East Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in East for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in East. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is Harvard University which sent acceptance letters to only 3% of the 56,937 students who applied and rejected 97%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore rankings of East colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
East Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

85 results

Jewish Theological Seminary of America
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J
New York, NY

Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 316enrollment
  • $54,588net price
  • 1440-1559SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

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The Boston Conservatory
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B
Boston, MA

The Boston Conservatory

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 798enrollment
  • $42,649net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
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P
Lancaster, PA
 

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 323enrollment
  • $30,437net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.13Avg GPA

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Emerson College
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E
Boston, MA

Emerson College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

47% Acceptance Rate

#20 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 5,670enrollment
  • $50,703net price
  • 1250-1410SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.73Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 20

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Bentley University
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B
Waltham, MA

Bentley University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

48% Acceptance Rate

#13 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 5,264enrollment
  • $43,858net price
  • 1250-1410SAT range
  • 29-32ACT range
  • 3.75Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Alfred University
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A
Alfred, NY

Alfred University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

48% Acceptance Rate

#34 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 1,843enrollment
  • $26,127net price
  • 1100-1280SAT range
  • 24-31ACT range
  • 3.4Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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Gettysburg College
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G
Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

48% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 2,895enrollment
  • $35,729net price
  • 1240-1460SAT range
  • 27-32ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Bennington College
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B
Bennington, VT

Bennington College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

48% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 867enrollment
  • $35,108net price
  • 1290-1413SAT range
  • 30-32ACT range
  • 3.51Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Stony Brook University
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S
Stony Brook, NY

Stony Brook University

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

49% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 25,865enrollment
  • $18,601net price
  • 1320-1490SAT range
  • 28-33ACT range
  • 3.94Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Providence College
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P
Providence, RI

Providence College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

49% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Rhode Island

  • 4,635enrollment
  • $46,645net price
  • 1250-1400SAT range
  • 28-32ACT range
  • 3.47Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Berklee College of Music
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B
Boston, MA

Berklee College of Music

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 8,448enrollment
  • $48,608net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
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B
New York, NY

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 19,698enrollment
  • $3,989net price
  • 1210-1410SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
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P
Pittsburgh, PA

University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus

Public 4 Year

5 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

#25 Best Public Universities in America

  • 34,525enrollment
  • $24,338net price
  • 1270-1450SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
  • 3.79Estimated Avg GPA

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