Ohio Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in Ohio for 2024

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in Ohio. 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 Denison University which sent acceptance letters to only 22% of the 12,220 students who applied and rejected 78%.

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

8 results

Denison University
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D
Granville, OH

Denison University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Ohio

  • 2,416enrollment
  • $38,267net price
  • 1270-1460SAT range
  • 29-32ACT range
  • 3.76Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Case Western Reserve University
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C
Cleveland, OH

Case Western Reserve University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

27% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Private Colleges in Ohio

  • 12,201enrollment
  • $38,279net price
  • 1410-1540SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.86Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Kenyon College
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K
Gambier, OH

Kenyon College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Colleges in Ohio

  • 1,885enrollment
  • $43,044net price
  • 1350-1515SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 3.84Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Kettering College
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K
Kettering, OH
 

Kettering College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 832enrollment
  • $16,398net price
  • -SAT range
  • 19-24ACT range
  • 3.41Avg GPA

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Oberlin College
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O
Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

35% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Private Colleges in Ohio

  • 2,992enrollment
  • $46,462net price
  • 1360-1530SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.67Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Cleveland Institute of Music
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C
Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Institute of Music

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

36% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 341enrollment
  • $29,383net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 1

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Wilberforce University
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W
HBCU
Wilberforce, OH
 

Wilberforce University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 656enrollment
  • $14,070net price
  • 840-940SAT range
  • 14-18ACT range
  • 2.82Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 1

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Mercy College of Ohio
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M
Toledo, OH
 

Mercy College of Ohio

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

#24 Best Private Colleges in Ohio

  • 1,261enrollment
  • $14,564net price
  • 780-1030SAT range
  • 16-21ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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