A+ Schools for B Students National Universities

A+ Schools for B Students Methodology

If you're a good student with less than stellar test scores or a so-so GPA, these are the schools for you. These colleges, which have strong ratings in the 2013 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, accept a significant number of students with nonstratospheric transcripts.

U.S. News rank	School	Selectivity	Fall 2011 acceptance rate	SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile
#54	Pepperdine University Malibu, CA	more selective	31.6%	1100-1330
#58	Fordham University New York, NY	more selective	42.4%	1150-1340
#58	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	more selective	49.4%	1050-1270
#65	Purdue University–West Lafayette West Lafayette, IN	more selective	68.3%	1040-1300
#68	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–New Brunswick Piscataway, NJ	more selective	61.1%	1080-1310
#72	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	more selective	72.9%	23-28
#72	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	more selective	79.8%	23-28
#75	University of Delaware Newark, DE	more selective	58.2%	1100-1300
#77	Baylor University Waco, TX	more selective	39.7%	24-29
#77	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY	more selective	46.8%	1100-1270
#77	University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	more selective	43.5%	22-29
#83	Clark University Worcester, MA	more selective	67.9%	1080-1310 ²
#83	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	more selective	57.5%	1100-1310
#83	Indiana University–Bloomington Bloomington, IN	more selective	72.3%	1050-1280
#83	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	more selective	56.8%	24-29
#89	Auburn University Auburn University, AL	more selective	70.0%	24-30
#89	Miami University–Oxford Oxford, OH	more selective	74.1%	24-29
#92	St. Louis University St. Louis, MO	more selective	61.3%	25-30
#92	Stony Brook University–SUNY Stony Brook, NY	more selective	39.2%	1130-1330
#92	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX	more selective	37.7%	24-29
#92	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	more selective	75.4%	1090-1280
#97	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	more selective	58.5%	25-28
#97	University of Colorado–Boulder Boulder, CO	more selective	86.9%	24-28
#97	University of Massachusetts–Amherst Amherst, MA	more selective	65.6%	1090-1280
#97	University of Missouri Columbia, MO	more selective	82.3%	23-28
#101	Iowa State University Ames, IA	more selective	86.3%	22-28
#101	University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, NE	more selective	59.3%	22-28
#101	University of Oklahoma Norman, OK	more selective	81.9%	23-29
#106	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	more selective	54.9%	25-29
#106	University at Buffalo–SUNY Buffalo, NY	more selective	53.2%	1060-1260
#106	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	more selective	92.7%	22-28
#106	University of New Hampshire Durham, NH	selective	74.2%	1010-1210
#106	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	selective	58.0%	1030-1250
#106	University of the Pacific Stockton, CA	more selective	35.8%	1050-1318
#113	University of St. Thomas St. Paul, MN	more selective	84.5%	23-28
#115	Clarkson University Potsdam, NY	more selective	77.5%	1060-1260
#115	University of Dayton Dayton, OH	more selective	75.6%	24-29
#115	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	selective	73.0%	993-1223 ³
#115	University of South Carolina Columbia, SC	more selective	63.1%	1100-1290
#120	Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA	selective	70.1%	1040-1210
#120	Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI	more selective	75.3%	24-29
#125	New School New York, NY	selective	69.3%	1000-1250 ⁹
#125	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	selective	62.8%	1010-1210
#125	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	more selective	68.4%	23-28
#125	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	selective	83.2%	21-27
#131	University at Albany–SUNY Albany, NY	selective	51.3%	1020-1190
#134	Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO	selective	75.9%	22-27 ³
#134	DePaul University Chicago, IL	more selective	64.1%	23-28 ²
#134	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY	more selective	58.8%	1080-1250 ²
#134	Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA	more selective	79.6%	23-28

Save

U.S. News rank

School

Selectivity

Fall 2011 acceptance rate

SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile

#54

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

more selective

31.6%

1100-1330

#58

Fordham University

New York, NY

more selective

42.4%

1150-1340

#58

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY

more selective

49.4%

1050-1270

#65

Purdue University–West Lafayette

West Lafayette, IN

more selective

68.3%

1040-1300

#68

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–New Brunswick

Piscataway, NJ

more selective

61.1%

1080-1310

#72

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

more selective

72.9%

23-28

#72

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

more selective

79.8%

23-28

#75

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

more selective

58.2%

1100-1300

#77

Baylor University

Waco, TX

more selective

39.7%

24-29

#77

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY

more selective

46.8%

1100-1270

#77

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

more selective

43.5%

22-29

#83

Clark University

Worcester, MA

more selective

67.9%

1080-1310 ²

#83

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

more selective

57.5%

1100-1310

#83

Indiana University–Bloomington

Bloomington, IN

more selective

72.3%

1050-1280

#83

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

more selective

56.8%

24-29

#89

Auburn University

Auburn University, AL

more selective

70.0%

24-30

#89

Miami University–Oxford

Oxford, OH

more selective

74.1%

24-29

#92

St. Louis University

St. Louis, MO

more selective

61.3%

25-30

#92

Stony Brook University–SUNY

Stony Brook, NY

more selective

39.2%

1130-1330

#92

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

more selective

37.7%

24-29

#92

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

more selective

75.4%

1090-1280

#97

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

more selective

58.5%

25-28

#97

University of Colorado–Boulder

Boulder, CO

more selective

86.9%

24-28

#97

University of Massachusetts–Amherst

Amherst, MA

more selective

65.6%

1090-1280

#97

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO

more selective

82.3%

23-28

#101

Iowa State University

Ames, IA

more selective

86.3%

22-28

#101

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Lincoln, NE

more selective

59.3%

22-28

#101

University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK

more selective

81.9%

23-29

#106

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL

more selective

54.9%

25-29

#106

University at Buffalo–SUNY

Buffalo, NY

more selective

53.2%

1060-1260

#106

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

more selective

92.7%

22-28

#106

University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH

selective

74.2%

1010-1210

#106

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

selective

58.0%

1030-1250

#106

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA

more selective

35.8%

1050-1318

#113

University of St. Thomas

St. Paul, MN

more selective

84.5%

23-28

#115

Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY

more selective

77.5%

1060-1260

#115

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH

more selective

75.6%

24-29

#115

University of Oregon

Eugene, OR

selective

73.0%

993-1223 ³

#115

University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC

more selective

63.1%

1100-1290

#120

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA

selective

70.1%

1040-1210

#120

Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI

more selective

75.3%

24-29

#125

New School

New York, NY

selective

69.3%

1000-1250 ⁹

#125

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA

selective

62.8%

1010-1210

#125

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

more selective

68.4%

23-28

#125

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

selective

83.2%

21-27

#131

University at Albany–SUNY

Albany, NY

selective

51.3%

1020-1190

#134

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, CO

selective

75.9%

22-27 ³

#134

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

more selective

64.1%

23-28 ²

#134

Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY

more selective

58.8%

1080-1250 ²

#134

Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, LA

more selective

79.6%

23-28