Virginia Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 29 private colleges in Virginia with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Washington and Lee University leads the list by accepting 14% of high school students that applied.

Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.

List of Virginia Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Lexington, Virginia

14%

University of Richmond, Virginia

22%

Virginia Beach, Virginia

38%

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

41%

Lynchburg, Virginia

43%

Danville, Virginia

57%

Bluefield, Virginia

59%

Hampton, Virginia

62%

Roanoke, Virginia

68%

Virginia Beach, Virginia

73%

Sweet Briar, Virginia

76%

Winchester, Virginia

77%

Purcellville, Virginia

77%

Salem, Virginia

83%

Emory, Virginia

84%

Ashland, Virginia

87%

Ferrum, Virginia

89%

Bridgewater, Virginia

92%

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.