Hardest Colleges to Get in the US: Unquestionably, a successful education positions a person for success. A Fortune 500 survey states that in 2023, 75% of the world’s top 20 CEOs had an MBA or other graduate degree, 100% of the top 20 had an undergraduate degree, and 11.8% of the top 100 CEOs worldwide had attended IVY institutions for their undergraduate studies.
Are the Best Colleges Also the Hardest to Get Into?
Numerous indicators, including as academic achievement, net costs, graduation and retention rates, alumni salaries, and so on, can be used to assess an institution’s value and quality. However excellence is not always correlated with exclusivity or a low acceptance rate.
For instance, the most valuable institution in the United States is highly selective, with recent graduates earning over $110,000 annually. By contrast, a graduate with a 100% acceptance rate from any American university would earn less than half of that amount. Graduates from prestigious universities dominated the list of bachelor’s degrees that paid the highest as of 2023. Simply put, acceptance rates to some of the top US universities that generate the most well qualified graduates are low and competition is fierce. Consequently, exclusivity is an indirect indicator of an institute’s economic worth to students even though it is not a direct one.
There is a large range of inclusive colleges in the United States. While some universities admit students on a rolling basis, others accept students on a selective basis.
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However, education costs are generally high in the US, and most graduates have to work for years to pay off their debt. The cost of education is highest in the US, where it averages $27,091 per year for tuition.
Top 30 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in the US
30. Williams College
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 8%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 15,321
Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and founded in 1793, Williams College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of under 8%. Williams College’s average annual graduate student tuition and fees, as reported by the NCES, come to $64,540. There are 2,169 undergraduate students enrolled in Williams College as of right now.
29. University of Notre Dame
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 13%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 26,509
The University of Notre Dame ranks in the top 30 hardest colleges in the US to get into, with an acceptance rate of 13% in the Fall 2022 session and an application pool of approximately 26,500 students. Founded in 1842, it is a private university located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The University of Notre Dame has about 1,553 full-time faculty members and 203 part-time faculty members, with a student to faculty ratio of 9 to 1.
28. Swarthmore College
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 14,707
Founded in 1864, Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. There are just 1,625 undergraduate students enrolled at this highly selective college as of late. At Swarthmore College, the student to faculty ratio is 8 to 1.
27. Colby College
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 8%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 16,890
Colby College, a private liberal arts college, is ranked 27th. It is situated in Waterville, Maine, and was established in 1813. Due to its high application pool and low acceptance rates, Colby is one of the most difficult universities in the US to get into. In Fall 2022, 16,890 students applied; only roughly 1,351 of them were enrolled. The annual tuition for the 2023–2024 school year is $66,600. Additionally, there are 2,299 undergraduate students and 253 full-time faculty members, yielding a 10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio.
26. Amherst College
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 14,864
Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, Amherst College is a highly selective private university that was established in 1821. Amherst provides a range of student services, such as career counseling, student employment, and placement for graduates. Despite a massive applicant pool of 14,864 students, the admission rate for the Fall 2022 session was only 7%.
25. Georgetown University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 12%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 26,638
Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., is ranked 25th on the list. is among the most esteemed and selective institutions in the United States, having been founded in 1789. For the 2023–24 session, the annual tuition is $65,081. In Fall 2022, there were 26,638 undergraduate applicants; of them, only roughly 3,197 were enrolled.
24. Washington University in St Louis
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 12%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 32,014
Washington University, a private research university named for the country’s first president, was founded in St. Louis in 1853. There are 17,012 students enrolled for the Fall 2022 term, of which 8,132 are undergraduates.
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23. Tulane University of Louisiana
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 11%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 31,615
Founded in 1834, Tulane University of Louisiana is situated in New Orleans. It provides career advice, jobs, placement for graduates, and on-campus daycare for students’ kids, among other things, to its students. There are 8,795 undergraduate students enrolled at Tulane University of Louisiana as of right now.
22. Carnegie Mellon University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 11%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 34,261
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is home to Carnegie Mellon University, which is rated number 22. It was established in 1900 and is a private institution. There are just 7,059 undergraduate students enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University as of the most recent data available, with a 50:50 gender ratio.
