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College Acceptance Rates

College Acceptance Rates 2026: 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 2025–2026 admissions cycle alone, a total of 1,429,747 unique first-year applicants submitted applications through the Common App—up by 16.43% (201,731 more applicants) from the previous year. Since students can apply to multiple schools, this resulted in 9,423,621 total applications to 911 schools—a 40.31% increase (about 2,707,375 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 2029 for top schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report (2026). 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:

Rank	School	Class of 2029	Class of 2028	Class of 2027	Class of 2026	Class of 2025	Class of 2024
1	Princeton	4.42%	4.62%	4.50%	5.70%	4.38%	5.63%
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	4.56%	4.55%	4.80%	3.96%	4.11%	7.26%
3	Harvard University	4.18%	3.65%	3.45%	3.24%	4.01%	5.01%
4	Stanford University	N/A	3.61%	3.91%	3.68%	3.95%	5.19%
4	Yale University	4.75%	3.87%	4.50%	4.57%	5.31%	6.53%
6	University of Chicago	N/A	4.48%	4.79%	5.43%	6.48%	6.20%
7	Duke University	5.20%	5.71%	6.78%	6.17%	5.88%	7.79%
7	Johns Hopkins University	5.14%	6.44%	7.56%	7.25%	7.52%	8.79%
7	Northwestern University	7%	7.69%	7.22%	7.21%	6.97%	9.31%
7	University of Pennsylvania	4.87%	5.40%	5.87%	6.50%	5.87%	8.98%
11	California Institute of Technology	3.78%	2.57%	3.14%	2.69%	3.92%	6.69%
12	Cornell University	8.38%	8.41%	7.90%	7.26%	8.69%	10.71%
13	Brown University	5.65%	5.39%	5.23%	5.06%	5.51%	7.67%
13	Dartmouth College	6.03%	5.40%	6.23%	6.38%	6.17%	9.22%
15	Columbia University	4.94%	3.86%	4%	3.74%	3.89%	6.15%
15	University of California, Berkeley	11.43%	10.98%	11.66%	11.33%	14.44%	17.48%
17	Rice University	8.01%	8.00%	7.88%	8.68%	9.48%	10.89%
17	University of California, Los Angeles	9.41%	8.97%	8.73%	8.57%	10.77%	14.33%
17	Vanderbilt University	4.60%	5.86%	6.28%	6.67%	7.14%	11.62%
20	Carnegie Mellon University	11.07%	11.66%	11.40%	11.30%	13.54%	17.27%
20	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	16.42%	15.64%	17.94%	17.69%	20.15%	26.11%
20	University of Notre Dame	9.00%	11.27%	12.38%	12.91%	15.07%	18.99%
20	Washington University in St. Louis	11.92%	12.06%	11.96%	11.33%	13.00%	16.02%
24	Emory University	10.30%	10.29%	10.65%	11.35%	13.05%	19.17%
24	Georgetown University	11.94%	12.91%	13.08%	12.22%	11.98%	16.81%
26	University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill	N/A	15.34%	18.70%	16.85%	19.24%	23.54%
26	University of Virginia	15.65%	16.81%	16.86%	18.66%	20.74%	22.58%
28	University of Southern California	11.19%	9.81%	10.01%	12.02%	12.51%	16.11%
29	University of California San Diego	28.41%	26.77%	24.76%	23.83%	34.31%	38.30%
30	University of Florida	19.77%	24.20%	24.03%	23.35%	30.14%	31.13%
30	The University of Texas-Austin	31%	28.20%	29.10%	31.40%	28.80%	32.00%
32	Georgia Institute of Technology	12.70%	13.80%	16.50%	17.10%	18.30%	21.70%
32	New York University	7.70%	8.00%	9.40%	12.50%	12.80%	15.00%
32	University of California, Davis	46.30%	41.83%	36.25%	37.34%	48.74%	46.35%
32	University of California, Irvine	28.94%	28.79%	20.39%	21.27%	28.94%	29.92%
36	Boston College	12.60%	15.90%	15.50%	16.70%	18.90%	23.40%
36	Tufts University	10.50%	11.50%	10.10%	9.70%	11.00%	15.00%
36	University of Illinois Urbana Champaign	36.59%	42.37%	43.69%	44.82%	59.66%	63.30%
36	University of Wisconsin Madison	40.82%	45.17%	43.32%	49.03%	60.30%	57.23%
40	University of California, Santa Barbara	38.30%	32.96%	27.78%	25.85%	29.18%	36.69%
41	The Ohio State University	N/A	60.56%	50.83%	52.73%	57.18%	68.49%
42	Boston University	11.80%	11.10%	10.90%	14.00%	18.30%	18.50%
42	Rutgers University New Brunswick	N/A	N/A	65.34%	66.28%	68.17%	66.94%
42	University of Maryland College Park	43.70%	44.79%	44.84%	44.49%	52.00%	51.02%
42	University of Washington	N/A	39.14%	42.53%	47.52%	53.48%	55.88%
46	Lehigh University	28.96%	25.93%	29.26%	36.97%	45.97%	49.54%
46	Northeastern University	7.00%	5.20%	5.70%	6.80%	18.40%	19.00%
46	Purdue University Main Campus	43.44%	49.87%	50.28%	52.69%	68.88%	67.14%
46	University of Georgia	32.90%	37.92%	37.19%	42.52%	40.13%	48.36%
46	University of Rochester	N/A	40.10%	35.85%	38.87%	N/A	35.44%
51	Case Western Reserve University	29%	37.80%	28.70%	27.40%	30.20%	30.30%

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 RANKING	NATIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES	Class of 2029 (2025)	Class of 2028 (2024)	Class of 2027 (2023)	Class of 2026 (2022)	Class of 2025 (2021)	Class of 2024 (2020)
1	Williams College	8.5%	7.5%	10.0%	8.5%	8.0%	12.6%
2	Amherst College	7.4%	9.0%	9.8%	7.3%	8.7%	11.7%
3	Swarthmore College	7.4%	7.5%	6.9%	6.9%	8.0%	8.8%
5	Pomona College	7.4%	7.1%	6.8%	7.0%	6.6%	8.6%
7	Wellesley College	13.7%	13.7%	13.9%	13.6%	16.0%	19.0%
8	Claremont McKenna College	9.6%	11.1%	11.1%	10.4%	11.2%	13.3%
12	Harvard Mudd College	13.1%	12.7%	13.1%	13.4%	10.0%	9.9%
14	Barnard College	6%	8.8%	8.0%	8.8%	10.4%	10.9%
14	Wesleyan University	16%	16.5%	17.1%	14.4%	19.4%	20.9%

What Are the Hardest Colleges to Get Into in 2026?

For the Class of 2029, 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 3.78%. It also took last year’s spot with an acceptance rate of 2.57%.

Below are the top 10 most competitive colleges to get into, based on the latest admissions data:

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.