The 30 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in 2024

April 8, 2024

As we enter the 2024-25 cycle, the American college admissions process continues to be insanely competitive at the very top. Schools that are considered “elite” and “prestigious” are attracting more applicants than ever before. Test-optional policies enacted by many colleges at the start of the pandemic have caused tens of thousands of new applicants to throw their names in the hat at Ivy and Ivy-equivalent schools. In addition, the rise of the Common Application, which now includes over 1,000 member institutions (and almost every school on this list), has increased the ease of applying to multiple colleges. In other words, the hardest colleges to get into have never had so many people wanting to—and attempting to—“get in.”

How Did We Choose the Hardest Colleges to Get Into?

In looking at the hardest colleges to get into, we want to first make a few things perfectly clear. Firstly, College Transitions does not want our readers to believe that colleges with lower acceptance rates are superior to those with slightly higher acceptance rates. While we mostly (for reasons explained later) ranked strictly by acceptance rate, we do not intend to convey that Columbia is superior to Yale because it has a 3% acceptance rate versus a 4% acceptance rate. Every school on this list is a world-class institution that provides an exceptional education to its undergraduates. Again, this is not an ordinal ranking of the “best” colleges. Nor is it intended to glorify absurdly low acceptance rates. Rather, this list is simply intended to inform the reader of exactly what the title implies—the 30 hardest colleges to get into, objectively (or close to it) and by the numbers.

Additionally, these rankings do not include schools of music such as The Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music, which are among the most selective academies of music in the world. They also do not include the service academies, several of which—the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Air Force Academy—are incredibly selective.

We took the following factors into account when creating this college ranking:

Overall Acceptance Rate

A college’s acceptance rate is, at its simplest definition, the percentage of students who are admitted out of those who apply. However, that number only tells part of the story. For example, it does not tell you the percentage of students who were admitted out of those who were academically qualified.

In addition, it is important to remember that the amount of students a college admits is a strategic decision based on its yield rate, which is the percentage of admitted students who actually decide to attend. For example, if a given college receives 10,000 applications and accepts 5,000, it would have a 50% acceptance rate. If only 1,000 of those accepted students ultimately choose to enroll, the college would have a 20% yield rate. Colleges with high yield rates, such as Harvard, can afford to admit fewer students because they know most of those students will choose to come to the university. As a result, high yield rates usually drive acceptance rates down.

Hardest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)

Finally, acceptance rates can be artificially lowered by aggressive marketing tactics, which encourage more (and usually unqualified) students to apply and often result in a deluge of applications. For example, the University of Chicago used to accept 40% of applicants in 2005, but recent marketing campaigns have increased applications and driven down the acceptance rate even though the enrolled student academic profile is essentially the same. Colleges that refuse to take part in such practices, such as Reed College, can have acceptance rates that may not do their selectivity justice.

In this vein, keep in mind that colleges also make quite a bit of money from driving up their student application numbers. For example, Stanford’s $90 application fee multiplied by 53,733 Class of 2027 applicants is over $4.8 million in revenue for the college.

Early Decision Acceptance Rate

Another factor to take into account when looking at a school’s acceptance rate is the percentage who were admitted during the Early Decision or Restrictive Early Action round (if offered) and the percentage admitted during the Regular Decision round. The “overall” acceptance rate you see when you Google a college is the early and regular acceptance rates combined. However, digging a little deeper can tell another story.

Remember our discussion of yield in the previous section? Early Decision is very good for a college’s yield because it is binding. Therefore, barring extenuating circumstances, colleges know that every student admitted during Early Decision will be attending the university in the fall. As such, colleges sometimes fill quite a large percentage of their class during this round and a much lower percentage during the Regular Decision round. Such practices can skew a college’s overall acceptance rate to be quite low, so it is a factor that we have taken into account while building this list.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Acceptance Rate

Public schools often evaluate in-state and out-of-state students quite differently. As such, their in-state acceptance rate may be much higher than their out-of-state acceptance rate. In addition, they may fill a majority of their class with in-state applicants, either because they prefer or are required to do so. (North Carolina public institutions are required by state law to fill at least 82% of their class with in-state students.) Several of the UCs, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UVA are three such schools with sub-20% overall acceptance rates but higher acceptance rates for in-state students. For example, UNC-Chapel Hill’s most recent reported overall acceptance rate was 17%, but in-state students enjoyed a 43% acceptance rate and make up a vast majority of the student body. As such, we have not included public institutions on this list given the differing admissions standards for in-state vs. out-of-state students.

