Here you'll find the 20 most selective colleges and universities in the U.S. These schools accept a lower percentage of applicants than any others. As you read the list, consider these issues:
- I did not include extremely small places like Deep Springs College and Webb Institute
- I did not include schools with a performance- or portfolio-based admissions process such as Julliard and the Curtis Institute of Music
- Selectivity alone doesn't explain how hard it is to get into a school. Some schools not on this list have students with higher average GPAs and test scores than some schools on the list.
20. Swarthmore College
EAWB / flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 17.7% (2007 data)
- Location: Outside of Philadelphia
- Enrollment: 1,484
- School Type: Private Liberal Arts and Sciences College
19. Amherst College
Amherst Chapel
- Acceptance Rate: 17.6% (2006 data)
- Location: Western Massachusetts (Five-College Area)
- Enrollment: 1,648
- School Type: Private Liberal Arts and Sciences College
18. Caltech (California Institute of Technology)
Velo Steve / Flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 16.9% (2007 data)
- Location: Pasadena, California
- Enrollment: 2,086 (864 undergraduates)
- School Type: Small Private University with Engineering Focus
17. Pomona College
CMLLovesDegus / Wikimedia Commons
- Acceptance Rate: 16.3% (2007 data)
- Location: Claremont, California
- Enrollment: 1,547
- School Type: Private Liberal Arts and Sciences College
16. Claremont McKenna College
Bazookajoe1 / Wikimedia Commons
- Acceptance Rate: 16.2% (2007 data)
- Location: Claremont, California
- Enrollment: 1,135
- School Type: Private Liberal Arts and Sciences College
15. University of Pennsylvania
rubberpaw / Flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 16% (2007 data)
- Location: West Philadelphia
- Enrollment: 23,743 (11,922 undergraduates)
- School Type: Private Comprehensive University (Ivy League)
14. Dartmouth College
Brave Sir Robin / flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 15.7% (2006 data)
- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
- Enrollment: 5,753 (4,085 undergraduates)
- School Type: Private Comprehensive University (Ivy League)
13. West Point (United States Military Academy)
markjhandel / Flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 15% (2007 data)
- Location: West Point, New York
- Enrollment: 4,487
- School Type: Undergraduate Military Academy
12. Brown University
_Gene_ Flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 14% (2006 data)
- Location: Providence Rhode Island
- Enrollment: 8,167 (6,008 undergraduates)
- School Type: Private Comprehensive University (Ivy League)
11. United States Air Force Academy (USAFA)
GretchenKoenig / Flickr
- Acceptance Rate: 14% (2007 data)
- Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Enrollment: 4,461
- School Type: Undergraduate Military Academy
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