Key Takeaways
Your academic record, course rigor, essays, recommendations, extra curricular activities, may affect your chances of getting in more than the school's acceptance rate.
Your college list should include likely, target, and reach schools so you have a mix of more attainable and more selective options.
A lower acceptance rate means a college is more selective overall, but it does not automatically mean the school offers a better education for your goals.
If you're nervous about applying to your dream school because it has a low acceptance rate, don't let that discourage you.
An acceptance rate shows the percentage of applicants a college admits, but it doesn't tell the full story. Factors such as the number of applications a school receives, the number of available spots, and its enrollment priorities can all affect the rate. It also doesn't reflect your individual chances of getting in.
In this guide, we list the acceptance rates of 60 popular public and private colleges. We also explain what acceptance rates mean, what affects them, and how you can improve your chances of getting accepted.
What Do College Acceptance Rates Mean?
A college acceptance rate is the percentage of applicants a school accepts. For example, if 10,000 students apply and 1,000 are admitted, the college has a 10% acceptance rate. That said, if a college has a low acceptance rate, it admits a smaller share of the students who apply.
What Is a Good College Acceptance Rate?
It's important not to let a college's acceptance rate scare you away from applying. There is no single acceptance rate that is "good" for every student.
In general, a higher acceptance rate means the college admits a larger share of applicants, while a lower rate means it's more selective. For context, four-year nonprofit colleges accepted an average of 73% of first-year applications in fall 2022 — public colleges accepted 78%, while private colleges accepted 70%.
However, a college's overall rate doesn't reflect your personal chances of getting in. Instead, your chances depend on your grades, extracurriculars, admissions essay, test scores, and recommendations, among other factors.
Rather than aiming for one specific acceptance rate, apply to a mix of colleges with different levels of selectivity. Schools with higher rates may be more attainable, while colleges with very low rates should usually be treated as reach schools — even if you have a strong application.
List of Acceptance Rates for 60 Popular Colleges
We used the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) College Navigator to find acceptance rates. NCES rates reflect the 2024 fall admissions season.
Acceptance Rates for 60 Popular Colleges
60 rows
| Arizona State University (public) | Tempe, Arizona (Main Campus) | 90% |
| Auburn University (public) | Auburn, Alabama | 46% |
| Baylor University (private) | Waco, Texas | 51% |
| Boston College (private) | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | 16% |
| Boston University (private) | Boston, Massachusetts | 11% |
| Brown University (private) | Providence, Rhode Island | 5% |
| Clemson University (public) | Clemson, South Carolina | 38% |
| Columbia University (private) | New York, New York | 4% |
| Cornell University (private) | Ithaca, New York | 9% |
| Drexel University (private) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 79% |
What Factors Affect College Acceptance Rates Overall?
A college's acceptance rate can change based on several factors:
How many students apply compared with the number of available spots: When more students compete for a limited number of spots, the acceptance rate goes down. Ivy League colleges, for example, attract a large number of applicants because of their reputation but have relatively few spots available, which contributes to their low acceptance rates.
What the application requires: Test scores, essays, application fees, portfolios, and auditions can affect who decides to apply. More requirements may discourage some students, while fewer requirements may lead to a larger applicant pool.
Who the college is trying to enroll: Colleges may prioritize certain groups when enrolling an incoming class. For example, the University of North Carolina System campuses limit out-of-state students to 18% of incoming, first-year students.
And keep in mind that these factors might change from year to year, so a college's acceptance rate can change, too.
What Factors Affect Your Chances of Getting Accepted Into College?
A college's acceptance rate shows how selective the school is overall, but it doesn't account for your individual qualifications. Your chances of getting in depend on how the college evaluates factors such as your grades, courses, test scores, activities, essays, and recommendations.
Grades and course rigor: Your transcript is usually one of the most important parts of your application. Colleges look at the grades you earned and the difficulty of the courses available to you, such as honors, AP, IB, dual-enrollment, or other college-prep classes.
