List of Universities and Colleges with Lowest Acceptance Rates

There are 3 basic things students need to consider when seeking admission into university or college in the US. These are:

• Acceptance Rate
• Yield/Enrollment Rate.
• GPA Score
• SAT/ACT

These factors are very critical to students’ success at being admitted into universities. Although minimum requirements vary from university to another University, in terms of GPA score, SAT/ACT, one can determine the average across many different universities.

What is the Acceptance Rate?

An acceptance rate is the percentage of applicants who are accepted to a university or college. The acceptance rate is determined based on the number of students admitted compared to the number of students who actually submit applications for that particular year.

There are universities or colleges with a very low acceptance rate, medium-high, and there are some with very high acceptance rates. 

Usually, institutions with low acceptance rates are highly competitive and selective in admission processes.

However, these Universities or colleges with low acceptance rates have their benefits over those with high acceptance rate.

What is Enrollment Rate?

This is the number of students that currently attend a school or a course. The enrollment process is completed after a student is granted admission to a particular university/college.

A university’s or college’s yield rate is the percentage of people who accepted their offers of acceptance. In other words, the percentage of people who chose to enroll in a university or college after they have been offered an acceptance letter. E.g, if a university had 10,000 applicants and accepted 1,000, its acceptance rate would be 10%.

The table below comprises the top universities and colleges in the United States with the lowest acceptance rate. Below the table are benefits you will find in low acceptance rate universities or colleges.

Universities  & Colleges with Lowest Acceptance Rates.

School Name	Location	Acceptance Rate
Curtis Institute of Music	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	4.2%
Stanford University	Stanford, California	4.8%
Harvard University	Cambridge, Massachusetts	5.4%
Juilliard School	New York City, New York	6.2%
Yale University	New Haven, Connecticut	6.3%
Princeton University	Princeton, New Jersey	6.5%
Columbia University	New York City, New York	6.8%
Alice Lloyd College	Pippa Passes, Kentucky	7.1%
University of Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	7.9%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Cambridge, Massachusetts	7.9%
Top 10
California Institute of Technology	Pasadena, California	8.1%
United States Naval Academy	Annapolis, Maryland	9%
Swarthmore College	Swarthmore, Pennsylvania	9%
Brown University	Providence, Rhode Island	9.3%
Pomona College	Claremont, California	9.4%
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	9.4%
Claremont McKenna College	Claremont, California	9.4%
United States Military Academy	West Point, New York	10%
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering	Needham, Massachusetts	10.2%
Dartmouth College	Hanover, New Hampshire	10.6%
Top 20
Northwestern University	Evanston, Illinois	10.7%
Vanderbilt University	Nashville, Tennessee	10.7%
Duke University	Durham, North Carolina	10.8%
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, Maryland	11.8%
Colby College	Waterville, Maine	12.1%
Tulane University	New Orleans, Los Angeles	13%
Harvey Mudd College	Claremont, California	12.9%
Pitzer College	Claremont, California	13.7%
Amherst College	Amherst, Massachusetts	13.7%
Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	14.1%
Top 30
College of the Ozarks	Point Lookout, Missouri	14.2%
Bowdoin College	Brunswick, Maine	14.8%
Cooper Union	New York City, New York	15.1%
Rice University	Houston, Texas	15.1%
University of California-Berkeley	Berkeley, California	16%
Mississippi Valley State University	Itta Bena, Mississippi	16.2%
United States Air Force Academy	USAF, Colorado	16.6%
Washington University in St. Louis	St. Louis, Missouri	17.1%
Middlebury College	Middlebury, Vermont	17.3%
Tufts University	Medford, Massachusetts	17.3%
Top 40
Georgetown University	Washington, DC	17.4%
Rust College	Holly Springs, Mississippi	17.6%
Colorado College	Colorado Springs, Colorado	18%
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	18%
United States Coast Guard Academy	New London, Connecticut	18.1%
University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)	Los Angeles, California	18.5%
Williams College	Williamstown, Massachusetts	19.4%
Washington and Lee University	Lexington, Virginia	19.6%
Liberty University	Lynchburg, Virginia	20.3%
Florida Memorial University	Miami, Florida	20.5%
Top 50
New York University	New York City, New York	21%
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, Indiana	21.5%
Davidson College	Davidson, North Carolina	21.7%
Missouri Valley College	Marshall, Missouri	22.2%
United States Merchant Marine Academy	Kings Point, New York	22.4%
Carleton College	Northfield, Minnesota	22.8%
Vassar College	Poughkeepsie, New York	23.5%
Barnard College	New York, New York	23.7%
Wesleyan University	Middletown, Connecticut	23.9%
Fort Valley State University	Fort Valley, Georgia	24.2%
Top 60
Art Academy of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, Ohio	24.3%
Robert Morris University	Chicago, Illinois	24.4%
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	24.6%
Haverford College	Haverford, Pennsylvania	24.7%
Kenyon College	Gambier, Ohio	25.1%
Bates CollegeJackson State University	Lewiston, MaineJackson, Mississippi	25.4%
Colgate University	Hamilton, New York	26.1%
Warner University	Lake Wales, Florida	26.2%
Babson College	Wellesley, Massachusetts	26.4%
Hamilton College	Clinton, New York	26.4%
Top 70
Emory University	Atlanta, Georgia	26.8%
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, Ohio	27%
Lincoln University	Lincoln University, Pennsylvania	27.1%
Edward Waters College	Jacksonville, Florida	27.3%
Scripps College	Claremont, California	27.4%
California Institute of Arts	Valencia, California	27.7%
CUNY–Baruch College	New York City, New York	28%
Grinnell College	Grinnell, Iowa	28%
College of New Rochelle	New Rochelle, New York	28.5%
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	28.5%
Top 80
CUNY–Lehman College	Bronx, New York	29%
University of Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia	29%
Hampton University	Hampton, Virginia	29.1%
Lafayette College	Easton, Pennsylvania	29.8%
Chicago State University	Chicago, Illinois	30%
Calumet College of St. Joseph	Whiting, Indiana	30.3%
Wellesley College	Wellesley, Massachusetts	30.5%
Bucknell University	Lewisburg, Pennsylvania	30.7%
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, California	30.9%
Hope International University	Fullerton, California	31%
Top 90
Wilson College	Chambersburg, Pennsylvania	31.4%
Southwestern Adventist University	Keene, Texas	31.5%
University of Richmond	University of Richmond, Virginia	31.9%
Northeastern University	Boston, Massachusetts	32%
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor, Michigan	32.3%
Ohio Valley University	Vienna, West Virginia	32.5%
Oberlin College	Oberlin, Ohio	32.7%
College of William and Mary	Williamsburg, Virginia	33%
Trinity College	Hartford, Connecticut	33%
Webb Institute	Glen Cove, New York	33%
Top 100

