Massachusetts Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in Massachusetts for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
Massachusetts Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

22 results

The Boston Conservatory
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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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Emerson College
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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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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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Berklee College of Music
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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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