Admissions Trends

It’s important to look at admissions data over several years to obtain a clear picture of whether a college is truly becoming harder to earn acceptance to or whether a “new low” can be attributed to external factors. For example, for the past two cycles, Northeastern has had a sub-10% acceptance rate—down from 18% in 2022 and 20% in 2021. This steep decline could be partially attributed to over-enrollment/overcrowding, so we’re interested in seeing several more years of data before adding Northeastern to our list. Further, the academic credentials of Northeastern freshmen are not quite on the same level as other schools with single-digit acceptance rates. Another school with acceptance rates that have fluctuated wildly in recent years is NYU.

In sum, all the schools on this list have consistently high admissions standards and consistently low acceptance rates.

Accepted Student Academic Profile

Finally, it’s important to look at a college’s admitted student profile when evaluating the hardest colleges to get into. The colleges on this list all require exceptional credentials, meaning that only students with the most impressive academic and extracurricular profiles have a shot at acceptance. As such, you’ll need to put in serious work during high school in order to be competitive.

The Top 30 Hardest Colleges to Get Into

*Acceptance rates are from the Class of 2028, unless otherwise noted. These numbers have been released by the university, but are not “official” as of yet. All standardized test information is from the Class of 2027 (when available).

1) Caltech

Directly from the admissions office, five factors carry the heaviest weight in the process: rigor of secondary curriculum, essays, recommendations, and character/personal qualities. Flawless grades in a rigorous curriculum are necessary but not sufficient for admissions consideration; those whose intangibles shine brightest gain an edge in this highly competitive process. Caltech admitted a total of 315 applicants to the Class of 2028 although they have not yet released how many total applications they received.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 2.5%
Class of 2027 applicants: 16,626
Mid-50% SAT/ACT: Caltech is currently test-blind through 2025 and does not consider SAT/ACT scores.

2) Harvard University

Harvard is the envy of other universities and the dream destination for countless teenage geniuses and overachievers. The admissions staff does not rank any factor as being “very important” or even “important.” All of the usual factors—grades, SATs, essays, and so on—are “considered.” Additionally, an insanely high number—83%—of admitted students elect to enroll. In other words, Harvard is a second-choice school for few students. That said, the number of applications received by Harvard did drop slightly this year.

Acceptance Rate: 3.6%
Class of 2028 applicants: 54,008
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34

3) Stanford University

Situated in the heart of Silicon Valley sits one of the tech industry’s top feeder schools and one of the premier research universities in the world. Ninety-
four percent of incoming freshmen had a GPA of a 4.0 or above in high school, although it is important to highlight that, in one recent cycle, only 7% of applicants meeting that criterion were accepted. With so many top-shelf applicants for a limited number of spots, it helps to have a hook—an area in which you truly excel.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 3.9%
Class of 2027 applicants: 53,733
Median SAT: 1540
Median ACT: 35

Hardest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)

4) Yale University

The committee uses two overarching questions to guide its process: “Who is likely to make the most of Yale’s resources?” and “Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?” Getting into Yale is a hard-to-predict enterprise that sees many valedictorians and salutatorians bite the dust. Fantastic credentials along with a record of special talents and accomplishments that scream “future leader” will fare best. This past cycle, 9% of students were admitted via the restrictive early action round.

Acceptance Rate: 3.7%
Class of 2028 applicants: 57,465
Median SAT: 1540
Median ACT: 34

5) MIT

MIT is seeking the world’s sharpest and most innovative minds in engineering, the sciences, mathematics, and related fields who, one day, will create the world the rest of us will merely inhabit. In addition, MIT is as close to a true meritocracy as you can find in the world of higher education. Legacy status is not taken into account. Rather, a sparkling academic record, near-perfect test scores, and impressive STEM-focused experiences/accomplishments outside the classroom are most important.

