U.S. Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in America for 2024

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 Fairfax University of America which sent acceptance letters to only 1% of the 378 students who applied and rejected 99%.

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

245 results nationwide

College of the Ozarks
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O
Point Lookout, MO

College of the Ozarks

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

21% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,487enrollment
  • $12,611net price
  • 1065-1234SAT range
  • 20-25ACT range
  • 3.71Avg GPA

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Webb Institute
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W
Glen Cove, NY

Webb Institute

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

21% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 102enrollment
  • $19,744net price
  • 1400-1510SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Wake Forest University
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W
Winston Salem, NC

Wake Forest University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

21% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 8,963enrollment
  • $26,197net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Babson College
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B
Wellesley, MA

Babson College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

#15 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 3,989enrollment
  • $28,400net price
  • 1350-1510SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.79Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

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Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
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C
New York, NY

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 958enrollment
  • $26,194net price
  • 1390-1530SAT range
  • 31-35ACT range
  • 3.75Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 8

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Denison University
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D
Granville, OH

Denison University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Ohio

  • 2,416enrollment
  • $38,267net price
  • 1270-1460SAT range
  • 29-32ACT range
  • 3.76Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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City College Gainesville
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C
Gainesville, FL
 

City College Gainesville

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 45enrollment
  • $16,530net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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University of Florida
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F
Gainesville, FL

University of Florida

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

23% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Public Universities in America

  • 55,211enrollment
  • $11,740net price
  • 1300-1490SAT range
  • 28-33ACT range
  • 3.9Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 1

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Smith College
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S
Northampton, MA

Smith College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

23% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 2,873enrollment
  • $30,790net price
  • 1370-1520SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Villanova University
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V
Villanova, PA

Villanova University

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

23% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 10,383enrollment
  • $34,837net price
  • 1378-1500SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.87Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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University of California San Diego
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C
La Jolla, CA

University of California San Diego

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

#9 Best Public Universities in America

  • 42,006enrollment
  • $16,111net price
  • 1270-1480SAT range
  • 28-34ACT range
  • 3.82Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

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United States Coast Guard Academy
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C
New London, Connecticut

United States Coast Guard Academy

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,037enrollment
  • -net price
  • 1160-1365SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
  • 3.79Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Point University
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P
East Point, GA
 

Point University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

#15 Best Private Colleges in Georgia

  • 2,015enrollment
  • $19,890net price
  • 850-1100SAT range
  • 13-23ACT range
  • 3.41Avg GPA

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CUNY Graduate School and University Center
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G
New York, NY

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 8,733enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Piedmont International University
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P
Winston Salem, NC
 

Piedmont International University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 691enrollment
  • $15,119net price
  • 770-1230SAT range
  • 15-23ACT range
  • 3.07Estimated Avg GPA

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University of Richmond
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R
University of Richmond, VA

University of Richmond

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Colleges in Virginia

  • 3,876enrollment
  • $29,248net price
  • 1398-1530SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.71Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Trine University Regional/Non Traditional Campuses
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T
Fort Wayne, IN
 

Trine University Regional/Non Traditional Campuses

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 4,344enrollment
  • $19,616net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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California Institute of the Arts
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C
Valencia, CA

California Institute of the Arts

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

25% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,440enrollment
  • $55,225net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

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