Most Selective Colleges
Colleges ranked by acceptance rate (2023 data). Lower = more competitive.
#1
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · Private
3.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 13,107
Earnings: $112,166
Grad Rate: 91.6%
🌍 32% International 👩 39% Women
#2
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private
3.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 56,937
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $84,918
Grad Rate: 97.6%
🌍 26% International 👩 54% Women
#3
Minerva University
San Francisco, CA · Private
3.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 9,856
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 88.8%
🌍 91% International 👩 56% Women
#4
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · Private
3.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 53,733
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $97,798
Grad Rate: 95.2%
🌍 25% International 👩 48% Women
#5
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private
4.2%
Acceptance
Applicants: 57,613
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $89,871
Grad Rate: 96.2%
🌍 39% International 👩 54% Women
#6
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private
4.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 51,803
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $88,655
Grad Rate: 96.4%
🌍 24% International 👩 53% Women
#7
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private
4.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 39,644
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $95,689
Grad Rate: 98.0%
🌍 24% International 👩 48% Women
#8
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private
4.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 26,904
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $111,222
Grad Rate: 95.6%
🌍 29% International 👩 44% Women
#9
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private
4.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 38,631
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $76,730
Grad Rate: 96.0%
🌍 31% International 👩 46% Women
#10
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private
5.2%
Acceptance
Applicants: 51,316
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $78,943
Grad Rate: 95.3%
🌍 20% International 👩 52% Women
#11
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private
5.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 96,631
SAT: 1500
Earnings: $79,786
Grad Rate: 89.8%
🌍 39% International 👩 52% Women
#12
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private
5.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 59,465
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $103,246
Grad Rate: 95.5%
🌍 24% International 👩 56% Women
#13
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private
6.2%
Acceptance
Applicants: 28,841
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $91,627
Grad Rate: 94.9%
🌍 21% International 👩 49% Women
#14
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private
6.3%
Acceptance
Applicants: 45,313
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $79,872
Grad Rate: 92.8%
🌍 13% International 👩 56% Women
#15
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private
6.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 12,121
SAT: 1520
Earnings: $69,149
Grad Rate: 94.0%
🌍 13% International 👩 55% Women
#16
Duke University
Durham, NC · Private
6.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 46,365
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $93,115
Grad Rate: 95.5%
🌍 25% International 👩 55% Women
#17
Colby College
Waterville, ME · Private
6.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 17,786
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $71,127
Grad Rate: 90.4%
🌍 11% International 👩 51% Women
#18
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private
6.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 14,287
SAT: 1530
Earnings: $72,637
Grad Rate: 97.3%
🌍 14% International 👩 52% Women
#19
Curtis Institute of Music
Philadelphia, PA · Private
7.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 446
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 84.6%
🌍 47% International 👩 46% Women
#20
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private
7.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 51,769
SAT: 1530
Earnings: $80,033
Grad Rate: 95.0%
🌍 21% International 👩 55% Women
#21
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private
7.6%
Acceptance
Applicants: 38,926
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $83,287
Grad Rate: 94.4%
🌍 26% International 👩 52% Women
#22
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private
7.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 31,059
SAT: 1550
Earnings: $77,683
Grad Rate: 94.2%
🌍 26% International 👩 44% Women
#23
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private
8.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 11,803
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $71,678
Grad Rate: 90.0%
🌍 14% International 👩 99% Women
#24
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · Private
8.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 10,966
