Here Are the 60 Hardest Colleges to Get Into

Find out what is the hardest college to get into and which colleges have the lowest acceptance rates in the U.S.

Here Are the 60 Hardest Colleges to Get Into
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High school students across the United States work their butts off to achieve the highest GPA possible and the best SAT or ACT scores at their respective schools in order to try to get into the most highly competitive colleges in the country. Although excellent grades and superb test scores definitely give you a headstart, it does take more than that to gain acceptance to the hardest colleges to get into.

For the nation’s most selective colleges and universities, exceptional high school grades and college admissions test scores are a basic prerequisite for even being considered. But going beyond that, the hardest schools to get into also want to see extensive extra-curricular activities, community involvement, educational superlatives (for example, summa cum laude), and much more.

But the colleges with the lowest acceptance rates are not just the well-known Ivy League schools, like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, so forth. BrokeScholar conducted a study to identify a list of the 60 hardest schools to get into — using the latest data from 2023 — and came up with a list of many colleges and universities that are private not-for-profit four-year colleges as well as public four-year colleges, like UCLA. Many other schools that made this list you may have not expected or even thought of.

Read on to find out what is the hardest college to get into as well as 60 colleges with the lowest acceptance rates in the U.S.

Table of Contents

Lowest Acceptance Rate Colleges of 2023-2024

We analyzed all four-year private not-for-profit and four-year public colleges and universities that award bachelor’s degrees in this study, based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The key filter we used on the NCES site was colleges that had a maximum undergraduate acceptance rate of 20%. Additionally, the graduation rate and percent of those admitted who proceeded to enroll at the college were used as tiebreakers when colleges had the same admission rate.

Below is a table consisting of the top 60 hardest colleges to get into, and includes the percent of applicants admitted, the percent of those admitted who ended up accepting, the number of undergraduate students, the graduation rate, as well as the city and state where each school is located.

