People are applying to much colleges than ever before, but admittance to immoderate of the US's apical universities remains highly competitive.
Using national data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Business Insider compiled a database of the 25 universities successful the US that are hardest to get into successful 2024.
With a fewer exceptions, universities are mostly larger institutions that connection a wide scope of world programs, including bachelor's and postgraduate degrees. They besides often incorporate smaller colleges, specified arsenic colleges of education, engineering, aliases wellness sciences.
For the Class of 2028, admittance rates astatine the hardest-to-get-into schools ranged from astir 3% to 11% — and among the lowest were astatine Ivy Leagues, including Yale University, Harvard University, and Columbia University.
For instance, Yale University is the fourth-most competitory assemblage connected this list, pinch conscionable astir 4% of its 57,517 applicants admitted. Harvard's is 3.6%.
With acceptance rates astatine immoderate highly selective schools falling to grounds lows successful the latest admissions cycle, students whitethorn progressively look to little competitory — and often cheaper — options.
A May station by the assemblage consulting patient Top Tier Admissions, declining admittance rates are partially driven by students becoming progressively worried astir being rejected by schools, starring to a immense spike successful applications per student. That, however, breeds much selectivity, and the rhythm continues, the patient said. The expanding usage of "early decision" to fastener successful students has besides fto universities go choosier during the regular determination cycle.
See the 25 universities crossed the US pinch the lowest admittance rates successful 2024. For context, each school's tuition, applicants, student population, and astir celebrated awesome were besides included.
25. University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, Indiana
Applicants: 29,942
Acceptance rate: 11.3%
Student population: 13,000 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $69,280
Most celebrated major: Finance
24. Boston University
Location: Boston
Applicants: 78,769
Acceptance rate: 11.1%
Student population: 38,093 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $73,024
Most celebrated major: Business Administration and Management
23. University of California-Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, California
Applicants: 124,242
Acceptance rate: 11.0%
Student population: 45,882 students
2026-2027 Academic Year In-State Tuition: $18,214
Most celebrated major: Data science
22. Emory University
Location: Atlanta
Applicants: 33,450
Acceptance rate: 10.6%
Student population: 16,000 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $70,300
Most celebrated major: Management Sciences and Information Systems
21. University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles
Applicants: 82,027
Acceptance rate: 9.8%
Student population: 46,000 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $75,384
Most celebrated major: Business
20. New York University
Location: New York City
Applicants: 110,807
Acceptance rate: 9.2%
Student population: 56,800 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,576
Most celebrated major: Visual and Performing Arts
19. University of California, Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles
Applicants: 146,272
Acceptance rate: 9.0%
Student population: 49,013 students
2026-2027 Academic Year In-State Tuition: $16,430
Most celebrated major: Business Economics
18. Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, New York
Applicants: 62,993
Acceptance rate: 8.8%
Student population: 26,561 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $49,816
Most celebrated major: Computer Science
17. Rice University
Location: Houston
Applicants: 32,473
Acceptance rate: 8.0%
Student population: 9,200 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $71,140
Most celebrated major: Computer Science
16. Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Applicants: 49,474
Acceptance rate: 7.7%
Student population: 23,400 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $71,802
Most celebrated degree: Economics
15. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore
Applicants: 45,895
Acceptance rate: 6.4%
Student population: 30,210 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,670
Most celebrated major: Cellular and Molecular Biology
14. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville
Applicants: 45,409
Acceptance rate: 5.9%
Student population: 13,575 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $69,822
Most celebrated degree: Human and Organizational Development
13. Duke University
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Applicants: 51,795
Acceptance rate: 5.7%
Student population: 17,325 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $73,740
Most celebrated degree: Computer Science
10. Dartmouth College (tie)
Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
Applicants: 31,656
Acceptance rate: 5.4%
Student population: 6,900 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $71,697
Most celebrated major: Economics
10. University of Pennsylvania (tie)
Location: Philadelphia
Applicants: 65,226
Acceptance rate: 5.4%
Student population: 29,384 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $65,670
Most celebrated major: Business, Management and Related Support Services
10. Brown University (tie)
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Applicants: 48,904
Acceptance rate: 5.4%
Student population: 11,164 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $74,568
Most celebrated major: Computer Science
9. Northeastern University
Location: Boston
Applicants: 98,425
Acceptance rate: 5.2%
Student population: 47,367 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $70,000
Most celebrated major: Business, Management, and Engineering
8. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Applicants: 40,468
Acceptance rate: 4.6%
Student population: 9,106 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,140
Most celebrated degree: Economics
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (tie)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Applicants: 28,232
Acceptance rate: 4.5%
Student population: 11,816 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $92,760
Most celebrated major: Computer Science and Engineering
6. University of Chicago (tie)
Location: Chicago
Applicants: 43,612
Acceptance rate: 4.5%
Student population: 19,140 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $75,960
Most celebrated major: Economics
5. Columbia University
Location: New York City
Applicants: 60,115
Acceptance rate: 4.0%
Student population: 35,173 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $72,800
Most celebrated major: Computer Science
4. Yale University
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Applicants: 57,517
Acceptance rate: 3.9%
Student population: 15,657 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $94,100
Most celebrated degree: Economics
2. Harvard University (tie)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Applicants: 54,008
Acceptance rate: 3.6%
Student population: 24,317 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $62,226
Most celebrated major: Economics
2. Stanford University (tie)
Location: Stanford, California
Applicants: 57,326
Acceptance rate: 3.6%
Student population: 17,314 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $67,731
Most celebrated major: Computer Science
1. California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, California
Applicants: 13,856
Acceptance rate: 2.6%
Student population: 2,368 students
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,574
Most celebrated degree: Computer Science
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