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $66,864
Grad Rate: 95.0%
🌍 7% International 👩 52% Women
#25
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private
8.2%
Acceptance
Applicants: 65,635
SAT: 1520
Earnings: $91,176
Grad Rate: 95.4%
🌍 26% International 👩 53% Women
#26
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
8.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 145,903
Earnings: $73,744
Grad Rate: 91.3%
🌍 14% International 👩 58% Women 🏠 86% Domestic
#27
The Juilliard School
New York, NY · Private
9.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 2,020
Earnings: $37,960
Grad Rate: 93.8%
🌍 32% International 👩 48% Women
#28
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD · Public
9.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 14,727
SAT: 1300
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 89.6%
🌍 1% International 👩 30% Women 🏠 99% Domestic
#29
New York University
New York, NY · Private
9.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 113,578
SAT: 1530
Earnings: $76,040
Grad Rate: 87.8%
🌍 34% International 👩 58% Women
#30
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private
9.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 12,727
SAT: 1500
Earnings: $71,567
Grad Rate: 94.7%
🌍 12% International 👩 54% Women
#31
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · Private
10.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 11,465
SAT: 1530
Earnings: $71,608
Grad Rate: 96.0%
🌍 10% International 👩 52% Women
#32
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, CA · Private
10.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 30
Earnings: $46,561
🌍 0% International 👩 87% Women
#33
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private
10.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 80,808
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $83,426
Grad Rate: 91.7%
🌍 27% International 👩 53% Women
#34
Tufts University
Medford, MA · Private
10.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 34,003
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $67,122
Grad Rate: 93.9%
🌍 15% International 👩 59% Women
#35
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · Private
10.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 13,297
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $65,933
Grad Rate: 93.6%
🌍 12% International 👩 54% Women
#36
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private
10.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 80,495
SAT: 1470
Earnings: $75,642
Grad Rate: 89.0%
🌍 29% International 👩 57% Women
#37
Emory University
Atlanta, GA · Private
11.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 31,929
SAT: 1520
Earnings: $72,364
Grad Rate: 90.3%
🌍 18% International 👩 61% Women
#38
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · Private
11.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 5,799
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $86,571
Grad Rate: 92.3%
🌍 15% International 👩 50% Women
#39
Stanbridge University
Irvine, CA · For-Profit
11.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 2,700
Earnings: $55,373
Grad Rate: 65.3%
🌍 0% International 👩 78% Women
#40
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private
11.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 33,707
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $99,998
Grad Rate: 93.5%
🌍 42% International 👩 44% Women
#41
Washington University of Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA · For-Profit
11.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 174
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 93.3%
🌍 88% International 👩 37% Women
#42
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
11.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 125,910
Earnings: $80,364
Grad Rate: 92.3%
🌍 17% International 👩 54% Women 🏠 83% Domestic
#43
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY · Private
11.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 9,643
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $74,340
Grad Rate: 90.6%
🌍 8% International 👩 56% Women
#44
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY · Private
11.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 21,130
SAT: 1480
Earnings: $76,267
Grad Rate: 90.9%
🌍 8% International 👩 56% Women
#45
Washington University in St Louis
St. Louis, MO · Private
12.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 32,240
SAT: 1540
Earnings: $82,732
Grad Rate: 94.4%
🌍 27% International 👩 53% Women
#46
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private
12.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 28,353
SAT: 1500
Earnings: $88,962
Grad Rate: 96.5%
🌍 14% International 👩 47% Women
#47
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA · Private
12.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 9,988
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $59,488
Grad Rate: 86.7%
🌍 19% International 👩 54% Women
#48
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private
12.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 6,391
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $69,192
Grad Rate: 92.6%
🌍 11% International 👩 57% Women