Colleges With the Lowest Acceptance Rates

College/University

Percent Admitted

Percent Admitted Who Enrolled

Undergraduate students

Graduation Rate

City, State

1. Minerva University

1%

72%

604

83%

San Francisco, CA

2. Harvard University

3%

83%

9,579

98%

Cambridge, MA

3. Caltech

3%

50%

987

94%

Pasadena, CA

4. MIT

4%

85%

4,638

95%

Cambridge, MA

5. Stanford University

4%

84%

7,645

95%

Stanford, CA

6. Columbia University

4%

64%

8,832

95%

New York, NY

7. University of Chicago

5%

85%

7,636

96%

Chicago, IL

8. Yale University

5%

68%

6,536

98%

New Haven, CT

9. Brown University

5%

67%

7,349

95%

Providence, RI

10. Princeton University

6%

69%

5,321

97%

Princeton, NJ

11. Dartmouth College

6%

62%

4,556

95%

Hanover, NH

12. Duke University

6%

55%

6,883

97%

Durham, NC

13. University of Pennsylvania

7%

68%

11,292

96%

Philadelphia, PA

14. Cornell University

7%

68%

15,503

95%

Ithaca, NY

15. Northwestern University

7%

55%

8,847

97%

Evanston, IL

16. Pomona College

7%

55%

1,764

95%

Claremont, CA

17. Vanderbilt University

7%

52%

7,111

93%

Nashville, TN

18. Johns Hopkins University

7%

51%

6,132

94%

Baltimore, MD

19. Amherst College

7%

43%

1,971

92%

Amherst, MA

20. Swarthmore College

7%

42%

1,651

94%

Swarthmore, PA

21. Northeastern University 7% 41% 15,747 91% Boston, MA

22. Colby College

8%

52%

2,262

88%

Waterville, ME

23. Williams College

8%

44%

2,174

95%

Williamstown, MA

24. Barnard College

9%

66%

3,043

92%

New York, NY

25. Bowdoin College

9%

59%

1,951

94%

Brunswick, ME

26. UCLA

9%

50%

32,122

92%

Los Angeles, CA

27. Rice University

9%

44%

4,247

94%

Houston, TX

28. Curtis Institute of Music

10%

83%

109

83%

Philadelphia, PA

29. Claremont McKenna College

10%

54%

1,416

91%

Claremont, CA

30. Tufts University

10%

50%

6,676

94%

Medford, MA

31. Tulane University

11%

51%

8,700

87%

New Orleans, LA

32. The Juilliard School

11%

48%

602

89%

New York, NY

33. University of California-Berkeley

11%

46%

31,814

94%

Berkeley,CA

34. Carnegie Mellon University

11%

44%

6,932

92%

Pittsburgh, PA

35. Grinnell College

11%

41%

1,748

88%

Grinnell, IA

36. Emory University

11%

38%

7,130

90%

Atlanta, GA

37. Georgetown University

12%

49%

7,598

96%

Washington, DC

38. New York University

12%

49%

28,772

87%

New York, NY

39. Washington University in St Louis

12%

48%

8,034

94%

St. Louis, MO

40. Hamilton College

12%

41%

2,055

92%

Clinton, NY

41. University of Southern California (USC)

12%

41%

20,790

92%

Los Angeles, CA

42. Colgate University 12% 31% 3,164 91% Hamilton, NY

43. University of Notre Dame

13%

60%

8,973

96%

Notre Dame, IN

44. Harvey Mudd College

13%

40%

905

92%

Claremont, CA

45. Middlebury College

13%

39%

2,858

94%

Middlebury, VT

46. Wellesley College 14% 51% 2,461 90% Wellesley, MA
47. Bates College 14% 46% 1,821 93% Lewiston, ME
48. Haverford College 14% 45% 1,420 91% Haverford, PA

49. Wesleyan University

14%

35%

3,385

93%

Middletown, CT

50. Boston University

14%

31%

18,229

89%

Boston, MA

51. Colorado College

16%

42%

2,241

86%

Colorado Springs. CO

52. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) 17% 54% 2,044 91% Providence, RI
53. Davidson College 17% 49% 1,973 92% Davidson, NC
54. University of North Carolina (UNC) 17% 46% 19,845 91% Chapel Hills, NC

55. Georgia Tech

17%

42%

17,461

93%

Atlanta, GA

56. Washington and Lee University

17%

39%

1,857

95%

Lexington, VA

57. Carleton College

17%

37%

2,044

91%

Northfield, MN

58. Boston College

17%

35%

9,955

91%

Chestnut Hill, MA

59. Pitzer College

18%

48%

1,168

85%

Claremont, CA

60. University of Michigan

18%

47%

32,282

93%

Ann Arbor, MI

Detailed Breakdown of the Hardest Colleges to Get Into

So, based on the admission rate, the hardest college to get into is technically Minerva University, which has an admission rate of 1%. But there are 59 other colleges on this list, so let’s go through them all:

1. Minerva University

  • Total number of applicants: 20,816

  • Minerva University acceptance rate: 1%

  • Tuition and required fees: $17,650

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 56% Female - 44% Male

Minerva University tops our list of the hardest colleges to get into, recording an admission rate of just 1% for the academic year beginning in fall 2022, making it (by the standards of the study) the hardest college to get into. The reason why you may have not heard of this highly competitive school is because it was established fairly recently — in 2012, with venture funding provided by Benchmark Capital. Minerva has a unique approach to teaching, with all courses being conducted as online seminars, with a maximum of 19 students. Of the 1% of applicants admitted to Minerva University, 72% went on to enroll. 

2. Harvard University

  • Total number of applicants: 61,221

  • Harvard University acceptance rate: 3%

  • Tuition and required fees: $57,261

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Harvard University is one of many colleges located in the greater Boston area of Massachusetts. Harvard’s undergraduate acceptance rate was just 3% for the academic year beginning in fall 2022, tying with Caltech in terms of admission rate. However, Harvard University's admission rate did prove more selective than its Cambridge, Massachusetts, neighbor — MIT. Not surprisingly, Harvard ranks as the hardest college to get into in Massachusetts.

3. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

  • Total number of applicants: 16,626

  • Caltech acceptance rate: 3%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,864

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 45% Female - 55% Male

Caltech is one of the nation’s premier schools of technology, boasting a highly selective admission rate of 3% against more than 16,000 applicants per year. Of those 3% admitted to Caltech, 50% of them go on to attend this college. Caltech’s admission rate ties it with Harvard, but the latter's percent of those admitted who enrolled — 83% — puts it ahead of Caltech in our list.

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

  • Total number of applicants: 33,767

  • MIT  acceptance rate: 4%

  • Tuition and required fees: $57,986

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 48% Female - 52% Male

MIT is well-known for its high caliber academics and extremely selective rate of admissions. With 33,240 applicants, MIT only admitted 4% of them. Of those 4% admitted to MIT, a full 85% of applicants proceed to enroll at the university. Perhaps unsurprisingly, first-time students enrolling at MIT boast the highest SAT scores in the country.