Acceptance Rate: 4.5%
Class of 2026 applicants: 28,232
Mid-50% SAT: 1520-1580
Mid-50% ACT: 34-36

6) Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, has positioned itself as not only one of the South’s most selective institutions but as one of the country’s ultra-elite universities. Seven categories are deemed “very important” by this university’s admissions committee: rigor of classes, GPA, class rank, standardized test scores, application essay, character/personal qualities, and extracurricular involvement. Vandy is serious about its emphasis on extracurriculars; 100% of admitted students
held leadership positions in high school.

Acceptance Rate: 3.7%
Class of 2028 applicants: 41,336
Mid-50% SAT (Class of 2028): 1530-1600
Mid-50% ACT (Class of 2028): 34-36

7) Columbia University

Infinitesimal chances at admission are not a new phenomenon here—the acceptance rate hasn’t been in the double digits since 2011. There are seven main factors that are given primary importance as part of the university’s holistic process: rigor of curriculum, class rank, grades, essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and character/personal qualities. Columbia is definitely a school where it is advantageous to apply early decision as the university fills over 50% of its freshman class through the early round.

Acceptance Rate: 3.85%
Class of 2028 applicants: 60,248
Mid-50% SAT: 1510-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35

8) Princeton University

In short, getting into Princeton is a harrowing undertaking that will, more often than not, result in failure, even for some of the most accomplished applicants. Those who are successful typically have near-perfect to perfect test scores and GPAs and a “hook” to seal the deal

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 4.5%
Class of 2027 applicants: 39,644
Mid-50% SAT: 1540-1580
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35

Hardest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)

9) University of Chicago

The University of Chicago has undergone a transformational rebranding over the past decade. Still a destination point for an army of brilliant young people, it now boasts a single-digit acceptance rate and, while still as academically rigorous as any institution in the country, it has worked to expand its previously unidimensional appeal.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 4.8%
Class of 2027 applicants: 38,800
SAT Score Range (Admitted Students): 1080-1600
ACT Score Range (Admitted Students): 21-36

10) Duke University

Duke is now more selective than several Ivies, which is no surprise given the university’s unique combination of academic prestige and extracurricular excitement. Like the Ivies, Duke routinely rejects valedictorians and teens with perfect standardized test scores. Successful applicants will have exceptional academic credentials, attention-grabbing essays, and special talents that set them apart from a crowded field of aspiring Blue Devils.

Acceptance Rate: 5.1%
Class of 2028 applicants: 54,191
Mid-50% SAT: 1520-1570
Mid-50% ACT: Not Reported

11) Brown University

In a typical year, close to half of admitted students were either the valedictorian or salutatorian of their high school class. Those looking to come to Providence should be individuals at the top of their class who are intellectually curious, open-minded, and who possess intangible qualities that would allow them to flourish in Brown’s unique Open Curriculum. In addition, Brown usually fills one-third to one-half of its class through Early Decision; the acceptance rate for Class of 2028 ED applicants was just under 15%.

Acceptance Rate: 5.2%
Class of 2028 applicants: 48,898
Mid-50% SAT: 1510-1570
Mid-50% ACT: 34-36

12) University of Pennsylvania

Rigor of secondary school record, GPA, test scores, essays, recommendations, and character/personal qualities are deemed “very important” to the evaluative process. Penn rejects more students than ever, including thousands of teens who would have waltzed into the university a generation ago. Over 65,000 applications were received for the Class of 2028—the highest in school history.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 5.8%
Class of 2027 applicants: 59,465
Mid-50% SAT: 1510-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35

Hardest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)

13) Dartmouth College

A decade ago, the acceptance rate was three times the current figure. Earning a spot on this bucolic Hanover campus has never been tougher. Those who wish to experience its renowned teaching faculty and intimate learning environment, rich with hands-on opportunities, will need to bring stellar credentials to the table. This past cycle, nearly 17% of applicants were accepted via Early Decision, filling nearly half the class.

