Mid Atlantic Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in Mid Atlantic for 2024

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in Mid Atlantic. 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 Columbia University in the City of New York which sent acceptance letters to only 4% of the 60,879 students who applied and rejected 96%.

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 Mid Atlantic colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
Mid Atlantic Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

45 results

Columbia University in the City of New York
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C
New York, NY

Columbia University in the City of New York

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

4% Acceptance Rate

#22 Best Colleges in America

  • 34,782enrollment
  • $22,058net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.91Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Princeton University
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P
Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

6% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Colleges in America

  • 8,842enrollment
  • $18,698net price
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.93Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Cornell University
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C
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#19 Best Colleges in America

  • 25,898enrollment
  • $26,060net price
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

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University of Pennsylvania
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P
Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#23 Best Colleges in America

  • 28,201enrollment
  • $26,123net price
  • 1500-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.95Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

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Swarthmore College
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S
Swarthmore, PA

Swarthmore College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 1,625enrollment
  • $20,715net price
  • 1440-1560SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 4

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Barnard College
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B
New York, NY

Barnard College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

9% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 3,442enrollment
  • $26,009net price
  • 1440-1550SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.85Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 4

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Curtis Institute of Music
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C
Philadelphia, PA
 

Curtis Institute of Music

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

10% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 151enrollment
  • $20,005net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 18

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The Juilliard School
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J
New York, NY

The Juilliard School

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

11% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 986enrollment
  • $43,151net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 1

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Carnegie Mellon University
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C
Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

11% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 16,002enrollment
  • $33,499net price
  • 1490-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.89Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Colgate University
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C
Hamilton, NY

Colgate University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in New York

  • 3,141enrollment
  • $27,074net price
  • 1410-1530SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.77Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Hamilton College
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H
Clinton, NY

Hamilton College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Value Colleges in New York

  • 2,072enrollment
  • $24,503net price
  • 1420-1540SAT range
  • 33-34ACT range
  • 3.87Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

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New York University
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N
New York, NY

New York University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

#6 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 59,144enrollment
  • $29,499net price
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.79Avg GPA

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United States Military Academy
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A
West Point, New York

United States Military Academy

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

12% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 4,393enrollment
  • -net price
  • 1220-1450SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 31

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Haverford College
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H
Haverford, PA

Haverford College

Private 4 Year

7 reviews

14% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Value in Pennsylvania

  • 1,421enrollment
  • $23,476net price
  • 1430-1540SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.9Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Vassar College
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V
Poughkeepsie, NY

Vassar College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

19% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 2,459enrollment
  • $30,603net price
  • 1430-1535SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.86Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Webb Institute
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W
Glen Cove, NY

Webb Institute

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

21% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 102enrollment
  • $19,744net price
  • 1400-1510SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
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C
New York, NY

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 958enrollment
  • $26,194net price
  • 1390-1530SAT range
  • 31-35ACT range
  • 3.75Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 8

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Villanova University
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V
Villanova, PA

Villanova University

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

23% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 10,383enrollment
  • $34,837net price
  • 1378-1500SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 3.87Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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