Top 100 - Lowest Acceptance Rates

Many students aspire for admission to a prestigious college or university, but the supply of open seats often does not meet the demand from applicants. Earning admission to the schools on this list can be especially difficult. With the lowest acceptance rates among all undergraduate institutions surveyed by U.S. News, regardless of ranking category, the 100 colleges and universities listed here are among the most selective, based on the fall 2011 entering class.

Save	School	Fall 2011 acceptance rate
	Pitzer College Claremont, CA	24.1%
	Wesleyan University Middletown, CT	24.2%
	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	24.3%
	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	24.6%
	Barnard College New York, NY	24.9%
	Tulane University New Orleans, LA	25.0%
	Haverford College Haverford, PA	25.1%
	University of California–Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	25.5%
	Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO	25.8%
	University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston-Salem, NC	25.8%
	Texas Southern University Houston, TX	26.2%
	Emory University Atlanta, GA	26.7%
	Bates College Lewiston, ME	27.0%
	Corcoran College of Art and Design Washington, DC	27.2%
	CUNY–Hunter College New York, NY	27.2%
	Hamilton College Clinton, NY	27.4%
	University of Great Falls Great Falls, MT	27.4%
	Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA	27.6%
	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	28.0%
	Davidson College Davidson, NC	28.0%
	CUNY–Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY	28.2%
	Albany State University Albany, GA	28.7%
	Brigham Young University–Hawaii ¹ Laie Oahu, HI	28.9%
	Johnson C. Smith University Charlotte, NC	28.9%
	Colby College Waterville, ME	29.4%
	Colgate University Hamilton, NY	29.4%
	University of Arkansas–Pine Bluff ¹ Pine Bluff, AR	29.4%
	Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN	29.6%
	Oberlin College Oberlin, OH	29.6%
	National-Louis University Chicago, IL	29.8%
	Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY	30.3%
	California State University–Long Beach Long Beach, CA	30.4%
	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	30.4%
	Trinity College Hartford, CT	30.4%
	CUNY–Queens College Flushing, NY	30.7%
	Carleton College Northfield, MN	31.0%
	Wellesley College Wellesley, MA	31.0%
	Victory University ¹ Memphis, TN	31.1%
	Jackson State University ¹ Jackson, MS	31.3%
	University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	31.4%
	Pepperdine University Malibu, CA	31.6%
	Oakwood University Huntsville, AL	31.7%
	Central State University Wilberforce, OH	32.3%
	CUNY–City College New York, NY	32.4%
	New York University New York, NY	32.7%
	University of Richmond Univ. of Richmond, VA	32.7%
	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	32.9%
	George Washington University Washington, DC	33.0%
	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	33.1%
	Hope International University Fullerton, CA	33.1%

Save

School

Fall 2011 acceptance rate

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA

24.1%

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT

24.2%

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

24.3%

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

24.6%

Barnard College

New York, NY

24.9%

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA

25.0%

Haverford College

Haverford, PA

25.1%

University of California–Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

25.5%

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO

25.8%

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, NC

25.8%

Texas Southern University

Houston, TX

26.2%

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

26.7%

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

27.0%

Corcoran College of Art and Design

Washington, DC

27.2%

CUNY–Hunter College

New York, NY

27.2%

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

27.4%

University of Great Falls

Great Falls, MT

27.4%

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

27.6%

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

28.0%

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

28.0%

CUNY–Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY

28.2%

Albany State University

Albany, GA

28.7%

Brigham Young University–Hawaii ¹

Laie Oahu, HI

28.9%

Johnson C. Smith University

Charlotte, NC

28.9%

Colby College

Waterville, ME

29.4%

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

29.4%

University of Arkansas–Pine Bluff ¹

Pine Bluff, AR

29.4%

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, MN

29.6%

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

29.6%

National-Louis University

Chicago, IL

29.8%

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY

30.3%

California State University–Long Beach

Long Beach, CA

30.4%

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

30.4%

Trinity College

Hartford, CT

30.4%

CUNY–Queens College

Flushing, NY

30.7%

Carleton College

Northfield, MN

31.0%

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

31.0%

Victory University ¹

Memphis, TN

31.1%

Jackson State University ¹

Jackson, MS

31.3%

University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

31.4%

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

31.6%

Oakwood University

Huntsville, AL

31.7%

Central State University

Wilberforce, OH

32.3%

CUNY–City College

New York, NY

32.4%

New York University

New York, NY

32.7%

University of Richmond

Univ. of Richmond, VA

32.7%

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

32.9%

George Washington University

Washington, DC

33.0%

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

33.1%

Hope International University

Fullerton, CA

33.1%