21. Tufts University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 10%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 34,882
One of the most well-known educational institutions in the US is Tufts University, which was established in 1852 and is situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It is also among the world’s most difficult colleges to gain admission to. For Tufts University, the annual tuition fee for the 2023–2024 academic year is $67,844.
20. Rice University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 9%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 31,443
Houston, Texas’s Rice University is a private university that has been in operation since 1912. This esteemed university offers more than 50 majors in seven different academic disciplines. As of the most recent data available, Rice University had 4,494 undergraduate students overall.
19. Dartmouth College
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 6%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 28,336
Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, which ranks 19th on the list, is one of the most active universities in the United States. Being one of the eight IVY league universities makes it both one of the greatest and most selective universities in the United States. There are 4,458 undergraduate students at Dartmouth.
18. Johns Hopkins University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 37,844
One of the top 20 most difficult universities in the US to get into is Johns Hopkins University, which is situated in Baltimore, Maryland. The university’s yearly tuition for the 2023–2024 academic year was around $63,340. In addition to numerous unique learning opportunities, the university provides job placement, counseling, and employment services to its students. There are 6,044 undergraduate students and 5,117 full-time academic members at John Hopkins University.
17. California Institute of Technology
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 3%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 16,626
The 17th hardest college in the US to get into is the California Institute of Technology, which is based in Pasadena, California, and was established in 1891. Because of its very low application competition, Califonia Institute of Technology University is among the top 20 despite having one of the lowest acceptance rates in the US. There are 2,401 undergraduate students enrolled there.
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16. University of Southern California
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 12%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 69,062
Another elite university in the US with fierce competition and low admittance rates is the University of South California. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it is situated in Los Angeles, California, and was founded in 1880. There are roughly 20,699 students enrolled at the college as of the most recent data that is available. In addition to providing a variety of majors and unique learning opportunities, USC also places completers, provides career services, counseling, and on-campus daycare for students’ children.
15. Princeton University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 6%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 38,019
Located in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University is a globally recognized IVY league university ranked fifteenth on the list. There were 5,321 undergraduate students enrolled as of the most recent statistics available, and the annual tuition for the 2023–2024 academic year was $59,710.
14. Vanderbilt University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 46,377
Despite having 46,377 applications for the Fall 2022 semester, Nashville, Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University has an admission rate of just 7%, making it the fourteenth most difficult university in the US to get into. Established in 1873, VU provides seventy undergraduate majors. There are 7,151 undergraduate students enrolled there.
13. Northwestern University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 51,261
Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is situated in the Illinois city of Evanston. NCES reports that Northwestern University has 23,161 total students enrolled, of which 8,993 are undergraduates. With 51,261 applicants and an acceptance rate of just 7%, Northwestern University continues to be one of the most difficult US universities to get into in 2024.
12. University of Chicago
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 5%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 37,522
Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago is a private university situated in Illinois. Although UChicago is among the greatest institutions in the nation in terms of quality, admittance to the school is among the toughest in the US. In addition to having a high admission rate and fierce competition, University of Chicago also charges an expensive yearly tuition of $66,939 for the 2023–24 academic year, a 4.2% increase over the previous year.
11. University of Pennsylvania
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 54,588
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is home to the University of Pennsylvania. One of the oldest institutes in the United States, it was founded in 1740 and is well-known throughout the world for its superb academic programs, great faculty, and IVY League rank. With around 11,250 undergraduate students and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, it is a very competitive university.
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10. Duke University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 6%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 50,016
Founded in Trinity in 1838, Duke University is a private research university situated in Durham, North Carolina. The institution was relocated to Durham in 1892, and it currently has 6,640 undergraduate students enrolled there. Due to its exclusivity and competitiveness, Duke University had an admission rate of just 6% in the Fall 2022 session, even with a big applicant pool of 50,016 students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, the university also provides its students with a variety of unique learning possibilities, including as study abroad, distance learning, ROTC (Army, Navy, and Air Force), undergraduate research, and teacher certification.
