Most Selective U.S. Colleges
CollegeSimply ranks 249 four-year colleges that accept 50% or fewer of applicants, sorted by acceptance rate from lowest to highest. These are the most selective schools in the U.S.
California Institute of Technology is the most selective, accepting just 3% of 13,856 applicants. Also highly selective: Minerva University, Yale University and University of Chicago.
Selectivity does not always equal academic difficulty. Some schools admit a small share of applicants because demand exceeds capacity, not because admission standards are extreme. If you need safety schools, see our highest acceptance rate colleges. For academically demanding options, explore colleges with the highest SAT, highest ACT, and highest GPA averages.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Public 4 Year
- Winston Salem, NC
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| 0 reviews
- 30% acceptance rate
- Mar 15 application deadline
UNCSA is a public arts conservatory known for undergraduate dance, drama, music, and filmmaking. Students train on a specialized campus in Winston-Salem devoted to intensive performing-arts study.
- SAT Range 1140-1370
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Net Price $13,140
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
- Public 4 Year
- San Luis Obispo, CA
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4.7 | 3 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal Poly is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. Students study on a Central Coast campus in the college town of San Luis Obispo.
- SAT Range 1220-1410
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Net Price $17,453
San Diego Christian College
- Private 4 Year
- Santee, CA
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| 0 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
San Diego Christian is a small private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies and aviation. The suburban campus sits in Santee east of San Diego.
- SAT Range 900-1098
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Net Price $21,199
Kenyon College
- Private 4 Year
- Gambier, OH
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Kenyon is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate English and creative writing. The rural campus occupies much of the small village of Gambier.
- SAT Range 1358-1503
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.84
- Net Price $46,859
Lafayette College
- Private 4 Year
- Easton, PA
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| 0 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Lafayette is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate engineering alongside the liberal arts. The residential hillside campus in Easton overlooks the Delaware and Lehigh rivers.
- SAT Range 1350-1500
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Net Price $38,442
California Institute of the Arts
- Private 4 Year
- Valencia, CA
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| 0 reviews
- 32% acceptance rate
- Jan 5 application deadline
CalArts is a highly selective private arts college known for undergraduate animation, film, and the performing arts. The suburban campus is in Valencia, north of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price $56,239
Conception Seminary College
- Private 4 Year
- Conception, MO
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| 0 reviews
- 32% acceptance rate
A private Catholic seminary college known for undergraduate philosophy and theology in priestly formation. Students live on the campus of Conception Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in rural northwest Missouri.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.32
- Net Price $31,028
University of California Santa Barbara
- Public 4 Year
- Santa Barbara, CA
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4.7 | 3 reviews
- 33% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UCSB is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate physics, marine science, and environmental studies. The oceanfront campus sits directly on the Pacific coast near Santa Barbara.
- SAT Range 1230-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.82
- Net Price $17,658
Hope International University
- Private 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
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| 0 reviews
- 33% acceptance rate
- Aug 20 application deadline
Hope International is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, biblical studies, and education. The suburban campus sits in Fullerton in Orange County.
- SAT Range 840-1220
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Net Price $29,896
Fairfield University
- Private 4 Year
- Fairfield, CT
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| 0 reviews
- 33% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Fairfield is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and nursing. The suburban campus is in coastal Connecticut near Long Island Sound.
- SAT Range 1260-1390
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Net Price $49,958
Pacific Oaks College
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, CA
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| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
Pacific Oaks is a private college known for undergraduate early childhood education and human development. The campus is located in Pasadena in the Los Angeles metro area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price -
The Chicago School at Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
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| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
The Chicago School is a private university known for undergraduate psychology and behavioral sciences. The urban campus is based in downtown Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price -
United States Merchant Marine Academy
- Public 4 Year
- Kings Point, NY
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| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
- Mar 1 application deadline
USMMA is a highly selective federal service academy known for undergraduate marine engineering and maritime transportation. Midshipmen train on a waterfront campus on Long Island Sound and complete a required Sea Year at sea.
- SAT Range 1110-1300
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Net Price $4,101
Saint Augustine's University
- Private 4 Year
- Raleigh, NC
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| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
Saint Augustine's is a private historically Black university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The compact urban campus sits in Raleigh.
- SAT Range 780-940
- Avg GPA 2.5
- Net Price $19,688
Art Academy of Cincinnati
- Private 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
- Aug 1 application deadline
Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private art college known for undergraduate fine arts, illustration, and design. The urban campus sits in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Net Price $33,491
Oberlin College
- Private 4 Year
- Oberlin, OH
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5.0 | 3 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Oberlin is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music through its Conservatory and for the arts. Most students live on a residential campus in the small college town of Oberlin.
- SAT Range 1360-1520
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Net Price $51,624
William & Mary
- Public 4 Year
- Williamsburg, VA
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5.0 | 4 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
- Jan 2 application deadline
William & Mary is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate history, government, and international relations. The historic campus adjoins Colonial Williamsburg in a small college town.
- SAT Range 1400-1530
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
- Net Price $19,686
Brescia University
- Private 4 Year
- Owensboro, KY
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| 0 reviews
- 35% acceptance rate
Brescia is a small private Catholic university known for undergraduate social work and education. The residential campus sits along the Ohio River in Owensboro.
- SAT Range 920-1190
- Avg GPA 3.02
- Net Price $15,634