana |
100% |
|
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas |
100% |
|
University of Maine at Augusta
Augusta, Maine |
100% |
|
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, Maine |
100% |
|
University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, Maryland |
100% |
|
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland |
100% |
|
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan |
100% |
|
Delta State University
Cleveland, Mississippi |
100% |
|
Harris Stowe State University
Saint Louis, Missouri |
100% |
|
Lincoln University
Jefferson City, Missouri |
100% |
|
Missouri Western State University
Saint Joseph, Missouri |
100% |
|
Montana State University Billings
Billings, Montana |
100% |
|
Montana State University Northern
Havre, Montana |
100% |
|
The University of Montana Western
Dillon, Montana |
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.