Acceptance Rate: 5.3%
Class of 2026 applicants: 31,657
Median SAT: Not Reported
Median ACT: Not Reported

14) Johns Hopkins University

Current students landed in the top 10% of their high school classes at a 99% clip, so impeccable grades in the most competitive curriculum available are pretty much a prerequisite for consideration. Johns Hopkins is now in the upper-upper tier of selectivity along with the Ivies, Stanford, and a small cadre of elite liberal arts colleges. Leadership qualities and community service are highly valued. Approximately 2/3 of the class is typically filled through ED rounds.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 6.2%
Class of 2027 applicants: 38,294
Mid-50% SAT: 1530-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35

15) Pomona College

Considered the preeminent institution among the Claremont Consortium, Pomona College in Claremont, California, is much like the elite liberal arts schools of the Northeast. If you are one of the rare individuals capable of gaining entrance, you won’t find a better or more rigorous liberal arts education anywhere. 85% of enrolled students were in the top 10% of their graduating class. In addition, applying ED typically provides an edge.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 6.8%
Class of 2027 applicants: 12,121
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34

16) Colby College

Over the past decade, applications to Colby have tripled, and the school has become commensurately more selective. Among the factors rated as most important by the admissions committee are rigor of secondary curriculum, grades, recommendations, and character/personal qualities. Serious applicants should strongly consider early decision as the ED rounds usually allow more generous acceptance rates, often more than three times as high as the regular round.

Acceptance Rate: 6.6%
Class of 2028 applicants: 19,188
Mid-50% SAT: 1510
Mid-50% ACT: 34

17) Northwestern University

Firstly, according to the admissions office, rigor of courses, GPA, and class rank are among the eight factors that are “very important” in the admissions process. Northwestern has always been a highly selective school, but the bar has been raised even higher in recent years. In addition, the incoming class size has grown by about 5% since before the pandemic, and about half the class is admitted through early decision with a much higher 20+% acceptance rate.

Acceptance Rate: ~7.5%
Class of 2028 applicants: 50,000+
Median SAT (Class of 2026): 1530
Median ACT (Class of 2026): 34

Hardest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)

18) Swarthmore College

This liberal arts college has never been more difficult to get into as applications have tripled since the turn of the millennium. The admissions committee ranks six factors as being of paramount importance in the admissions process: rigor of secondary coursework, class rank, GPA, application essay, recommendations, and character/personal qualities. In recent years, the acceptance rate for ED applicants has been close to 25%.

Acceptance Rate: 7.5%
Class of 2028 applicants: 13,065
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34

19) Rice University

Rice is at once a powerhouse research institution and a place where world-class instruction is the norm. An intimidating 89% of Rice students placed in the top 10% of their high school class, and 97% were in the top quartile. Early decision applicants enjoy a better acceptance rate of just under 20%, but an applicant’s bona fides still need to meet the university’s sky-high standards.

Acceptance Rate: 7.5%
Class of 2028 applicants: 32,459
Mid-50% SAT: 1500-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 34-36

20) Bowdoin College

The acceptance rate may be shrinking, but the average student profile has held relatively steady. Those with the best chance of acceptance will be near the top of their high school class and possess standardized test scores above the 95^th percentile. Applying early decision also will provide a great boost for your prospects; 13% of ED applicants were accepted this past admissions cycle, and the school usually fills about half the class via this round.

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Class of 2028 applicants: 13,200
Median SAT: 1510
Median ACT: 34

21) Barnard College

Affiliated with Columbia University, this all-women’s college serves 3,043 accomplished young women in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Overall, sterling grades, solid test scores, and winning personal attributes are the right combination to receive serious consideration at one of, if not the best women’s college in existence. In last year’s cycle, nearly 60% of the incoming class was admitted via Early Decision.

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Class of 2028 applicants: 11,832
Mid-50% SAT: 1450-1540
Mid-50% ACT: 32-34

22) Williams College

Williams College is Massachusetts’ second-oldest school (behind only Harvard) and one of the most prestigious liberal arts schools in the entire country. Further, Williams seeks a racially and socioeconomically diverse group of uniquely talented students who will thrive in a close-knit academic community. Usually, just under a quarter of ED applicants are accepted.