#49
Bates College
Lewiston, ME · Private
13.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 8,937
SAT: 1450
Earnings: $64,706
Grad Rate: 92.5%
🌍 10% International 👩 51% Women
#50
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA · Private
13.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 4,792
SAT: 1530
Earnings: $108,988
Grad Rate: 92.7%
🌍 10% International 👩 49% Women
#51
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · Private
13.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 25,485
SAT: 1500
Earnings: $96,375
Grad Rate: 94.2%
🌍 17% International 👩 55% Women
#52
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI · Private
13.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 7,126
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $58,131
Grad Rate: 88.7%
🌍 37% International 👩 70% Women
#53
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · Private
13.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 8,184
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $66,531
Grad Rate: 93.7%
🌍 14% International 👩 99% Women
#54
United States Air Force Academy
USAF Academy, CO · Public
13.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 9,543
SAT: 1350
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 87.3%
🌍 1% International 👩 29% Women 🏠 99% Domestic
#55
United States Military Academy
West Point, NY · Public
14.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 11,430
SAT: 1330
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 85.0%
🌍 1% International 👩 22% Women 🏠 99% Domestic
#56
Summit Christian College
Gering, NE · Private
14.3%
Acceptance
Applicants: 7
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 75.0%
🌍 0% International 👩 48% Women
#57
Davidson College
Davidson, NC · Private
14.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 7,347
SAT: 1455
Earnings: $71,671
Grad Rate: 93.0%
🌍 10% International 👩 53% Women
#58
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA · Private
14.6%
Acceptance
Applicants: 27,936
SAT: 1450
Earnings: $56,999
Grad Rate: 85.8%
🌍 10% International 👩 62% Women
#59
College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, MO · Private
14.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 2,495
SAT: 1170
Earnings: $38,780
Grad Rate: 60.1%
🌍 2% International 👩 56% Women
#60
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private
15.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 36,069
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $93,021
Grad Rate: 91.7%
🌍 12% International 👩 55% Women
#61
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · Public
16.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 52,377
SAT: 1450
Earnings: $88,196
Grad Rate: 90.7%
🌍 26% International 👩 33% Women 🏠 74% Domestic
#62
Northeastern University Oakland
Oakland, CA · Private
16.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 17,177
SAT: 1470
Earnings: $58,594
Grad Rate: 65.2%
🌍 21% International 👩 50% Women
#63
Pitzer College
Claremont, CA · Private
16.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 3,464
Earnings: $62,194
Grad Rate: 83.2%
🌍 9% International 👩 60% Women
#64
Riverside College of Health Careers
Newport News, VA · Private
16.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 30
Earnings: $53,302
Grad Rate: 100.0%
🌍 0% International 👩 91% Women
#65
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA · Public
16.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 56,528
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $77,048
Grad Rate: 94.0%
🌍 9% International 👩 55% Women 🏠 91% Domestic
#66
Denison University
Granville, OH · Private
16.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 14,580
SAT: 1380
Earnings: $57,435
Grad Rate: 80.5%
🌍 17% International 👩 52% Women
#67
Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science
Cincinnati, OH · Private
16.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 189
Earnings: $57,071
Grad Rate: 28.6%
🌍 0% International 👩 92% Women
#68
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT · Private
17.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 14,500
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $68,102
Grad Rate: 90.9%
🌍 11% International 👩 53% Women
#69
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA · Private
17.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 6,820
SAT: 1490
Earnings: $86,020
Grad Rate: 93.4%
🌍 6% International 👩 51% Women
#70
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY · Private
17.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 12,145
SAT: 1510
Earnings: $62,332
Grad Rate: 87.6%
🌍 7% International 👩 62% Women
#71
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
17.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 87,632
SAT: 1470
Earnings: $75,842
Grad Rate: 93.4%
🌍 17% International 👩 52% Women 🏠 83% Domestic
#72
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · Private
18.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 48,286
SAT: 1400
Earnings: $67,362
Grad Rate: 82.9%
🌍 11% International 👩 55% Women
#73
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public
18.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 57,902
SAT: 1470
Earnings: $61,915
