Liberal Arts Colleges Acceptance Rates

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Liberal Arts Colleges Acceptance Rates 2025: Admissions Statistics

College admissions have never been more competitive. For the Class of 2028, Ivy League schools had an average acceptance rate of just 5%. Caltech was even more selective, admitting only 2.3% of applicants—making it the hardest college to get into this year. And while national universities tend to get most of the spotlight, liberal arts colleges are just as selective.

In fact, some of the most competitive liberal arts colleges have acceptance rates around 7%. That’s slightly above the Ivy League average, but still lower than Cornell’s most recent rate of 8.4%.

If you’re putting together your college list, it’s smart to give liberal arts colleges the same thoughtful consideration as top national universities. Their admissions processes are just as intense, and they draw high-achieving students from all over the country and the world.

To help you get a better sense of the landscape, we’ve pulled together admissions data from a range of liberal arts colleges. This includes their overall, early, and regular acceptance rates.

Liberal Arts Colleges Latest Acceptance Rates

The following schools are from the U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges 2025 list. We’ve gathered their most recent acceptance rate data directly from their U.S. News profile pages.

Ranking	National Liberal Arts Colleges	Overall	Early Acceptance	Regular
1	Williams College	10%	23%	8.3%
2	Amherst College	10%	27%	8.8%
3	Swarthmore College	7%	15.9%	6.5%
4	United State Naval Academy	9%	40%	31.6%
5	Bowdoin College	8%	13.5%	6%
5	Pomona College	7%	12.5%	5.6%
7	Wellesley College	7%	12.5%	5.6%
8	Carleton College	22%	9%	38.8%
8	Claremont McKenna College	11%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
8	United States Air Force Academy	14%	10.5%	10.5%
8	United States Military Academy	14%	26.3%	11.5%
12	Harvey Mudd College	13%	21.4%	12.6%
12	Vassar College	18%	10%	3.4%
14	Barnard College	8%	20%	21%
14	Davidson College	14%	30.2%	10.6%
14	Hamilton College	12%	11.7%	11.7%
14	Smith College	20%	38.2%	15.1%
14	Wesleyan University	17%	40%	15.2%
19	Grinnell College	13%	34.1%	10.7%
19	Middlebury College	10%	38.9%	1.8%
19	Washington and Lee University	17.0%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
22	Colgate University	12%	22.9%	10%
22	University of Richmond	23%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
24	Haverford College	13%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
25	Colby College	7%	6.8%	6.8%
26	Bates College	13%	41.7%	6.7%
26	Macalester College	28%	50%	27%
28	College of the Holy Cross	21%	37.3%	17.8%
29	Bryn Mawr College	31%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
29	Colorado College	16%	21%	8%
31	Bucknell University	32%	No Early Admission	32%
31	Franklin & Marshall College	32%	28.1%	28.2%
31	Lafayette College	31%	31.3%	31.3%
34	Mount Holyoke College	38%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
34	Occidental College	40%	48.1%	38.7%
36	Denison University	17%	17%	17%
36	Pitzer College	17%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
36	Skidmore College	23%	50%	34.1%
36	Trinity College	34%	33.5%	33.5%
40	Berea College	33%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
40	Spelman College	34%	51%	13%
40	Trinity University	28%	54%	7.3%
40	Union College	44%	80.1%	80.1%
44	Scripps College	34%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
45	Dickinson College	43%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
45	Furman University	53%	32.9%	58.5%
45	Kenyon College	31%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
45	Soka University of America	70%	Undisclosed	Undisclsed
45	The University of the South	51%	86.1%	86.2%
50	DePauw University	54%	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
50	Hillsdale College	21%	61.7%	19.2%
50	St. Olaf College	52%	79%	41.2%

The lowest acceptance rate on the list is just 7%, while the highest hits 70%. Still, most liberal arts colleges fall somewhere between 10% and 35%. A good number of them have rates under 20%, which shows how competitive these schools can be.