5. Stanford University

  • Total number of applicants: 56,378

  • Stanford University acceptance rate: 4%

  • Tuition and required fees: $58,416

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Stanford University has a highly competitive admission rate of only 4% of its more than 56,000 applicants. Though Stanford’s admission rate is tied with MIT's 4%, Stanford ranked lower in our study of the hardest colleges to get into because it has a slightly lower percentage of those admitted who proceeded to enroll, at 84% versus MIT's 85%.

6. Columbia University

  • Total number of applicants: 60,879

  • Columbia University acceptance rate: 4%

  • Tuition and required fees: $66,139

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 49% Female - 51% Male

Columbia University is the first New York Ivy League school to make the list of the 50 hardest colleges to get into. With over 61,000 applicants, Columbia admitted only 4% of them. Of those 4% admitted, a little under two-thirds (64%) proceeded to enroll at Columbia. Columbia University’s graduation rate of 95% is tied with Stanford and MIT. However, Columbia's tuition makes it the most expensive college in the US.

7. University of Chicago

  • Total number of applicants: 37,522

  • University of Chicago acceptance rate: 5%

  • Tuition and required fees: $64,260

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 48% Female - 52% Male

The University of Chicago ranks as the No. 1 college with the lowest acceptance rate university in Illinois, with only 5% of nearly 38,000 applicants admitted in the fall 2022 academic year. The University of Chicago has had many notable alumni, including the fictional Indiana Jones. Out of the 5% of applicants admitted, a very high percentage — 85% — proceed to enroll at the University of Chicago. 

8. Yale University

  • Total number of applicants: 50,060

  • Yale University acceptance rate: 5%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,250

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Yale University is another Ivy League school to make the top-10 part of our list of the hardest colleges to get into. It’s also the only school in Connecticut to make our top-60 list. With more than 50,000 applicants, Yale’s admission rate was 5% for fall 2022, 1 of only 3 schools in our study to have an admission rate of 5%. Of those 5% admitted, 68% went on to enroll at Yale. 

9. Brown University

  • Total number of applicants: 50,649

  • Brown University acceptance rate: 5%

  • Tuition and required fees: $65,146

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 52% Female - 48% Male

Brown University is another New England Ivy League school and has the lowest acceptance rate college in Rhode Island. With more than 50,000 applicants, Brown’s admission rate of 5% is tied with fellow Ivy League school Yale University. Of the 5% admitted to Brown University, 67% went on to enroll at the university — 1 percentage point less than the corresponding figure at Yale.

10. Princeton University

  • Total number of applicants: 38,019

  • Princeton University acceptance rate: 6%

  • Tuition and required fees: $57,410

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 50% Female - 50% Male

Out of all the colleges and universities in New Jersey, Princeton University is the hardest college to get into. Princeton has a very low admission rate of 6%, with 69% of those admitted going on to enroll at the school. Princeton University, notably, has easily one of the highest graduation rates in this study at 97%.

11. Dartmouth College

  • Total number of applicants: 28,336

  • Dartmouth acceptance rate: 6%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,658

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 49% Female - 51% Male

New England is home to several Ivy League schools, including New Hampshire’s Dartmouth College. With an admission rate of 6%, Dartmouth has the lowest college acceptance rate in New Hampshire by far. Of those 6% admitted to Dartmouth, 62% go on to enroll at this renown college, which is less than the 69% who enrolled at Princeton after gaining acceptance. An interesting trait of Dartmouth is that it is one of the few colleges to operate on a quarter system.

12. Duke University

  • Total number of applicants: 50,016

  • Duke acceptance rate: 6%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,688

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 52% Female - 48% Male

Duke University is the first of the hardest schools to get into in our study to be located in the U.S. South, in Durham, North Carolina. Besides its excellent basketball program, Duke University is a highly competitive college to get into, with an admission rate of just 6% against nearly 50,000 applicants per year. Duke also ranked No. 2 in our other study of the best colleges in North Carolina.

13. University of Pennsylvania

  • Total number of applicants: 54,588

  • University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $63,452

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 55% Female - 45% Male

Pennsylvania’s only Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania is highly selective with an admission rate of 7% against more than 54,000 applicants. Of those 7% admitted, 68% go on to enroll at UPenn — with both figures being the same as at Cornell University. However, UPenn edged out Cornell thanks to the former's graduation rate of 96% versus the latter's 95%.

14. Cornell University

  • Total number of applicants: 69,195

  • Cornell acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $63,200

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Cornell University is one of two of New York state’s Ivy League schools, along with Columbia University. Cornell University received a massive 69,000-plus applicants in fall 2022, and admitted only 7% of them. The percentage of those admitted to Cornell who then enrolled in the school was 68%, while its graduation rate of 95% is a mere 1 percentage point less than No. 13 UPenn's rate. 

