List of U.S. Colleges with Lower than 10% Acceptance Rate

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

36 U.S. Colleges' acceptance rates are Lower than 10%. For the colleges, the average SAT score is 1528 and the average tuition & fees is $59,232. Of these, 2 (5.6%) are public and 34 (94.4%) are private.

Update
U.S. Colleges with Acceptance Rate Lower than 10%
School NameAcceptance RateApplicantsAdmittedEnrolledSAT ScoreTuition & Fees
California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA 2.57% 13,856 356 218 - $65,898
University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA 8.97% 146,272 13,114 6,610 - $46,121
($14,233)
Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA 9.59% 6,529 626 337 1530 $67,980
Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA 7.09% 12,249 868 436 1540 $65,420
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA 9.81% 82,027 8,050 3,489 1500 $71,647
Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT 3.87% 57,517 2,227 1,554 1540 $67,250
University of ChicagoChicago, IL 4.48% 43,612 1,955 1,726 1550 $69,324
Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL 7.69% 49,474 3,806 2,105 1540 $68,322
Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME 7.13% 13,265 946 507 1520 $67,832
Colby CollegeWaterville, ME 7.09% 19,187 1,360 628 1510 $69,600
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD 6.44% 45,895 2,954 1,389 1550 $64,730
United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD 9.27% 15,149 1,405 1,183 1300 -
(-)
Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA 9.01% 13,743 1,238 480 1540 $70,480
Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA 3.65% 54,008 1,970 1,647 1550 $61,676
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA 4.55% 28,232 1,284 1,102 1560 $62,396
Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA 5.22% 98,425 5,133 2,759 1490 $66,162
Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA 8.25% 15,411 1,272 547 1540 $68,560
Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH 5.40% 31,656 1,710 1,182 1540 $68,019
Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ 4.62% 40,468 1,868 1,410 1550 $62,688
Barnard CollegeNew York, NY 8.84% 11,836 1,046 718 1520 $69,888
Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY 3.99% 60,115 2,400 1,558 1550 $70,517
Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY 8.76% 62,993 5,516 3,525 1540 $69,314
The Juilliard SchoolNew York, NY 9.15% 2,065 189 120 - $57,950
New York UniversityNew York, NY 9.23% 110,807 10,232 5,666 1520 $62,796
Duke UniversityDurham, NC 5.71% 51,795 2,957 1,740 1540 $68,758
Curtis Institute of MusicPhiladelphia, PA 4.58% 568 26 24 - $4,530
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA 5.40% 65,226 3,523 2,395 1550 $68,686
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA 7.46% 13,065 975 427 1540 $65,494
Brown UniversityProvidence, RI 5.39% 48,904 2,638 1,719 1540 $71,312
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN 5.86% 45,409 2,662 1,630 1540 $67,498
Rice UniversityHouston, TX 8.00% 32,473 2,597 1,148 1550 $61,247
Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 3.61% 57,326 2,067 1,693 1550 $65,910
Stanbridge UniversityIrvine, CA 10.00% 3,320 332 312 - $36,610
Washington University of Science and TechnologyAlexandria, VA 7.26% 413 30 20 - $13,785
Minerva UniversitySan Francisco, CA 3.04% 10,864 330 144 - $23,630
Florida Academy of NursingMiramar, FL 5.49% 91 5 5 - $11,080
Average 6.57%37,8962,4911,4491,528$59,232
(-)