Most Selective Colleges

College

Students

Admission

Admission rate

1Stanford UniversityStanford, California7,5544%3.6%2Harvard UniversityCambridge, Massachusetts7,6014%3.6%3Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut6,7584%3.9%4Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, New York8,9734%4.0%5University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois7,5694%4.5%6Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts4,5355%4.5%7Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey5,7095%4.6%8Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts17,3265%5.2%9Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island7,2265%5.4%10University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania10,6505%5.4%11Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire4,5415%5.4%12Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina6,4426%5.7%13Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee7,2086%5.9%14Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland5,6936%6.4%15Colby CollegeWaterville, Maine2,4077%7.1%16Pomona CollegeClaremont, California1,6667%7.1%17Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, Maine1,8737%7.1%18Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, Pennsylvania1,6137%7.5%19Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois9,2018%7.7%20Rice UniversityHouston, Texas4,7768%8.0%21Williams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts2,0768%8.3%22Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York15,9959%8.8%23Barnard CollegeNew York, New York3,2649%8.8%24Amherst CollegeAmherst, Massachusetts1,9119%9.0%25New York UniversityNew York, New York28,6639%9.2%26United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, Maryland4,4749%9.3%27Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California1,38810%9.6%28University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California20,44310%9.8%29Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia7,29811%10.7%30Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, Vermont2,73811%10.8%31Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts18,24811%11.1%32University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana8,81811%11.3%33Tufts UniversityMedford, Massachusetts7,06111%11.5%34Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania7,30412%11.7%35College of the OzarksPoint Lookout, Missouri1,44412%12.0%36Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri7,85712%12.1%37Haverford CollegeHaverford, Pennsylvania1,43012%12.4%38United States Military AcademyWest Point, New York4,40812%12.4%39Georgetown UniversityWashington, District of Columbia7,56913%12.9%40Bates CollegeLewiston, Maine1,76013%13.3%41Davidson CollegeDavidson, North Carolina1,86713%13.4%42Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York2,03014%13.6%43Colgate UniversityHamilton, New York3,18014%13.9%44Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia1,88114%14.0%45Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana7,76714%14.0%46Wellesley CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts2,30014%14.1%47Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, Georgia18,78514%14.1%48United States Air Force AcademyUSAF Academy, Colorado4,11414%14.1%49Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, Iowa1,72915%14.5%50University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina20,75215%15.3%51University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan34,17716%15.6%52Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, Massachusetts10,08516%16.4%53Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, Connecticut3,06716%16.5%54University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia17,59717%16.8%55Babson CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts2,72817%17.1%56Denison UniversityGranville, Ohio2,38017%17.4%57College of the Holy CrossWorcester, Massachusetts3,10618%17.6%58Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, Colorado2,01418%18.5%59Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, New York2,44419%18.6%60Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, Rhode Island2,08419%18.7%61University of MiamiCoral Gables, Florida12,91319%18.9%62Berea CollegeBerea, Kentucky1,51319%19.3%63Carleton CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota2,08620%20.4%64Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee, Florida7,58221%20.6%65Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, Michigan1,57321%20.7%66Smith CollegeNorthampton, Massachusetts2,54421%21.0%67Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, New York2,69421%21.1%68Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North Carolina5,48522%21.7%69University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, Virginia2,98022%22.2%70United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London, Connecticut1,10822%22.4%71Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina2,70523%22.7%72University of FloridaGainesville, Florida35,62924%24.2%73Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida32,21224%24.2%74Reed CollegePortland, Oregon1,32025%24.6%75Spelman CollegeAtlanta, Georgia3,41425%24.9%76Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, Texas2,50526%25.9%77Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania5,89826%25.9%78The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas42,85527%26.6%79VUVillanova UniversityVillanova, Pennsylvania6,93827%27.0%80Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, Pennsylvania1,79928%28.2%81Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota2,13129%28.5%82University of Virginia's College at WiseWise, Virginia1,10129%28.5%83Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, Pennsylvania3,87629%28.9%84Mississippi Christian UniversityClinton, Mississippi2,51829%29.1%85Trinity CollegeHartford, Connecticut2,14629%29.3%86Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania1,35929%29.4%87Kenyon CollegeGambier, Ohio1,73231%31.0%88Lafayette CollegeEaston, Pennsylvania2,75731%31.4%89Fairfield UniversityFairfield, Connecticut5,37333%33.3%90William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia7,05534%34.1%91Oberlin CollegeOberlin, Ohio2,88734%34.2%92Southern University and A & M CollegeBaton Rouge, Louisiana5,51935%35.1%93Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, Massachusetts2,16936%36.0%94Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio6,43737%36.5%95Connecticut CollegeNew London, Connecticut1,93737%37.0%96Fisk UniversityNashville, Tennessee1,03537%37.4%97University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia32,13738%37.7%98LeTourneau UniversityLongview, Texas1,46838%38.0%99Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, Virginia4,72938%38.1%100Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, Washington1,53138%38.1%

Admission rate — computed from the US Department of Education College Scorecard. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates unless noted.