15. Northwestern University

  • Total number of applicants: 51,261

  • Northwestern acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $63,468

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Northwestern University is one of two colleges with the lowest acceptance rates to be located in Illinois, though in Evanston, not Chicago like the University of Chicago. Northwestern’s admission rate of 7% is just behind the University of Chicago’s 5%, though Northwestern had almost 14,000 more applicants than the latter school. For those interested in studying the human brain, Northwestern ranked among the best colleges for neuroscience.

16. Pomona College

  • Total number of applicants: 10,666

  • Pomona College acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $59,238

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 55% Female - 45% Male

Pomona College easily ranks among the lowest acceptance rate colleges in California. With more than 10,600 applicants, Pomona College admitted 7% of them in the academic year beginning in fall 2022. Pomona’s 7% admission rate is behind only Minerva University, Stanford, and Caltech for having the most selective rate in the state of California.

17. Vanderbilt University

  • Total number of applicants: 46,377

  • Vanderbilt acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,348

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Vanderbilt University is the lowest acceptance rate college in Tennessee and the only school from Tennessee to make our list of the 60 hardest colleges to get into. Vanderbilt receives a large number of applicants, more than 46,000 for the fall 2022 academic year and admitting only 7% of them. Out of those 7% admitted, a little over half of them (52%) proceed to then enroll and attend Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt also ranked as the best college in Tennessee in another BrokeScholar study.

18. Johns Hopkins University

  • Total number of applicants: 37,844

  • Johns Hopkins acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,480

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 55% Female - 45% Male

Johns Hopkins University is universally recognized as the nation’s premier medical school. It’s also a highly competitive undergraduate school to get into. Of the colleges with the lowest acceptance rates in Maryland, Johns Hopkins is tied with several schools for admitting 7% of applicants. However, the percentage of those admitted to Johns Hopkins who go on to attend the school is 51%, just a tad less than at Vanderbilt.

19. Amherst College

  • Total number of applicants: 14,864

  • Amherst College acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $64,100

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Here’s yet another Massachusetts school to boast one of the lowest college acceptance rates. With almost 15,000 applicants in fall 2022, only 7% were admitted to Amherst College. Out of those 7% admitted, 43% of them go on to enroll and attend Amherst College, accounting for in part the school’s small undergraduate population of 1,971 students.

20. Swarthmore College

  • Total number of applicants: 14,707

  • Swarthmore College acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $59,328

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 50% Female - 50% Male

Swarthmore College is a well-known small, private liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. With an admission rate of 7% against more than 14,000 applicants, Swarthmore easily ranks among the lowest acceptance rate colleges, as well as one of the best colleges in Pennsylvania.

21. Northeastern University

  • Total number of applicants: 91,000

  • Northeastern acceptance rate: 7%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,192

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Northeastern University is another college on our list of the hardest schools to get into that's located in Boston. Out of an incredible 91,000 applicants in fall 2022, only 7% were admitted. And of those 7% of applicants admitted, 41% went on to attend Northeastern. This university also boasts one of the best environmental science programs in the US.

22. Colby College

  • Total number of applicants: 16,890

  • Colby College acceptance rate: 8%

  • Tuition and required fees: $63,520

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 53% Female - 47% Male

Colby College is 1 of Maine’s 3 colleges to rank among the hardest colleges to get into in the US, alongside Bowdoin College and Bates College. Both Colby and Bowdoin are highly selective, though Colby College's undergraduate acceptance rate of 8% is more selective than Bowdoin's 9%. Colby College may beat Bowdoin in terms of admissions, however, in terms of graduation rates, Bowdoin's 94% beats Colby's 88%.

23. Williams College

  • Total number of applicants: 15,321

  • Williams College acceptance rate: 8%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,770

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 52% Female - 48% Male

Massachusetts is home to many of the lowest acceptance rate colleges in the nation and Williams College is part of that club. A small, private liberal arts college, the admission rate at Williams College was 8% for the academic year starting in fall 2022, down from 9% the previous year. Of the 8% admitted to Williams College, a little over two-fifths (44%) decided to go on and enroll in the college.

24. Barnard College

  • Total number of applicants: 12,009

  • Barnard College acceptance rate: 9%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,525

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 100% Female - 0% Male

Barnard College is an all-female college that’s an affiliate of Columbia University. Like Columbia, Barnard College is one of the hardest colleges to get into, with an admission rate of only 9%. Plus, an impressive rate of those admitted to Barnard College go on to enroll at the school, with 66% of them choosing to attend. Of further note, Barnard College is one of the schools that make up the exclusive Seven Sisters colleges.

