Ohio Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in Ohio for 2025

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 17% of the 14,580 students who applied and rejected 83%.

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

10 results

Denison University
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D
Granville, OH

Denison University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

17% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Ohio

  • 2,405enrollment
  • $42,177net price
  • 1300-1470SAT 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

29% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Private Colleges in Ohio

  • 12,266enrollment
  • $41,351net price
  • 1430-1540SAT 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

31% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Colleges in Ohio

  • 2,184enrollment
  • $44,470net price
  • 1360-1500SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 3.84Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Art Academy of Cincinnati
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A
Cincinnati, OH

Art Academy of Cincinnati

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

33% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 259enrollment
  • $28,899net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.1Avg GPA

Applications Due Aug 1

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Oberlin College
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O
Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

33% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Private Colleges in Ohio

  • 2,976enrollment
  • $50,484net price
  • 1370-1510SAT 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

38% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 350enrollment
  • $36,001net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Dec 1

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Ohio Christian University
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O
Circleville, OH

Ohio Christian University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,483enrollment
  • $21,092net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Defiance College
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D
Defiance, OH
 

Defiance College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

42% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 511enrollment
  • $24,098net price
  • 860-1110SAT range
  • 17-23ACT range
  • 3.12Avg GPA

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Mercy College of Ohio
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M
Toledo, OH
 

Mercy College of Ohio

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

43% Acceptance Rate

#24 Best Private Colleges in Ohio

  • 1,150enrollment
  • $15,705net price
  • 850-1070SAT range
  • 15-22ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Central State University
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C
HBCU
Wilberforce, OH

Central State University

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

#12 Best Public Universities in Ohio

  • 3,454enrollment
  • $14,821net price
  • 770-950SAT range
  • 14-18ACT range
  • 2.8Avg GPA

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