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 4%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 33,767
Situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is ranked ninth among the best colleges in the US, is a globally recognized institution of higher learning. MIT is a private land-grant research institution that was established in 1861. It has contributed significantly to the advancement of numerous contemporary scientific and technological sectors over the years. With 33,767 applicants, MIT had a sizable class for the Fall 2022 semester, yet only 4% of them were accepted. There are 4,657 undergraduate students enrolled at the university overall, making the student-to-faculty ratio 3 to 1. Additionally, it provides its students with a wide range of unique learning possibilities, such as study abroad, teacher certification, study abroad, and ROTC (Army, Navy, Air Force).
8. Cornell University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 69,195
Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University is a private research university that was founded in 1865 and is ranked among the top 10 hardest colleges to get into in the US. Cornell University, one of the top 10 colleges in the US, is a member of the IVY League. There are 10,097 undergraduate students enrolled overall, with a 9 to 1 student to faculty ratio.
7. Yale University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 5%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 50,060
Ranking seventh on the list, Yale University is regarded as one of the best educational institutions in the United States as well as one of the most selective universities in the country. It is situated in New Havens, Connecticut, and is a member of the IVY League. It is also among the oldest universities in the country, having been established in 1701. Yale, a private university with international acclaim, receives hundreds of thousands of undergraduate applications year. But it only takes a chosen few in. There were over 50,000 applications for the Fall 2022 session, but only 5% were accepted. According to the NCES’s most recent data, Yale University has 5,875 full-time faculty members and 6,645 undergraduate students.
6. Brown University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 5%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 50,649
One of the top private research universities is Brown University, which is situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It’s one of the oldest institutions in the United States, having been founded in 1764. Being an IVY League institution, having excellent faculty, and having excellent academic standing have made Brown University well-known throughout the world. The university got 50,649 applications for the Fall 2022 session, but only 5% of them were accepted, placing it in the top 10 hardest universities in the US to get into.
5. Northeastern University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 7%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 91,000
Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private university situated in Boston, Massachusetts, and ranks fifth on the list. It is renowned for its experiential learning curriculum and is among the most esteemed and competitive universities in the country. For the academic year 2023–2024, this college’s yearly tuition was $63,141.
4. Stanford University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 4%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 56,378
Located in Stanford, California, Stanford University is a well-known private research university that was founded in 1885. Not only is Stanford one of the most difficult institutions in the world to get into, but it’s also one of the hardest colleges in California or the entire country. It is renowned for its cutting-edge facilities, outstanding teachers, outstanding academic and research achievements, and lively and intellectual community. It is ranked among the top 10 universities in the United States.
Computer sciences and social sciences are two of this college’s most popular majors. Furthermore, Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female justice of the United States Supreme Court, attended Standford University. The college received almost 56,000 applications for the Fall 2022 term, but only 4% of those were accepted.
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3. Columbia University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 4%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 60,879
A private research institution in New York City, Columbia institution is also referred to as Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia University was founded in 1754, making it one of the state of New York’s oldest educational institutions. As an IVY League institution, it is well-known throughout the world for its excellent faculty, top-notch researchers, and academic principles.
2. University of California – Los Angeles
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 9%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 149,801
Among the top 6 hardest colleges in the US to get into, the University of California, Los Angeles, was founded in 1919 and is ranked second. Among the 29 universities on this list, UCLA received the most undergraduate applications with 149,801 applicants in the fall of 2022. UCLA, on the other hand, had a mere 9% acceptance rate for the session, despite the enormous candidate pool. The college is well-known for its outstanding research opportunities and academic standards. It is also well-known for being one of the biggest employers in the Greater Los Angeles area. Among the illustrious alumni of UCLA are Eli Broad, Bhagwan Chowdhry, Susan Wojcicki, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
1. Harvard University
Acceptance Rate (Fall 2022): 3%
Total Number of Undergraduate Applicants (Fall 2022): 61,221
At the top of the list, Harvard has the lowest acceptance rate of any university in the US, making it the hardest to get into. It is the oldest institution in the United States and is situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in 1636. Harvard is also an IVY League university and is ranked among the most academically demanding colleges in the world. It is renowned throughout the world for its specialized training, cutting-edge resources, outstanding teachers, and academic brilliance. Among the noteworthy alumni of Harvard are Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, Robert Frost, Natalie Portman, and Rashida Jones.