25. Bowdoin College

  • Total number of applicants: 9,376

  • Bowdoin College acceptance rate: 9%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,528

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Bowdoin College is one of two schools in Maine to rank among the lowest acceptance rate colleges in the US. With more than 9,300 applicants in fall 2022, Bowdoin College admitted 9% of them. This admission rate is tied with another Maine college to make our list of the 60 hardest colleges to get into, Colby College.

26. UCLA

  • Total number of applicants: 149,801

  • UCLA acceptance rate: 9%

  • Tuition and required fees: $13,401 in-state | $43,473 out-of-state

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 60% Female - 40% Male

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is tied with 3 other colleges with an undergraduate admission rate of 9%, down from 11% last year. What's crazy is the enormous number of applicants UCLA receives. With almost 150,000 applicants, UCLA admitted 9% of them, of whom 50% went on to enroll at the college, which is inferior to Bowdoin's corresponding figure of 59%. If you’re a student who resides in the state of California, you’ll get a significant discount on tuition versus an out-of-state student attending UCLA.

27. Rice University

  • Total number of applicants: 31,443

  • Rice University acceptance rate: 9%

  • Tuition and required fees: $54,960

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 49% Female - 51% Male

Rice University is the lowest acceptance rate college in Texas and the only school in Texas to rank among the top 60 hardest colleges to get into in our study. Located in Houston, Texas, Rice University has a very competitive 9% admission rate against more than 31,000 applicants in fall 2022. Rice also has one of the highest graduation rates in the study at 92%.

28. Curtis Institute of Music

  • Total number of applicants: 414

  • Curtis Institute of Music acceptance rate: 10%

  • Tuition and required fees: $5,930

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 46% Female - 54% Male

The Curtis Institute of Music is a special type of college, called a private conservatory, located in Philadelphia. Its admission rate of 10% is incredibly competitive and tied with two other schools on our list. What’s more, of the 10% of applicants admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music, a full 83% of those admitted proceed to enroll in the school, which is one of the highest rates in our study.

29. Claremont McKenna College

  • Total number of applicants: 5,709

  • Claremont McKenna acceptance rate: 10%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,715

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Claremont McKenna College is the third of three colleges with the lowest acceptance rates to be located in Claremont, California. Claremont McKenna’s admission rate was 10% for the academic year beginning in fall 2022, which is less selective than its neighbors Pomona College’s 7%, but more selective than Harvey Mudd’s 13%. A sizable proportion of those applicants who were admitted to Claremont McKenna went on to enroll at the school, 54%, which is comparable to fellow Claremont city's Pomona College, at 55%.

30. Tufts University

  • Total number of applicants: 34,882

  • Tufts acceptance rate: 10%

  • Tuition and required fees: $65,222

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 55% Female - 45% Male

Tufts University is yet another Massachusetts school to rank among the colleges with the lowest acceptance rates in the US. With almost 35,000 applicants in fall 2022, Tufts University admitted 10% of them. Of those 10% of applicants granted admission, 50% of them proceed to attend Tufts University. With a graduation rate of 94%, Tufts ranks among the schools with the best rates of graduation in the study. On a related note, Tufts University also excels in the sciences, with it being one of the best veterinary colleges in the US.

31. Tulane University

  • Total number of applicants: 31,615

  • Tulane acceptance rate: 11%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,844

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 61% Female - 39% Male

Tulane University is the lowest acceptance rate college in Louisiana and the only Louisiana school to make the list of the 60 hardest colleges to get into. Tulane has a markedly higher proportion of female undergraduate students than male: 61% vs. 39%, respectively. Of the 11% of applicants admitted to Tulane, 51% of them proceeded to then enroll at the university. On another note, Tulane also ranked among the best colleges with beach volleyball, in a separate BrokeScholar study.

32. The Juilliard School

  • Total number of applicants: 2,083

  • Juilliard acceptance rate: 11%

  • Tuition and required fees: $52,500

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 46% Female - 54% Male

Perhaps the best known music school in the U.S., Juilliard is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City, so it’s not just limited to music studies. Out of more than 2,000 applicants in fall 2022, only 11% were admitted. And of those 11% of applicants admitted, 48% went on to attend Juilliard.