Acceptance Rate: 7.5%
Class of 2028 applicants: 15,411
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34

Hardest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)

23) Cornell University

The seven criteria deemed most important by the admissions office are rigor of coursework, grades, test scores, recommendations, essays, extracurriculars, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. In sum, having joined the other Ivy League institutions with single-digit acceptance rates, becoming part of Big Red is only a possibility for the strongest college applicants. In recent years, the university has reduced the percentage of the freshman class admitted via Early Decision to around 30%.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 7.9%
Class of 2027 applicants: 67,846
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34

24) Amherst College

Amherst offers a “New Curriculum” that requires no specific courses or distribution of credits. Students have the flexibility to pursue their areas of passion and interest from the very start of their collegiate experience. Successful applicants will be near (or at) the top of their high school class, have earned standardized test scores in the top 1-2%. Additionally, they possess unique gifts/intangibles that help separate them from a mass of similarly qualified peers. In recent cycles, the ED acceptance rate has been over 30%.

Acceptance Rate: 9.0%
Class of 2028 applicants: 13,700
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 33

25) Tufts University

Tufts is looking for students who achieved top grades in AP classes, scored well on standardized tests, finished in the top 10% of their class, come highly recommended by their high school teachers, and are capable of composing a killer essay. Like all Ivy and Ivy-equivalent schools, Tufts is looking for the best and the brightest and is competing with even bigger names to haul in the best candidates. Therefore, demonstrating commitment through Early Decision can pay dividends for qualified applicants.

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Class of 2028 applicants: 34,400+
Mid-50% SAT: 1470-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35

26) Carnegie Mellon University

Successful applicants to CMU have taken the most rigorous high school schedules available to them, and the school also lists character/personal qualities, volunteer work, and extracurriculars among the most important factors for admission. In the 2022-23 cycle, the Early Decision acceptance rate was only about 12.5%. As such, applying ED may not provide quite as large of an edge as at other universities.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 11%
Class of 2027 applicants: 33,707
Median SAT (Class of 2026): 1540
Median ACT (Class of 2026): 35

27) University of Notre Dame

As iconic for its educational quality as for its storied gridiron glory, Notre Dame is the dream destination for Catholic students with Ivy-level academic qualifications. A hard-to-fathom 40% of accepted students typically hail from the top 1% of the class. 92% of accepted students placed in the top 10%. In the 2023-24 Restrictive Early Action cycle, the acceptance rate was a slightly friendlier 15%. About half the class is typically admitted REA.

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Class of 2028 applicants: 29,943
Mid-50% SAT: 1450-1530
Mid-50% ACT: 33-35

28) Georgetown University

The nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university also happens to be one of the best institutions in the country; there are few admissions surprises here. The admissions office rates eight factors as being “very important” to admissions decisions including grades, test scores, essays, and recommendations. Test scores around the 97th percentile and near-perfect grades in an AP-heavy course load are virtually required. This past year, Georgetown accepted just 10% of Early Action applicants.

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Class of 2028 applicants: 26,170
Mid-50% SAT: 1440-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 32-35

29) Washington University in St. Louis

This Midwestern research and pre-professional powerhouse is one of the most respected institutions in the eyes of Fortune 500 employers and elite graduate schools alike. Even with rising application numbers, the admissions committee grants “high importance” to soft factors including character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, essays, and volunteer/work experience. Students seriously committed to WUSTL should give serious consideration to applying early. The ED admission rate is 26% compared to only 9% in the regular cycle. Moreover, ED entrants comprise nearly 60% of the freshman class.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2027): 12%
Class of 2027 applicants: 32,240
Mid-50% SAT: 1500-1570
Mid-50% ACT: 33-35

30) University of Southern California

The home of the Trojans is one of the premier private research universities in the country. There are no unusual factors designated as “most important” by the admissions staff, but rigor of curriculum, grades, test scores, essays, and recommendations reign supreme. Legacy students, called “scions,” make up 10-15% of the student body. Moreover, the admit rate in last year’s Early Action round (a recently instated option) was just 6%. However, with fluctuations in its acceptance rate in recent years, we’ve opted to place USC last on this list even though it has a lower acceptance rate than some other schools.

Acceptance Rate (Class of 2028): 9.2%
Class of 2028 applicants: 82,000+
Mid-50% SAT: 1430-1530
Mid-50% ACT: 32-35

Hardest Colleges to Get Into – Final Thoughts

If you’re applying to one of the hardest colleges to get into, we wish you all the best as you craft your application. Looking for additional resources to help you prepare? You may want to check out the following:

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College Search/Knowledge

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).