College Acceptance Rates
College Acceptance Rates 2025: Data for Top U.S. Schools
In recent years, college acceptance rates have dropped. Why? More students are applying, but the number of available spots hasn’t increased at the same pace.
In the 2024–2025 admissions cycle alone, a total of 1,228,016 unique first-year applicants submitted applications through the Common App—up by 5% (55,920 more applicants) from the previous year. Since students can apply to multiple schools, this resulted in 6,716,246 total applications to 863 schools—a 7% increase (about 423,000 more applications) compared to the prior year.
At the same time, college enrollment has been steadily decreasing. Between 2011 and 2021, enrollment dropped by an average of 1.6% per year. With fewer students enrolling but more applications flooding in, competition for spots is getting tougher.
To give you a clearer picture of college acceptance rate trends, we’ve compiled data from the Class of 2024 to the Class of 2028 for top schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report (2025). This includes leading national universities and top liberal arts colleges.
Our data comes directly from official school announcements, Common Data Sets (CDS), and verified institutional sources to ensure accuracy.
National Universities Acceptance Rates
National universities are major institutions that offer a wide range of undergraduate programs along with master’s and doctoral degrees. They prioritize research, often awarding professional doctorates, and play a key role in higher education by driving innovation and providing diverse academic opportunities.
Here’s a look at the acceptance rates for some of the top national universities:
U.S NEWS 2025 RANKING | NATIONAL UNIVERSITY | Class of 2028 (2024) | Class of 2027 (2023) | class of 2026 (2022) | Class of 2025 (2021) | Class of 2024 (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Princeton University | 4.6% | 4.5% | 5.7% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4.5% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 7.3% |
3
| Harvard University | 3.6% | 3.4%
| 3.2% | 3.4% | 4.9% |
4
| Stanford University | 3.6%
| 3.9% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 5.2% |
5
| Yale University | 3.7% | 4.5% | 4.6% | 5.3% | 6.5% |
6 | California Institute of Technology | 2.3% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 3.9% | 6.7% |
6 | Duke University | 5.1% | 6.0% | 6.2% | 5.8% | 7.7% |
6 | Johns Hopkins University | 5.7% | 7.6% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
9 | Northwestern University | 7.6% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 6.8% | 9.3% |
10 | University of Pennsylvania | 5.4% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
11
| Columbia University | 3.9%
| 3.9%
| 3.7%
| 3.7%
| 6.2%
|
11
| Cornell University | 8.4%
| 7.9%
| 7.3%
| 8.7%
| 10.7%
|
11
| University of Chicago | 4.5%
| 4.8%
| 5.4%
| 6.5%
| 7.3%
|
13
| Brown University
| 5.2%
| 5.1%
| 5.0%
| 5.5%
| 6.9%
|
15
| Dartmouth College
| 5.3%
| 6.2%
| 6.2%
| 6.2%
| 8.8%
|
15
| University of California, Los Angeles | 9.0% | 8.7% | 8.6% | 10.8% | 14.3% |
17 | University of California, Berkeley | 11.0% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 14.4% | 17.5% |
18
| Rice University | 8.0% | 7.9% | 8.7% | 9.3% | 10.0% |
18 | University of Notre Dame | 11.1% | 12.4% | 12.9%
| 15.1%
| 19.0%
|
18 | Vanderbilt University | 5.8% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 6.7% | 9.0% |
21
| Carnegie Mellon University | 11.5% | 11.4% | 11.3% | 13.5% | 17.3% |
21 | University of Michigan | 15.6% | 17.9% | 17.7% | 20.2% | 26.1% |
21 | Washington University in St. Louis | 12.1% | 12.0% | 11.3% | 13.0% | 12.8% |
24 | Emory University | 14.5% | 16.2% | 15.8% | 20.4% | 20.8% |
24 | Georgetown University | 12.3%
| 13.1%
| 12.1% | 12.0% | 15.5% |
24 | University of Virginia | 16.8% | 16.9% | 18.7% | 20.7% | 22.6% |
27
| University of Southern California | 9.8% | 10.0% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 16.1% |
29 | University of California, San Diego | 26.8%
| 24.8% | 23.8% | 34.3% | 38.3% |
30 | New York University | 8.0%
| 9.4% | 12.5% | 12.8% | 15.0% |
30
| University of Texas, Austin | 28.2% | 29.1% | 31.4% | 28.8% | 32.0% |
33
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 13.8%
| 16.5% | 17.1%
| 18.3%
| 21.7%
|
33 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 42.4% | 43.7% | 44.8% | 59.7% | 63.0% |
37 | Boston College | 15.9% | 15.5% | 16.7% | 18.9% | 23.4% |
37 | Tufts University | 11.5%
| 10.1% | 9.7% | 11.0% | 15.0% |
41 | Boston University | 11.1% | 10.9% | 14.0% | 18.3% | 18.5% |
46 | Wake Forest University | 21.7% | 21.6%
| 21.3% | 25.2% | 32.0% |
51 | Case Western Reserve University | 37.8% | 28.7% | 27.4% | 30.2% | 30.3% |
54 | Northeastern University | 5.2% | 5.7% | 6.8% | 18.4% | 19.0% |
National Liberal Arts Colleges Acceptance Rates
National liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduate education, awarding most of their degrees in fields like social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and the arts.