33. UC Berkeley

  • Total number of applicants: 128,209

  • Berkeley acceptance rate: 11%

  • Tuition and required fees: $14,395 in-state | $44,467 out-of-state

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 55% Female - 45% Male

Berkeley is one of the most highly regarded universities in the country and especially California. As a University of California school, it is one of the few hardest colleges to get into that is a four-year public university, rather than private not-for-profit. With over 128,000 applicants, Berkeley’s admission rate of 11% is very selective and actually more competitive than the previous year's acceptance rate of 14%. And if you’re fortunate enough to be admitted and live in California, your tuition will be much lower than an out-of-stater.

34. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

  • Total number of applicants: 34,261

  • CMU acceptance rate: 11%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,344

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 50% Female - 50% Male

Carnegie Mellon University is the top college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 34,000 applicants in the fall 2022 academic year, Carnegie Mellon only accepted 11%, an increase in selectivity from the prior year's 14%. Of those 11% of applicants admitted, 44% went on to then enroll at CMU.

35. Grinnell College

  • Total number of applicants: 9,997

  • Grinnell College acceptance rate: 11%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,480

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 52% Female - 48% Male

The lowest acceptance rate college in Iowa is Grinnell College, which is also the only school to make our list that’s located in Iowa. With just under 10,000 applicants last year, Grinnell College admitted 11% of them for the 2022-2023 academic year Of those 11% granted admission, 41% of them proceeded to attend Grinnell College. 

36. Emory University

  • Total number of applicants: 33,179

  • Emory University acceptance rate: 11%

  • Tuition and required fees: $57,948

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 58% Female - 42% Male

Emory University is the hardest college to get into in Georgia and the 1 of 2 schools from Georgia to make our list of the top 60 hardest colleges to get into. With more than 33,000 applicants a year, Emory’s admission rate of 11% is one of the most selective rates in the US South. Interestingly, though, of those 11% admitted, only 38% go on to enroll at Emory University. It's also one of the most expensive colleges in Georgia.

37. Georgetown University

  • Total number of applicants: 26,638

  • Georgetown University acceptance rate: 12%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,052

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 57% Female - 43% Male

The lowest acceptance rate college in Washington, D.C., is Georgetown University. With more than 26,600 applicants for the academic year 2022-2023, Georgetown admitted just 12% of them. Of the 12% of applicants admitted, nearly half (49%) of them proceeded to attend Georgetown University.

38. New York University (NYU)

  • Total number of applicants: 100,662

  • NYU acceptance rate: 12%

  • Tuition and required fees: $58,168

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 58% Female - 42% Male

NYU is one of many schools in New York state to rank among the lowest acceptance rate colleges in the country. With a stunning 100,000-plus applicants for the 2022-2023 academic year, NYU admitted only 12% of them. Out of those 12% admitted, just under half (49%) decided to enroll and attend NYU upon admission.

39. Washington University in St. Louis

  • Total number of applicants: 32,014

  • Washington University acceptance rate: 12%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,590

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Representing Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis is the lowest acceptance rate college in the state. With a bit over 32,000 applicants for the 2022-2023 academic year, Washington University accepted only 12% of applicants. And of those 12% admitted, 48% went on to attend Washington University. What’s more, with a graduation rate of 94%, Washington University in St. Louis has one of the best graduation rates in the study.

40. Hamilton College

  • Total number of applicants: 9,899

  • Hamilton College acceptance rate: 12%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,670

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Hamilton College is yet another New York school to rank among the lowest acceptance rate colleges. With an undergraduate population of 2,055 and nearly 9,900 applicants in fall 2022, Hamilton College accepted only 12% of those who applied, down from the previous year's 14% admission rate. However, of those 12% admitted, only about two-fifths (41%) went on to attend Hamilton College.

41. University of Southern California (USC)

  • Total number of applicants: 69,062

  • USC acceptance rate: 12%

  • Tuition and required fees: $64,726

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 52% Female - 48% Male

The University of Southern California (or simply, USC) has ratcheted up its selectivity when it comes to admissions. With more than 69,000 applicants for the 2022-2023 academic year, only 12% were admitted — making its acceptance rate only 1 percentage point higher than UC Berkeley.

42. Colgate University

  • Total number of applicants: 21,109

  • Colgate University acceptance rate: 12%

  • Tuition and required fees: $64,290

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 55% Female - 45% Male

Colgate University is often considered a non-Ivy League school with Ivy League cred because of its academic reputation. It has the excellent graduation rate of 91% and a very selective admission rate of 12%. However, not that great of a proportion of those admitted to Colgate proceed to actually enroll. Out of the 12% admitted in the 2022-2023 academic year, only 31% went on to enroll and attend Colgate. 

