Private Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate

The average acceptance rate of the 728 private colleges that have competitive admission is 67.65% for the academic year 2023-2024. Compared to last year, the acceptance rate is lower by 0.59%. The acceptance rate at 314 private colleges increased and the rate of 408 colleges decreased.

California Institute of Technology has the lowest (i.e. hard to admit) acceptance rate of 3.14%. Harvard University (3.45%) and Stanford University (3.91%) 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. Harvard University also maintained its second place in the ranking.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $64,152 and graduate tuition & fees is $55,123 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 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 3.14%
0.45%		64.56%-$63,2552,40194.00%3 to 1
2
-		Harvard University Cambridge, MAPrivate, 4-year 3.45%
0.21%		83.72%1,550$59,07630,63197.00%7 to 1
3
-		Stanford University Stanford, CAPrivate, 4-year 3.91%
0.23%		80.94%1,550$62,48418,28395.00%5 to 1
4
-		Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 4.23%
0.28%		63.14%1,540$68,17134,78295.00%6 to 1
5
-		Yale University New Haven, CTPrivate, 4-year 4.50%
0.07%		70.37%1,540$64,70014,77697.00%6 to 1
5
3		Princeton University Princeton, NJPrivate, 4-year 4.50%
1.20%		76.66%1,540$59,7108,84297.00%5 to 1
7
-		University of Chicago Chicago, ILPrivate, 4-year 4.79%
0.64%		87.94%1,550$65,61918,33995.00%5 to 1
8
2		Brown University Providence, RIPrivate, 4-year 5.23%
0.17%		63.10%1,540$68,23011,18994.00%6 to 1
9
4		Northeastern University Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year 5.65%
1.15%		50.27%1,500$63,14130,01391.00%16 to 1
10
1		University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 5.87%
0.63%		69.25%1,540$66,10428,20196.00%8 to 1
11
1		Dartmouth College Hanover, NHPrivate, 4-year 6.23%
0.15%		67.11%1,540$65,5116,74494.00%7 to 1
12
-		Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year 6.28%
0.39%		57.03%1,540$63,94613,71092.00%7 to 1
13
2		Pomona College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year 6.76%
0.26%		49.82%1,520$62,3261,71694.00%7 to 1
14
5		Duke University Durham, NCPrivate, 4-year 6.78%
0.43%		55.39%1,550$65,80518,02396.00%6 to 1
15
5		Colby College Waterville, MEPrivate, 4-year 6.83%
0.78%		49.79%1,510$66,6002,29988.00%10 to 1
16
2		Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PAPrivate, 4-year 6.94%
0.01%		41.83%1,530$62,4121,62593.00%8 to 1
17
1		Northwestern University Evanston, ILPrivate, 4-year 7.15%
0.06%		57.01%1,530$65,99723,16196.00%6 to 1
18
1		Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MDPrivate, 4-year 7.56%
0.31%		48.18%1,550$62,84031,27594.00%6 to 1
19
3		Rice University Houston, TXPrivate, 4-year 7.88%
0.80%		45.97%1,550$58,1288,67293.00%6 to 1
20
3		Barnard College New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 7.96%
0.83%		75.64%1,510$66,2463,44291.00%10 to 1
21
3		Bowdoin College Brunswick, MEPrivate, 4-year 8.02%
1.17%		57.34%1,510$64,9101,91594.00%9 to 1
22
3		Cornell University Ithaca, NYPrivate, 4-year 8.16%
0.69%		66.01%1,520$66,01425,89895.00%9 to 1
23
13		New York University New York, NYPrivate, 4-year 9.41%
3.05%		54.41%1,530$60,43859,14487.00%8 to 1
24
6		Amherst College Amherst, MAPrivate, 4-year 9.82%
2.56%		39.04%1,500$67,2801,89891.00%7 to 1
25
4		Williams College Williamstown, MAPrivate, 4-year 9.99%
1.49%		47.25%1,530$64,8602,22295.00%6 to 1
Average6.44%60.87%1,532$64,15215,96893.76%7 to 1