Private Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate

The average acceptance rate of the 717 private colleges that have competitive admission is 67.62% for the academic year 2024-2025. Compared to last year, the acceptance rate is higher by 0.12%. The acceptance rate at 341 private colleges increased and the rate of 371 colleges decreased.

California Institute of Technology has the lowest (i.e. hard to admit) acceptance rate of 2.57%. Stanford University (3.61%) and Harvard University (3.65%) are following it in the list of Tightest Private Colleges to Get In.

This ranking is only based on acceptance rates and more admission stats such as SAT and ACT scores are helpful to measure the chances to get in more accurately.

California Institute of Technology stays at first place of the lowest acceptance rate ranking since last year. Stanford University ranked 2nd, up 1 place from 3rd last year.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $64,811 and graduate tuition & fees is $55,738 for the academic year 2024-2025.

We note that the actual tightness of admission lies in considering other admission requirements such as SAT score.

Comparison between Tightest Private Colleges To Get In

Table. Tightest Private Colleges To Get In Comparison
School NameAcceptance RateYieldSAT ScoreUndergraduate Tuition & FeesTotal PopulationGraduation RateStudents to Faculty Ratio
1
-		California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CAPrivate, 4-year 2.57%
0.57%		61.24%-$65,8982,43094.00%3 to 1
2
1		Stanford University Stanford, CAPrivate, 4-year 3.61%
0.30%		81.91%1,550$65,91018,62592.00%6 to 1
3
1		Harvard University Cambridge, MAPrivate, 4-year 3.65%
0.20%		83.60%1,550$61,67630,25998.00%7 to 1
4
1		Yale University New Haven, CTPrivate, 4-year 3.87%
0.63%		69.78%1,540$67,25015,56496.00%5 to 1
5
1		Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 3.99%
0.24%		64.92%1,550$70,51735,17396.00%6 to 1
6
2		University of Chicago Chicago, ILPrivate, 4-year 4.48%
0.31%		88.29%1,550$69,32418,56696.00%5 to 1
7
-		Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MAPrivate, 4-year 4.55%
0.19%		85.83%1,560$62,39611,88696.00%3 to 1
8
3		Princeton University Princeton, NJPrivate, 4-year 4.62%
0.12%		75.48%1,550$62,6889,13798.00%5 to 1
9
1		Northeastern University Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year 5.22%
0.43%		53.75%1,490$66,16232,55391.00%16 to 1
10
1		Brown University Providence, RIPrivate, 4-year 5.39%
0.16%		65.16%1,540$71,31211,95696.00%6 to 1
11
1		Dartmouth College Hanover, NHPrivate, 4-year 5.40%
0.83%		69.12%1,540$68,0196,93896.00%7 to 1
11
-		University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 5.40%
0.47%		67.98%1,550$68,68629,10997.00%8 to 1
13
2		Duke University Durham, NCPrivate, 4-year 5.71%
1.07%		58.84%1,540$68,75817,49997.00%5 to 1
14
1		Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year 5.86%
0.42%		61.23%1,540$67,49813,57594.00%8 to 1
15
4		Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MDPrivate, 4-year 6.44%
1.12%		47.02%1,550$64,73030,21094.00%6 to 1
16
2		Pomona College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year 7.09%
0.33%		50.23%1,540$65,4201,70093.00%7 to 1
16
-		Colby College Waterville, MEPrivate, 4-year 7.09%
0.26%		46.18%1,510$69,6002,41289.00%9 to 1
18
4		Bowdoin College Brunswick, MEPrivate, 4-year 7.13%
0.89%		53.59%1,520$67,8321,88195.00%9 to 1
19
16		Washington University of Science and Technology Alexandria, VAPrivate, 4-year 7.26%
4.23%		66.67%-$13,7851,09667.00%14 to 1
20
3		Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PAPrivate, 4-year 7.46%
0.52%		43.79%1,540$65,4941,62392.00%7 to 1
21
3		Northwestern University Evanston, ILPrivate, 4-year 7.69%
0.54%		55.31%1,540$68,32223,85695.00%6 to 1
22
2		Rice University Houston, TXPrivate, 4-year 8.00%
0.12%		44.20%1,550$61,2478,96195.00%6 to 1
23
3		Williams College Williamstown, MAPrivate, 4-year 8.25%
1.74%		43.00%1,540$68,5602,16494.00%6 to 1
24
1		Cornell University Ithaca, NYPrivate, 4-year 8.76%
0.60%		63.91%1,540$69,31426,79395.00%9 to 1
25
4		Barnard College New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 8.84%
0.88%		68.64%1,520$69,8883,48793.00%10 to 1
Average5.93%62.79%1,539$64,81114,29893.56%7 to 1