43. University of Notre Dame

  • Total number of applicants: 26,509

  • Notre Dame acceptance rate: 13%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,301

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 48% Female - 52% Male

The University of Notre Dame is the only college in Indiana to make our list of the 60 hardest colleges to get into. With more than 26,500 applicants per year, only 13% were admitted. Of those 13% of applicants granted admission, a full 60% of them went on to enroll at Notre Dame. Notre Dame also ranked as one of the best colleges in Indiana in another BrokeScholar study.

44. Harvey Mudd College

  • Total number of applicants: 4,440

  • Harvey Mudd acceptance rate: 13%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,817

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 50% Female - 50% Male

Harvey Mudd College is one of a couple of colleges with the lowest acceptance rates to be located in Claremont, California, with some the others being Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College. Harvey Mudd’s acceptance rate of 13% is very selective among colleges in California, though only two-fifths of those admitted (40%) proceeded to enroll at the college.

45. Middlebury College

  • Total number of applicants: 12,952

  • Middlebury College acceptance rate: 13%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,460

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Middlebury College is the lowest acceptance rate college in Vermont as well as the only Vermont school to make our list of the 60 hardest colleges to get into in the US. Middlebury is on the smaller side of colleges, with an undergraduate population of a little over 2,800 students. Of the 13% of applicants admitted in fall 2022, 39% of them proceeded to attend Middlebury College after acceptance.

46. Wellesley College

  • Total number of applicants: 8,491

  • Wellesley College acceptance rate: 14%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,920

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 99% Female - 1% Male

Another one of the Seven Sisters colleges, Wellesley College is still essential a women's college, based on its gender breakdown. Wellesley didn't make our previous iteration of this study, but for the 2022-2023 academic year it did, admitting only 14% of nearly 8,500 applicants. In a good sign for the school, of those 14% admitted, more than half (51%) proceeded to enroll at and attend Wellesley College.

47. Bates College

  • Total number of applicants: 8,273

  • Bates College acceptance rate: 14%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,066

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Bates College is one of the more evenly balanced schools on our list in terms of the gender breakdown of its students: 51% of undergraduates are female against 49% being male. Bates College is yet another school from Maine to make our list of the hardest colleges to get into. With only about 1,800 undergraduates, Bates received over 8,200 applicants for the 2022-2023 academic year, admitting 14% of them. Plus, nearly half of those accepted (46%) ended up enrolling at Bates for the fall semester.

48. Haverford College

  • Total number of applicants: 5,657

  • Haverford College acceptance rate: 14%

  • Tuition and required fees: $63,628

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Appropriately located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, Haverford College is one of a couple colleges in the Keystone State to rank among the hardest schools to get into in the nation. Haverford is definitely on the smaller side, having just over 1,400 undergraduates. For the academic year 2022-2023, Haverford College had an admission rate of only 14%, which was more selective than past years. Out of those 14% admitted, a 45% of them decided to go on and enroll at Haverford.

49. Wesleyan University

  • Total number of applicants: 14,521

  • Wesleyan University acceptance rate: 14%

  • Tuition and required fees: $64,322

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 56% Female - 44% Male

Located in Middletown, Connecticut, Wesleyan University is smallish, with an undergraduate population of a little less than 3,400 students. In our previous iteration of this study from last year, Wesleyan didn't make the list. However, for the 2022-2023 academic year, Wesleyan made the list of the hardest colleges to get into. With more than 14,500 applicants in the fall 2022, Wesleyan University only accepted 14%. Of those 14% of applicants admitted, 35% went on to then enroll. Interestingly, Wesleyan is often considered one of the most liberal colleges in the country.

50. Boston University

  • Total number of applicants: 80,796

  • BU acceptance rate: 14%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,360

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 58% Female - 42% Male

Boston University is another college on our list of the hardest colleges to get into that's located in Boston. Boston University, or BU, gets a lot of applicants, with nearly 81,000 applicants in the academic year 2022-2023, and only 14% were admitted. However, of those 14% of applicants admitted, only 31% went on to attend Boston University. This university is also among the best colleges for psychology in the US.

51. Colorado College

  • Total number of applicants: 7,846

  • Colorado college acceptance rate: 16%

  • Tuition and required fees: $65,028

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 57% Female - 43% Male

Colorado College is the only college in Colorado to rank among the 60 lowest acceptance rate colleges. Colorado College is on the smaller side of schools, with an undergraduate population of a little over 2,200. With an admission rate of 16%, Colorado College actually got slightly less selective, from the previous year's acceptance rate of 14%. If you're thinking about applying to Colorado College, take note: It operates on trimesters.

52. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

  • Total number of applicants: 5,099

  • RISD acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $57,505

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 67% Female - 33% Male

Besides schools like Wellesley, which was founded as a women's college and still maintains a breakdown of 99% female students to 1% male, RISD is also decidedly a female school: 67% of undergraduates are female versus 33% male. New York school to rank among the lowest acceptance rate colleges. With an undergraduate population of 2,044 and nearly 5,100 applicants in the 2022-2023 academic year, RISD accepted only 17% of those who applied. Of those 17% admitted, more than half (54%) went on to attend RISD.

53. Davidson College

  • Total number of applicants: 6,479

  • Davidson College acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $57,340

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 53% Female - 47% Male

Davidson College is the second of three North Carolina colleges to make our list of the hardest schools to get into. Davidson is fairly small, with a total student population of under 2,000, all of them undergraduate students. For the 2022-2023 academic year, Davidson admitted only 17% of nearly 6,500 applicants. Out of those 17% admitted, just under half (49%) decided to enroll and attend Davidson upon admission.

54. University of North Carolina (UNC)

  • Total number of applicants: 56,341

  • UNC acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $8,989 for in-state | $37,550 for out-of-state

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 60% Female - 40% Male

Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the University of North Carolina (UNC) is the third college, beside Duke and Davidson, to make our list of the hardest schools to get into that's headquartered in North Carolina. For the academic year 2022-2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate was 17%, very selective for a public college. Of those 17% admitted, a little under half (46%) proceeded to enroll at UNC. 

55. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

  • Total number of applicants: 50,610

  • Georgia Tech acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $11,764 for in-state | $32,876 for out-of-state

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 40% Female - 60% Male

At home in Atlanta, Georgia Tech is one of the few colleges on our list to have a higher proportion of male students than female students. With an undergraduate population of nearly 17,500 and over 50,000 applicants in fall 2022, Georgia Tech accepted only 17% of those who applied. However, of those 17% admitted, only around two-fifths (42%) went on to attend Georgia Tech.

56. Washington and Lee University

  • Total number of applicants: 7,224

  • Washington and Lee acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $61,750

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Located in Lexington, Virginia, Washington and Lee is on the smaller side, having a little over 1,800 undergraduate students. With more than 7,000 applicants per year, only 17% were admitted. Of those 17% of applicants that got admitted, 39% of them went on to enroll at the university. Washington and Lee also ranked as one of the best colleges for political science in Virginia.

57. Carleton College

  • Total number of applicants: 8,583

  • Carleton College acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $62,634

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

Located in Northfield, Minnesota, Carleton College has a student body solely made up of undergraduates. With more than 8,500 applicants per year, only 17% were admitted. Of those 17% of applicants granted admission, 37% of them went on to enroll at Carleton. A notable benefit of Carleton College is that it's one of the few colleges with no application fee.

58. Boston College

  • Total number of applicants: 40,494

  • Boston College acceptance rate: 17%

  • Tuition and required fees: $64,176

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 53% Female - 47% Male

Boston College (BC) is one of many colleges in Massachusetts that made our list of the 60 hardest schools to get into. With more than 40,000 applicants per year, only 17% were admitted. Of those 17% of applicants granted admission, 35% of them went on to enroll at BC. This is why Boston College ranked below Carleton College since the latter had 37% of the 17% admitted go on to enroll.

59. Pitzer College

  • Total number of applicants: 3,500

  • Pitzer College acceptance rate: 18%

  • Tuition and required fees: $60,578

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 59% Female - 41% Male

Pitzer College is one of several schools that compose the Claremont Colleges in California. This consortium of colleges enables students to enroll in courses at any of the member colleges, which is almost like going to two colleges at the same time

60. University of Michigan

  • Total number of applicants: 84,289

  • University of Michigan acceptance rate: 18%

  • Tuition and required fees: $16,736 for in-state | $55,334 for out-of-state

  • Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 51% Female - 49% Male

The last school to make our list of the 60 hardest colleges to get into is the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (UMich). The University of Michigan is 1 of only 5 schools that are public institutions, as opposed to private nonprofit, to make our list of the hardest schools to get into. It's also the hardest college to get into in Michigan.

Andrew DePietro

Author: Andrew DePietro

Senior Researcher, and Content Strategist

Andrew DePietro is a finance writer covering topics such as entrepreneurship, investing, real estate and college for BrokeScholar, Forbes, CreditKarma, and more.