New York Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in New York for 2024

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in New York. 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 Columbia University in the City of New York which sent acceptance letters to only 4% of the 60,879 students who applied and rejected 96%.

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 rankings of New York colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.


28 results

Columbia University in the City of New York
C
New York, NY

Columbia University in the City of New York

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

4% Acceptance Rate

#22 Best Colleges in America

  • 34,782enrollment
  • $22,058net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.91Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Cornell University
C
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#19 Best Colleges in America

  • 25,898enrollment
  • $26,060net price
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

Barnard College
B
New York, NY

Barnard College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

9% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 3,442enrollment
  • $26,009net price
  • 1440-1550SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.85Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 4

The Juilliard School
J
New York, NY

The Juilliard School

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

11% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 986enrollment
  • $43,151net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 1

Colgate University
C
Hamilton, NY

Colgate University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in New York

  • 3,141enrollment
  • $27,074net price
  • 1410-1530SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.77Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

Hamilton College
H
Clinton, NY

Hamilton College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Value Colleges in New York

  • 2,072enrollment
  • $24,503net price
  • 1420-1540SAT range
  • 33-34ACT range
  • 3.87Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

New York University
N
New York, NY

New York University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

#6 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 59,144enrollment
  • $29,499net price
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.79Avg GPA

United States Military Academy
A
West Point, New York

United States Military Academy

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 4,393enrollment
  • -net price
  • 1220-1450SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 31

Vassar College
V
Poughkeepsie, NY

Vassar College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

19% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 2,459enrollment
  • $30,603net price
  • 1430-1535SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.86Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Webb Institute
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

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
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

CUNY Graduate School and University Center
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

American Musical and Dramatic Academy
A
New York, NY

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

26% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,480enrollment
  • $48,847net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Skidmore College
S
Saratoga Springs, NY

Skidmore College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

26% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 2,758enrollment
  • $33,389net price
  • 1300-1460SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.75Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

United States Merchant Marine Academy
U
Kings Point, NY

United States Merchant Marine Academy

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

27% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 943enrollment
  • $4,891net price
  • 1150-1330SAT range
  • 20-28ACT range
  • 3.6Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 1

Yeshiva D'monsey Rabbinical College
Y
Monsey, NY
 

Yeshiva D'monsey Rabbinical College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

32% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 79enrollment
  • $5,054net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

University of Rochester
R
Rochester, NY

University of Rochester

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

39% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 12,197enrollment
  • $39,775net price
  • 1390-1540SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 3.75Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Rockland
Y
Suffern, NY
 

Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Rockland

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 183enrollment
  • $13,353net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

SUNY at Binghamton
B
Vestal, NY

SUNY at Binghamton

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

42% Acceptance Rate

#23 Best Public Universities in America

  • 18,312enrollment
  • $19,535net price
  • 1340-1510SAT range
  • 29-34ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

The King's College
K
New York, NY

The King's College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 326enrollment
  • $34,192net price
  • 1190-1340SAT range
  • 25-31ACT range
  • 3.73Avg GPA

Bard College
B
Annandale-On-Hudson, NY

Bard College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 2,706enrollment
  • $25,214net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

Union College
U
Schenectady, NY

Union College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

47% Acceptance Rate

#11 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 2,107enrollment
  • $41,136net price
  • 1310-1490SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

CUNY Hunter College
H
New York, NY

CUNY Hunter College

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

48% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 22,970enrollment
  • $4,848net price
  • 1170-1340SAT range
  • 25-31ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

Stony Brook University
S
Stony Brook, NY

Stony Brook University

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

49% Acceptance Rate

#25 Best Public Universities in America

  • 25,710enrollment
  • $17,213net price
  • 1320-1500SAT range
  • 28-34ACT range
  • 3.94Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
B
New York, NY

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 19,854enrollment
  • $4,991net price
  • 1170-1360SAT range
  • 26-30ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

Davis College
D
Johnson City, NY
 

Davis College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 146enrollment
  • $14,276net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.18Avg GPA

Pratt Institute Main
P
Brooklyn, NY

Pratt Institute Main

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

#23 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 5,494enrollment
  • $47,326net price
  • 1160-1430SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
  • 3.86Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

Sarah Lawrence College
S
Bronxville, NY

Sarah Lawrence College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

#15 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 1,696enrollment
  • $42,781net price
  • 1260-1450SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
  • 3.75Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15