4-Years Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate

The average acceptance rate over 4-years colleges is higher than last year, but high ranked colleges still have low acceptance rate. In particular, the acceptance rate at prestigious colleges such as best colleges including Stanford, Harvard, and MIT is lower than last year.

California Institute of Technology ranked 1st, up 1 place from 2nd last year. Harvard University ranked 2nd, up 1 place from 3rd last year.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $59,524 and graduate tuition & fees is $48,484 for the academic year 2023-2024.

We note that the actual tightness of admission lies in considering other admission requirements such as SAT score.
Table. Tightest 4-Years Colleges To Get In Comparison
School NameAcceptance RateYieldSAT ScoreUndergraduate Tuition & FeesTotal PopulationGraduation RateStudents to Faculty Ratio
1
1
California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CAPrivate, 4-year 3.00%
0.31%
64.89%-$63,2552,40194.00%3 to 1
1
2
Harvard University Cambridge, MAPrivate, 4-year 3.00%
0.24%
84.02%1,550$59,07630,63197.00%7 to 1
3
6
Princeton University Princeton, NJPrivate, 4-year 4.00%
1.70%
76.99%1,540$59,7108,84297.00%5 to 1
3
2
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 4.00%
0.05%
62.99%1,540$68,17134,78295.00%6 to 1
3
1
Stanford University Stanford, CAPrivate, 4-year 4.00%
0.32%
81.01%1,550$62,48418,28395.00%5 to 1
3
2
Minerva University San Francisco, CAPrivate, 4-year 4.00%
3.00%
56.09%-$18,70066083.00%13 to 1
7
1
Yale University New Haven, CTPrivate, 4-year 5.00%
0.43%
70.00%1,540$64,70014,77697.00%6 to 1
7
1
University of Chicago Chicago, ILPrivate, 4-year 5.00%
0.43%
87.99%1,550$65,61918,33995.00%5 to 1
7
-
Brown University Providence, RIPrivate, 4-year 5.00%
0.06%
63.02%1,540$68,23011,18994.00%6 to 1
10
4
Northeastern University Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year 6.00%
0.80%
50.00%1,500$63,14130,01391.00%16 to 1
10
1
Dartmouth College Hanover, NHPrivate, 4-year 6.00%
0.38%
66.99%1,540$65,5116,74494.00%7 to 1
10
2
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 6.00%
0.50%
69.00%1,540$66,10428,20196.00%8 to 1
10
3
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year 6.00%
0.67%
57.01%1,540$63,94613,71092.00%7 to 1
14
13
Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 6.95%
2.71%
80.65%-$6,00015183.00%2 to 1
15
1
Pomona College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year 7.00%
0.02%
50.00%1,520$62,3261,71694.00%7 to 1
15
2
Northwestern University Evanston, ILPrivate, 4-year 7.00%
0.21%
57.01%1,530$65,99723,16196.00%6 to 1
15
6
Colby College Waterville, MEPrivate, 4-year 7.00%
0.61%
50.04%1,510$66,6002,29988.00%10 to 1
15
5
Duke University Durham, NCPrivate, 4-year 7.00%
0.65%
54.99%1,550$65,80518,02396.00%6 to 1
15
-
Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PAPrivate, 4-year 7.00%
0.07%
42.00%1,530$62,4121,62593.00%8 to 1
20
6
Bowdoin College Brunswick, MEPrivate, 4-year 8.00%
1.19%
57.01%1,510$64,9101,91594.00%9 to 1
20
2
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MDPrivate, 4-year 8.00%
0.75%
48.01%1,550$62,84031,27594.00%6 to 1
20
5
Barnard College New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 8.00%
0.79%
75.95%1,510$66,2463,44291.00%10 to 1
20
-
Cornell University Ithaca, NYPrivate, 4-year 8.00%
0.53%
66.01%1,520$66,01425,89895.00%9 to 1
20
4
Rice University Houston, TXPrivate, 4-year 8.00%
0.68%
46.00%1,550$58,1288,67293.00%6 to 1
25
2
University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CAPublic, 4-year 9.00%
0.43%
52.00%-$44,524
($13,747)
46,43092.00%18 to 1
25
6
New York University New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 9.00%
3.46%
54.00%1,530$60,43859,14487.00%8 to 1
27
2
The Juilliard School New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 9.01%
1.60%
52.20%-$56,55098689.00%4 to 1
28
5
Pacific Oaks College Pasadena, CAPrivate, 4-year 10.00%
29.68%
66.67%-$33,3601,068-4 to 1
28
2
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CAPrivate, 4-year 10.00%
2.02%
44.99%1,510$68,23748,94592.00%9 to 1
28
9
Amherst College Amherst, MAPrivate, 4-year 10.00%
2.74%
38.96%1,500$67,2801,89891.00%7 to 1
28
-
Tufts University Medford, MAPrivate, 4-year 10.00%
0.31%
50.00%1,510$67,84413,43193.00%10 to 1
28
6
Williams College Williamstown, MAPrivate, 4-year 10.00%
1.50%
46.99%1,530$64,8602,22295.00%6 to 1
28
4
Middlebury College Middlebury, VTPrivate, 4-year 10.00%
2.69%
45.04%1,490$65,2802,84393.00%9 to 1
Average6.97%59.65%1,529$59,524
($13,747)
15,56792.78%8 to 1