U.S. Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in America for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in the United States. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is California Institute of Technology which sent acceptance letters to only 3% of the 13,107 students who applied and rejected 97%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore US rankings of the colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

266 results nationwide

Curtis Institute of Music
C
Philadelphia, PA
 

Curtis Institute of Music

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 159enrollment
  • $21,615net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 18

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Swarthmore College
S
Swarthmore, PA

Swarthmore College

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#13 Best Value Colleges in America

  • 1,644enrollment
  • $17,930net price
  • 1460-1560SAT range
  • 33-34ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 4

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Bowdoin College
B
Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

8% Acceptance Rate

#21 Best Value Colleges in America

  • 1,850enrollment
  • $23,110net price
  • 1480-1550SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

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Johns Hopkins University
J
Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

8% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Colleges in America

  • 30,362enrollment
  • $22,844net price
  • 1530-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

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Barnard College
B
New York, NY

Barnard College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

8% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 3,353enrollment
  • $27,738net price
  • 1453-1550SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.85Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 4

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Cornell University
C
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

8% Acceptance Rate

#19 Best Colleges in America

  • 26,264enrollment
  • $26,455net price
  • 1480-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

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Rice University
R
Houston, TX

Rice University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

8% Acceptance Rate

#9 Best Colleges in America

  • 8,556enrollment
  • $20,587net price
  • 1500-1570SAT range
  • 34-36ACT range
  • 3.96Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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University of California Los Angeles
C
Los Angeles, CA

University of California Los Angeles

Public 4 Year

3 reviews

9% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Public Universities in America

  • 46,678enrollment
  • $15,166net price
  • 1300-1530SAT range
  • 29-35ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

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United States Naval Academy
N
Annapolis, Maryland

United States Naval Academy

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

9% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 4,465enrollment
  • -net price
  • 1200-1420SAT range
  • 24-31ACT range
  • 3.8Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 31

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The Juilliard School
J
New York, NY

The Juilliard School

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

9% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,028enrollment
  • $42,468net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 1

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New York University
N
New York, NY

New York University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

9% Acceptance Rate

#6 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 57,335enrollment
  • $30,730net price
  • 1480-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.79Avg GPA

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Pacific Oaks College
P
Pasadena, CA
 

Pacific Oaks College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,051enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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University of Southern California
S
Los Angeles, CA

University of Southern California

Private 4 Year

5 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Private Colleges in California

  • 47,147enrollment
  • $41,496net price
  • 1440-1550SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

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Amherst College
A
Amherst, MA

Amherst College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

#15 Best Colleges in America

  • 1,910enrollment
  • $17,965net price
  • 1360-1550SAT range
  • 31-35ACT range
  • 3.91Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

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Tufts University
T
Medford, MA

Tufts University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

#6 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 13,274enrollment
  • $33,333net price
  • 1460-1550SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.91Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Williams College
W
Williamstown, MA

Williams College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

#13 Best Colleges in America

  • 2,168enrollment
  • $16,988net price
  • 1470-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.94Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 10

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Middlebury College
M
Middlebury, VT

Middlebury College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

#25 Best Value Colleges in America

  • 2,857enrollment
  • $22,912net price
  • 1430-1550SAT range
  • 33-34ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Claremont McKenna College
C
Claremont, CA

Claremont McKenna College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

11% Acceptance Rate

#17 Best Colleges in America

  • 1,384enrollment
  • $29,978net price
  • 1450-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

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