Grad Rate: 90.7%
🌍 8% International 👩 61% Women 🏠 92% Domestic
#74
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
New York, NY · Private
19.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 1,790
SAT: 1480
Earnings: $64,160
Grad Rate: 79.4%
🌍 14% International 👩 48% Women
#75
G
Goddard College
Plainfield, VT · Private
19.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 82
Earnings: $36,670
Grad Rate: 37.5%
🌍 0% International 👩 70% Women
#76
Smith College
Northampton, MA · Private
19.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 9,869
SAT: 1480
Earnings: $56,419
Grad Rate: 86.5%
🌍 12% International 👩 98% Women
#77
Babson College
Wellesley, MA · Private
19.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 7,995
SAT: 1440
Earnings: $106,595
Grad Rate: 94.7%
🌍 34% International 👩 43% Women
#78
Webb Institute
Glen Cove, NY · Private
20.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 185
SAT: 1480
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 83.3%
🌍 0% International 👩 25% Women
#79
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO · Private
20.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 7,532
SAT: 1450
Earnings: $57,013
Grad Rate: 88.0%
🌍 5% International 👩 58% Women
#80
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, MI · Private
20.6%
Acceptance
Applicants: 2,773
SAT: 1425
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 87.8%
🌍 0% International 👩 49% Women
#81
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA · Private
21.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 8,670
SAT: 1340
Earnings: $84,653
Grad Rate: 92.8%
🌍 3% International 👩 55% Women
#82
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
21.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 22,713
SAT: 1090
Earnings: $42,521
Grad Rate: 55.2%
🌍 0% International 👩 66% Women 🏠 100% Domestic
#83
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC · Private
21.6%
Acceptance
Applicants: 17,479
SAT: 1460
Earnings: $74,968
Grad Rate: 88.7%
🌍 8% International 👩 57% Women
#84
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
Angola, IN · Private
21.6%
Acceptance
Applicants: 74
Earnings: $52,957
Grad Rate: 33.3%
🌍 94% International 👩 31% Women
#85
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Needham, MA · Private
21.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 928
SAT: 1530
Earnings: $132,969
Grad Rate: 93.7%
🌍 8% International 👩 48% Women
#86
Carleton College
Northfield, MN · Private
22.3%
Acceptance
Applicants: 6,464
SAT: 1500
Earnings: $67,132
Grad Rate: 93.8%
🌍 10% International 👩 51% Women
#87
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY · Private
22.9%
Acceptance
Applicants: 12,144
SAT: 1370
Earnings: $63,726
Grad Rate: 86.2%
🌍 9% International 👩 59% Women
#88
Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary
Jacksonville, TX · Private
23.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 13
Earnings: N/A
🌍 1% International 👩 19% Women
#89
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA · Private
23.3%
Acceptance
Applicants: 15,121
SAT: 1470
Earnings: $69,310
Grad Rate: 88.0%
🌍 10% International 👩 56% Women
#90
J
Johnson University Florida
Kissimmee, FL · Private
23.3%
Acceptance
Applicants: 283
SAT: 940
Earnings: $36,422
Grad Rate: 40.5%
🌍 30% International 👩 26% Women
#91
Grambling State University
Grambling, LA · Public
23.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 24,521
SAT: 970
Earnings: $33,961
Grad Rate: 42.1%
🌍 2% International 👩 66% Women 🏠 98% Domestic
#92
Helene Fuld College of Nursing
New York, NY · Private
23.8%
Acceptance
Applicants: 42
Earnings: $90,038
🌍 0% International 👩 87% Women
#93
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
24.0%
Acceptance
Applicants: 65,375
SAT: 1390
Earnings: $64,463
Grad Rate: 88.6%
🌍 9% International 👩 57% Women 🏠 91% Domestic
#94
United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT · Public
24.3%
Acceptance
Applicants: 1,789
SAT: 1290
Earnings: N/A
Grad Rate: 86.3%
🌍 3% International 👩 39% Women 🏠 97% Domestic
#95
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public
24.5%
Acceptance
Applicants: 130,771
Earnings: $74,771
Grad Rate: 87.1%
🌍 18% International 👩 52% Women 🏠 82% Domestic
#96
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State, MS · Public
24.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 7,511
SAT: 920
Earnings: $33,444
Grad Rate: 45.4%
🌍 2% International 👩 67% Women 🏠 98% Domestic
#97
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
New York, NY · Private
24.7%
Acceptance
Applicants: 6,580
Earnings: $31,331
Grad Rate: 71.0%
🌍 12% International 👩 72% Women
#98
Villanova University
Villanova, PA · Private
25.1%
Acceptance
Applicants: 23,127
SAT: 1460
Earnings: $90,613
Grad Rate: 92.2%
🌍 4% International 👩 54% Women
#99
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
25.4%
Acceptance
Applicants: 74,038
SAT: 1310
Earnings: $53,449
Grad Rate: 84.2%
🌍 6% International 👩 58% Women 🏠 94% Domestic
#100
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public
25.6%
Acceptance
Applicants: 121,101
Earnings: $71,961
Grad Rate: 85.0%
🌍 16% International 👩 55% Women 🏠 84% Domestic
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