Test scores: Your SAT or ACT scores affect your chances, but only if the college you're applying for requires them. Some colles are test-optional, which means you don't have to submit your scores, but the school may review them if you do. In this case, it usually makes sense to submit them only if they strengthen your application.
Extracurriculars: Clubs, sports, jobs, volunteer work, family responsibilities, and other commitments show colleges can highlight your interests, responsibilities, and leadership skills.
Essays: A college essay lets you share something that isn't already clear from your grades, courses, or test scores. You can use it to provide context, explain an important experience, or show how you think and what matters to you.
Recommendations: Recommendations from teachers or counselors can add an outside perspective to your application. They may provide examples of your academic potential, classroom performance, personal qualities, and how you could contribute to the college community.
Because colleges weigh these factors differently, start by checking each school's admission requirements. Some colleges also publish SAT or ACT ranges for enrolled first-year students. If available, you can usually find this information by searching for the college's class profile.
Tips to Increase Your Chances of Getting Accepted
Here are some ways you can increase your chances of getting accepted:
Write a Compelling Essay
Your essay or personal statement is one of the most important parts of your college application. It gives you the opportunity to explain who you are beyond your grades. Use it to show your personality, academic and career goals, and how you may thrive at the school.
Schools will typically give you a prompt to answer. These are often reflective questions about a time something in your life affected you or how you handled a challenge or leadership experience. Use specific events from your life to show, rather than tell, how you responded and what you learned.
You'll also typically have a specific word count, so make sure you don't go over it. Colleges expect you to answer the prompt clearly and succinctly.
Some common prompts include:
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Get a High SAT/ACT Score
If a college requires or considers SAT or ACT scores, earning a strong score may improve your chances of getting accepted. When preparing, use official practice materials and focus on the areas where you need the most improvement.
College Board offers free, full-length practice tests through Bluebook, while Khan Academy provides lessons and practice questions for specific skills. The ACT also provides free practice tests, questions, and study guides.
You can also prepare by taking the PSAT 10 or PSAT/NMSQT. Unlike the SAT, though, you can't sign up for these tests on your own. Schools usually organize testing and register students, so ask your counselor whether your school will be offering either test.
Note that you can take the SAT or ACT more than once, but colleges handle multiple scores differently. Some consider your highest score from a single test date, while others superscore by combining your highest section scores from different dates. Check each college's score-use policy before deciding which results to send.
Thrive Outside of The Classroom
If you want to stand out to admissions boards, you'll need to show you're more than just your scores through extracurriculars. These can highlight your interests, community involvement, willingness to try new things, and leadership skills.
Whether you're a high-school or working professional, volunteer with a local organization or church, play on a sports team, participate in a musical group, or join a community club. If possible, take on more responsibility by leading a project or organizing an event.
Secure Strong Letters of Recommendation
Strong letters of recommendation can give admissions officers more insight into your character, achievements, and potential. Choose teachers, counselors, employers, or other recommenders who know you well and can share specific examples of your academic performance, work ethic, growth, or contributions.
Before asking, check each college's requirements, since some schools specify who should write your letters.
Consider Applying Early
Some colleges allow you to apply before the regular decision deadline through early action or early decision.
Early action is nonbinding, which means you can still apply to other colleges and wait until the regular enrollment deadline to decide where you want to go.
Early decision, on the other hand, is binding and should only be used for your first-choice college. You can only apply to one school through early decision at a time, and if you're accepted, you agree to enroll and withdraw your other applications.
Frequently Asked Questions About College Acceptance Rates
A higher acceptance rate means a college admits a larger share of the students who apply, so you may have a better chance of getting accepted. However, a higher acceptance rate doesn't necessarily mean a college is better or worse. When comparing schools, also consider factors such as available programs, cost, financial aid, graduation rates, student support, and career outcomes.