Benefits of Attending Universities or Colleges with Lowest Acceptance Rates

Students may find it difficult to gain admission into universities with low acceptance rate but there are many benefits that come with it that’s worth the time, energy and commitment in the course of the admission process.

These institutions are highly ranked, topmost prestigious schools. The prestige follows their graduates everywhere they find themselves across the world.

Below are some of the benefits you will enjoy if you are admitted into one of these schools.

1. Career Opportunities

This includes:

• Networking: opportunity to network with the institution’s great alumni members who work in reputable organizations across the states.
• Recommendations: Recommendations from great alumni who are professionals in top universities can be an advantage when applying for scholarships, contract offers and job offers.

2. Salary Benefits

Most top organizations only go after candidates with excellent academic performances,l. Also, one of the things that impress and draw the attention of hiring managers is the quality and excellent record the school has; something you can almost always find in high standard institutions.

Such companies hire the best and also prepare competitive salary structures. Graduates from high prestige schools often get the best of the jobs in the labour market with better pay.

How to get into a university or College with low acceptance rates

Below are the basic requirements that can increase your chances of getting accepted into any of the above mentioned universities or colleges

1. High GPA

GPA is vital if you want to get admission into the best schools having the lowest acceptance rate in the US.

A high cumulative GPA score can increase your chances of getting admission faster than any other thing.

2. Good ACT or SAT scores

Not all schools in the United States make SAT/ACT scores compulsory. But the majority of the top institutions (in the table above) do require a certain range of SAT or ACT scores. To increase your chances, aim at a minimum score that’s average.

3. Show Leadership Skills

Many schools want to build future leaders and showing that trait right from high school is an advantage and can improve your chances of getting admitted into the top university of your choice.

3. Write a good essay

Although not all schools in the US require an essay, the majority of the high ranked universities and colleges will ask you to forward an essay.

4. Get a professional recommendation

Seek recommendations from professionals relevant to your field of study; this could be your project supervisor, class adviser, or head of the department.

FAQ on Universities and Colleges with Low Acceptance Rates

Which university is the hardest to get into?

Most times, universities and colleges that are hard to enter fall among the institutions with the lowest acceptance rate. These schools usually have low enrollment rates or yield rates and are very selective.

How can I get accepted into top universities in the US?

• Prepare your mind right from high school.
• Get good grades and maintain them through your high school. 
• Participate in community services and try to play a leadership role as many times as you can. 
• Volunteer for organizations if you can.
• Lastly, get involved in extracurricular activities.