On average, the acceptance rate across these colleges is around 23.9%. That said, the top-tier liberal arts schools are still incredibly selective, with acceptance rates below 10%.

It’s also worth noting that early admission rates are usually much higher than regular ones. Many colleges admit a big chunk of their incoming class through Early Decision/Early Action, giving an edge to students who commit to attending. These early applicants are often stronger academically and help schools manage their yield and shape the class more easily.

So, these patterns help you think carefully about where and when to apply. If you’re aiming for a top liberal arts college, applying early could seriously boost your chances.

What Is the Hardest Liberal Arts College to Get Into?

Swarthmore, Pomona, and Colby are currently the toughest liberal arts colleges to get into, each admitting just 7% of applicants for the Class of 2028. That puts them right up there with the Ivy League in terms of selectivity.

Swarthmore received 13,065 applications and admitted just 974 students. Pomona had 12,249 applicants and accepted 868. Colby saw a huge 19,187 applicants and offered spots to only 1,343. The numbers reflect both demand and a deliberate strategy to stay small and selective.

Here’s a closer look at the top 10 hardest liberal arts colleges to get into:

While schools like Swarthmore and Pomona have long been known for their selectivity, others—like Colby and the United States Naval Academy—have climbed the ranks quickly thanks to smart admissions strategies, need-blind financial aid, and test-optional policies that opened the doors to more applicants.

The takeaway? A college’s selectivity today depends as much on how it positions itself nationally as it does on tradition.

What Are Liberal Arts Colleges?

Liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates and give you a well-rounded education in everything from the humanities and social sciences to the natural sciences and math. Instead of preparing you for just one specific career, they help you develop skills like critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving—tools that are useful no matter what you end up doing.

What truly sets liberal arts colleges apart from large national universities is their size and structure. Most have around 3,000 students or fewer. For example, Barnard has about 3,270 students, while Williams is closer to 2,000. This contrasts with larger universities, where enrollments often exceed tens of thousands of students.

Liberal arts colleges also prioritize teaching over research. You’re more likely to be in a seminar-style class than a lecture hall. Faculty members, rather than graduate students, teach your courses. You’ll get to know your professors, and they’ll get to know you.

Their curriculum isn’t “light” or “soft” as the name might suggest. In fact, it’s common for students to major in fields like biology, economics, or computer science while still being required to explore a wide range of disciplines.

So, if you want a tight-knit community with high academic standards and fewer distractions, a liberal arts college may be a good fit.

How many liberal arts colleges are there in the U.S.?

According to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, there are 228 liberal arts colleges across the U.S. That’s around 15% of all the colleges and universities in the country. Out of those 228, the vast majority—202 of them—are private, not-for-profit schools. Only 26 are public, which makes public liberal arts colleges kind of rare.

College Admissions Chances Calculator

Curious how your stats stack up at top liberal arts colleges? Our College Admissions Chances Calculator is a great place to start. It gives you a ballpark idea of your chances based on key parts of your application.

All you have to do is plug in your GPA, SAT or ACT scores, course difficulty, and extracurriculars. Then the tool compares your profile to real data from past applicants at selective schools. It’s not a crystal ball, but it can help you get a feel for where you stand.

You can also play around with different scenarios—like boosting your test scores or strengthening your extracurriculars—to see how your chances might improve. It’s super helpful when you’re building your college list and figuring out reach, match, and safety schools.

Private Consulting Program

If you’re looking for more personalized support, check out our Private Consulting Program. This one-on-one service pairs you with an expert who’ll guide you through the entire admissions process—from picking schools to perfecting your essays and preparing for interviews.

We’ll help you craft a standout application that highlights your unique strengths—especially if you’re aiming for top-tier liberal arts colleges. You can even book a free consultation to get started. We’ll review your current academic and extracurricular profile and help you figure out the best next steps.

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