The average acceptance rate of the 448 public colleges that have competitive admission is 77.56% for the academic year 2023-2024. Compared to last year, the acceptance rate is higher by 0.23%. The acceptance rate at 219 public colleges increased and the rate of 228 colleges decreased.
University of California-Los Angeles has the lowest (i.e. hard to admit) acceptance rate of 8.73%. University of California-Berkeley (11.66%) and Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (16.46%) are following it in the list of Tightest Public 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.
University of California-Los Angeles stays at first place of the lowest acceptance rate ranking since last year. University of California-Berkeley also maintained its second place in the ranking.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $34,771 and graduate tuition & fees is $27,980 for the academic year 2023-2024.
We note that the actual tightness of admission lies in considering other admission requirements such as SAT score.| School Name | Acceptance Rate | Yield | SAT Score | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Total Population | Graduation Rate | Students to Faculty Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CAPublic, 4-year | 8.73% 0.16% | 51.70% | - | $44,524 ($13,747) | 46,430 | 92.00% | 18 to 1 |
| 2 - | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CAPublic, 4-year | 11.66% 0.33% | 45.25% | - | $45,627 ($14,850) | 45,307 | 94.00% | 19 to 1 |
| 3 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GAPublic, 4-year | 16.46% 0.67% | 43.64% | 1,450 | $32,876 ($11,764) | 45,296 | 92.00% | 19 to 1 |
| 4 2 | University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VAPublic, 4-year | 16.86% 1.80% | 41.60% | 1,490 | $59,633 ($22,323) | 26,082 | 95.00% | 15 to 1 |
| 5 - | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MIPublic, 4-year | 17.94% 0.25% | 47.49% | 1,470 | $60,107 ($18,309) | 51,225 | 93.00% | 12 to 1 |
| 6 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NCPublic, 4-year | 18.74% 1.63% | 43.31% | 1,470 | $39,330 ($8,989) | 31,705 | 91.00% | 17 to 1 |
| 7 10 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FLPublic, 4-year | 21.12% 11.81% | 29.00% | 1,090 | $17,725 ($5,785) | 9,215 | 60.00% | 14 to 1 |
| 8 16 | Grambling State University Grambling, LAPublic, 4-year | 23.68% 18.69% | 15.78% | 970 | $16,706 ($7,683) | 5,058 | 36.00% | 25 to 1 |
| 9 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FLPublic, 4-year | 24.03% 0.68% | 43.05% | 1,390 | $28,659 ($6,381) | 55,211 | 90.00% | 16 to 1 |
| 10 1 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CAPublic, 4-year | 24.52% 0.81% | 21.85% | - | $46,042 ($15,265) | 42,006 | 87.00% | 19 to 1 |
| 11 3 | Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MSPublic, 4-year | 24.66% 5.27% | 27.27% | 920 | $8,549 ($8,549) | 2,933 | 47.00% | 16 to 1 |
| 12 1 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FLPublic, 4-year | 25.38% 0.34% | 31.34% | 1,310 | $21,683 ($6,517) | 44,161 | 84.00% | 17 to 1 |
| 13 6 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CAPublic, 4-year | 25.57% 4.42% | 21.95% | - | $45,014 ($14,237) | 35,937 | 86.00% | 18 to 1 |
| 14 2 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CAPublic, 4-year | 27.78% 1.93% | 16.37% | - | $45,742 ($14,965) | 26,420 | 85.00% | 17 to 1 |
| 15 1 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TXPublic, 4-year | 29.12% 2.23% | 48.75% | 1,370 | $42,778 ($11,678) | 52,384 | 87.00% | 18 to 1 |
| 16 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CAPublic, 4-year | 29.75% 0.68% | 27.83% | - | $30,995 ($11,075) | 22,000 | 85.00% | 20 to 1 |
| 17 1 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VAPublic, 4-year | 32.72% 0.78% | 28.20% | 1,450 | $49,412 ($25,041) | 9,654 | 90.00% | 12 to 1 |
| 18 2 | San Diego State University San Diego, CAPublic, 4-year | 34.44% 4.82% | 21.61% | - | $20,170 ($8,290) | 37,402 | 78.00% | 25 to 1 |
| 19 6 | University of Georgia Athens, GAPublic, 4-year | 37.20% 5.35% | 38.05% | 1,270 | $30,220 ($11,180) | 40,607 | 88.00% | 17 to 1 |
| 20 3 | Binghamton University Vestal, NYPublic, 4-year | 37.73% 4.02% | 16.57% | 1,410 | $29,453 ($10,363) | 18,312 | 82.00% | 19 to 1 |
| 21 5 | Clemson University Clemson, SCPublic, 4-year | 38.05% 4.93% | 19.64% | 1,320 | $39,498 ($15,554) | 28,466 | 85.00% | 16 to 1 |
| 22 12 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center New York, NYPublic, 4-year | 38.61% 14.80% | 26.23% | - | $15,360 ($7,410) | 8,733 | - | 11 to 1 |
| 23 | University of California-Merced Merced, CAPublic, 4-year | 39.18% | 9.08% | - | $44,944 ($14,167) | 9,103 | 67.00% | 19 to 1 |
| 24 2 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FLPublic, 4-year | 39.52% 1.52% | 34.21% | 1,272 | $22,467 ($6,368) | 68,346 | 75.00% | 29 to 1 |
| 25 10 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NCPublic, 4-year | 39.85% 7.32% | 35.89% | 1,380 | $31,767 ($8,895) | 36,700 | 84.00% | 16 to 1 |
| Average | 27.33% | 31.43% | 1,315 | $34,771 ($11,975) | 31,948 | 81.38% | 18 to 1 |