Many students try to get the highest GPA and test scores to get into the best colleges. While great grades and test scores certainly increase your chances of admission, they may still not be enough to make you into every college.
The top schools in the United States have extremely strict admission standards and only accept a very small number of applicants. So today let’s see what are the hardest colleges in the United States to get into.
Application Difficulty Ranking
No.1 Caltech
Class of 2027 Applicants: 16626
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 2.5%
Caltech requires applicants to provide SAT or ACT scores beginning with the 2024-2025 application season. As a particularly science-oriented school, Caltech places a strong emphasis on students’ abilities in STEM. A total of 315 students were admitted to Caltech this year. The school as a whole is small but elite, with a 1:3 student-to-faculty ratio and 71% small classroom instruction.
It’s very important to know that Caltech doesn’t accept legacy preference. So personal ability is the first and crucial standard to get into the university. It means that applying to one of the toughest university only relys on your own ability and performance.
No.2 Harvard University
Class of 2028 applicants: 54008
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 3.6%
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34
Harvard is the top 2 most rigorous colleges in the United States. Most of the rise in Harvard’s acceptance rate can be attributed to a decrease in the number of applicants. According to Harvard Magazine, the number of applicants this year is down 5.1 percent compared to last year, and even down 11.8 percent compared to the year before. In early April of this year, Harvard required students to provide SAT or ACT scores.
No.3 Stanford University
Class of 2027 applicants: 53733
University University Acceptance Rate : 3.9%
Median SAT: 1540
Median ACT: 35
Stanford University is only half an hour’s drive from Silicon Valley. With this advantage, there is an endless stream of applicants. After all, stepping into Stanford is like half stepping into Silicon Valley with a direct connection between school and top tech companies. So it’d a little hard to get into the college. Asian students make up almost 30 percent of the total number of students in the class of 2027 according to the date from the official website of Stanford University.
Despite Stanford’s test-optional policy, nearly 50% of the previous applicant still submitted SAT scores, and 22% of applicants submitted ACT scores. This undoubtedly increased the competitive pressure.
No.4 Yale University
Class of 2028 applicants: 57465
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 3.7%
Median SAT: 1540
Median ACT: 34
According to Yale Daily News, Yale‘s acceptance rate hit another record low this year. Of the 57,465 applicants, 709 students were admitted in Early Decision (ED) period, and another 1,365 were accepted in Regular Decision (RD) period. More than 70 students received offers through the QuestBridge National College Match program.
At the beginning of 2024, Yale announced the adoption of the Test-Flexible policy, which requires students to submit SAT or ACT scores, or AP/IB scores instead.
No.5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Class of 2028 applicants: 28232
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 4.5%
Mid-50% SAT: 1520-1580
Mid-50% ACT: 34-36
Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and science. And it’s a private land-grant research institution in Cambridge. It’s also the dream school for many students from all over the world.
MIT values student ability, not legacy preference. Excellent academic performance, near-perfect test scores, and STEM-focused experience are paramount in the eyes of admissions officers.
No.6 Vanderbilt University
Class of 2028 applicants: 41336
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 3.7%
Mid-50% SAT : 1530-1600
Mid-50% ACT : 34-36
Earlier this year Vanderbilt University‘s “tuition waiver policy” brought a lot of heat to the school. But some people are still hesitant to choose. They think it’s located in the south of America and may not be friendly to Asian students. Also, it is not a target school for investment banks, and science and engineering are not very prominent. If you think the acceptance rate of the college is low, you are totally wrong. There are still a lot of people who feel that the university has great professors and learning environment and are more interested in applying to it. But no matter what, its difficulty of admission will not change. TOEFL 115+ and SAT 1530+ are the basic criteria.
No.7 Columbia University
Class of 2028 applicants: 60248
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 3.85%
Mid-50% SAT: 1510-1560
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35
Columbia University has a higher acceptance rate for graduate students than for undergraduates. The 2024 data shows that its acceptance rate of journalism and business colleges reached up to 16.8% and 18.2%, respectively. But the undergraduate acceptance rate is particularly low. Columbia University is located in New York, the world’s financial center, and is also one of the Ivy League schools. The high number of applicants but low number of admissions makes the university extremely competitive.
No.8 Princeton University
Class of 2027 applicants: 39644
Overall University Acceptance Rate : 4.5%
Mid-50% SAT: 1540-1580
Mid-50% ACT: 34-35
Princeton University is one of the best of the Ivy League and has been ranked first in the US News Best Colleges for many years, and also has the top economics program in the country. So the school’s acceptance rate is also very high. Last year public data show that only 1,366 students got the acceptance notice. But if your family is a Princeton alumnus, your acceptance rate will increase dramatically.
No.9 University of Chicago
Class of 2027 applicants: 38800
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 4.8%
SAT Score Range (Admitted Students): 1080-1600
ACT Score Range (Admitted Students): 21-36
The University of Chicago is located in one of the largest cities in the United States, and also has the number one economics program in US. However, the University of Chicago has a wide range of admissions scores, with SAT scores as low as 1080 and ACT scores as low as 21. In the 2023 application season, the University of Chicago received nearly 40,000 applications and made 1,849 offers, and the official website shows the percentage of admitted students who have a background in activities, with 85% of them having experience in Community Service, 69% in Varsity Athletics. This shows that the University of Chicago favors students with the two experiences.
No.10 Duke University
Class of 2028 applicants: 54191
Overall University Acceptance Rate: 5.1%
Mid-50% SAT: 1520-1570
Duke is notoriously picky among Ivy League colleges, requiring students to have very high application scores in addition to possessing exceptional academic credentials, compelling paperwork, and special talents. At the ED stage, Duke made 806 offers out of 6,240 applications.Last year the administration also moved the Carolina Financial Aid Program, which provides full tuition scholarships to North Carolina and South Carolina students with family incomes of less than $150,000. It’s hard to get accepted when you don’t have to pay tuition and still get to experience the high quality of education at a private university, plus Duke’s downsizing policy.
Conclusion
Applying to excellent universities was not easy at that time. Prestigious schools mean they are hard to get into. However, rankings are not the only indicator for choosing a school, so we suggest you look at it rationally! Only by learning more about U.S. schools and doing adequate research can you find a college that really suits you and increase your chances of being accepted.
The most rigorous colleges have their own acceptance rules.The admission policies of these schools show the focus of their respective admission standards, but the SAT and ACT are both very important. So it is best to improve your grades while also enriching yourself with some practical experience.
Last but not least, we hope all of you can apply to your dream school soon!
FAQ
What university is the easiest to get into?
These schools are: Southern University at New Orleans, Kentucky State University,
Alabama State University,
Shaw University and Harris-Stowe State University.
What GPA is required for Harvard?
For better chances of enrollment, you should have a GPA of 4 or higher and an SAT score of 1580 or ACT score of 36. If the GPA is lower than this, you will need to make up for it with a higher SAT/ACT score.
Is there any college with a 100% acceptance rate?
Cameron University. The university is located in Lawton, Oklahoma, and has a 100% acceptance rate. Offering nearly 50 two-year, four-year and graduate degrees.