Unlike national universities, which have extensive graduate programs and emphasize faculty research, liberal arts colleges prioritize a well-rounded education that encourages critical thinking and intellectual exploration.
With smaller student bodies, these colleges offer more intimate class settings and closer interactions between students and professors. This creates a highly personalized learning experience with a strong emphasis on teaching and mentorship.
Here’s a look at the acceptance rates for some of the top national liberal arts colleges:
U.S NEWS 2025 RANKING | NATIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES | Class of 2028 (2024)) | Class of 2027 (2023) | Class of 2026 (2022) | class of 2025 (2021) | Class of 2024 (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Williams College | 7.5% | 10.0% | 8.5% | 8.0% | 12.6% |
2 | Amherst College | 9.0% | 9.8% | 7.3% | 8.7% | 11.7% |
3 | Swarthmore College | 7.5% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 8.0% | 8.8% |
5 | Pomona College | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.0% | 6.6% | 8.6% |
7 | Wellesley College | 13.7% | 13.9% | 13.6% | 16.0% | 19.0% |
8 | Claremont McKenna College | 9.6% | 11.1% | 10.4% | 11.2% | 13.3% |
12 | Harvard Mudd College | 12.7% | 13.1% | 13.4% | 10.0% | 9.9% |
14 | Barnard College | 8.8% | 8.0% | 8.8% | 10.4% | 10.9% |
14 | Wesleyan University | 16.5% | 17.1% | 14.4% | 19.4% | 20.9% |
What Are the Hardest Colleges to Get Into in 2025?
For the Class of 2028, getting into top U.S. universities and colleges was tougher than ever. Some schools admitted only a tiny percentage of applicants. Leading the pack is Caltech, which had the lowest acceptance rate at just 2.3%—only 315 students made the cut out of 13,863 applicants!
Below are the top 10 most competitive colleges to get into, based on the latest admissions data:
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – 2.3%
- Stanford University – 3.61%
- Harvard University – 3.65%
- Yale University – 3.7%
- Columbia University – 3.9%
- University of Chicago – 4.48%
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – 4.5%
- Princeton University – 4.6%
- Duke University – 5.1%
- Brown University – 5.2%
If you want tips on boosting your chances of getting into these schools, just click on their names. We’ve linked each one to a detailed guide!
College Regular and Early Acceptance Rates
College acceptance rates can vary depending on the application plan you choose.
Regular Decision acceptance rates often reflect the overall selectivity of a school, while Early Decision and Early Action acceptance rates tend to be higher because these applicants demonstrate strong interest and commitment. Some schools fill a significant portion of their incoming class through early applications, making early rounds a strategic option for competitive applicants.
If you’re interested in specific Regular Decision and Early Decision/Early Action acceptance rates, we have dedicated pages covering these statistics in detail:
Check them out to get a clearer picture of how different application plans impact your chances.
College Admissions Chances Calculator
Applying to college can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to estimating your chances of getting into highly selective schools. That’s where AdmissionSight’s College Admissions Chances Calculator comes in. This tool provides a rough estimate of your likelihood of admission to top U.S. universities based on key academic and extracurricular factors.
Private Consulting Program
While the calculator provides a broad estimate, AdmissionSight’s Private Consulting Program offers a personalized approach to college applications. We will help you stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape.
If you want a detailed analysis of your college admissions chances and expert guidance in building a winning application, schedule a free consultation today.
