Schools Ranked by Acceptance Rate

A college’s overall quality and prestige is in part determined by its selectivity, of which acceptance rate is an indicator. The acceptance rate figures are provided by the College Navigator database, a tool offered by the U.S. Department of Education. The data is for the fall 2011 entering undergraduate class.

College Navigator did not have acceptance rate figures for all of the colleges on our list. We did not, however, want to penalize those colleges without data. To that end, we simply excluded those schools from the rankings in this category.

Rank School FT to PT
Faculty Ratio		 Institution
Fin. Aid Rate		 Acceptance Rate Retention Rate Graduation Rate Accred.
Years		 Default
Rate		 Job Place. Rate  
1 Duke University 43.36 to 1 47% 16% 97% 94% 117 1% N/A  
2 Johns Hopkins University 12.45 to 1 51% 19% 96% 91% 91 1% N/A  
3 Georgetown University 1.66 to 1 49% 20% 96% 94% 91 1% N/A  
4 University of Southern California 1.96 to 1 61% 23% 97% 90% 63 3% N/A  
5 Tennessee Temple University 5.00 to 1 60% 25% 33% 27% 12 22% N/A  
6 University of California-Los Angeles 3.81 to 1 58% 26% 97% 90% 63 3% N/A  
7 Jackson State University 2.72 to 1 41% 31% 73% 40% 64 16% 70%  
7 Victory University 0.36 to 1 13% 31% 72% 10% 26 20% N/A  
9 Clarkson College 4.25 to 1 73% 32% 79% 59% 28 5% N/A  
9 George Washington University 0.89 to 1 71% 32% 94% 81% 90 2% N/A  
9 Pepperdine University 1.25 to 1 71% 32% 93% 81% 63 2% N/A  
9 Southwestern Assemblies of God University 1.02 to 1 67% 32% 66% 36% 64 14% N/A  
9 University of Baltimore 0.85 to 1 56% 32% 77% N/A 41 72% N/A  
14 Santa Fe University of Art and Design 0.36 to 1 97% 33% 60% 48% 47 7% N/A  
15 Brenau University 0.65 to 1 96% 34% 69% 44% 65 8% N/A  
15 Marist College 0.66 to 1 75% 34% 92% 80% 48 2% N/A  
15 Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health 4.00 to 1 79% 34% 92% 78% 23 4% N/A  
15 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 6.25 to 1 46% 34% 97% 89% 112 1% N/A  
19 Florida Atlantic University 1.51 to 1 31% 35% 79% 43% 45 8% N/A  
19 Kentucky Christian University 2.50 to 1 94% 35% 67% 44% 28 14% N/A  
19 Northeastern University 0.91 to 1 80% 35% 95% 77% 72 4% N/A  
22 Grand Canyon University 0.07 to 1 85% 37% 59% 31% 44 15% N/A  
22 Hampton University 3.39 to 1 28% 37% 67% 55% 80 13% N/A  
24 Center for Advanced Legal Studies 0.09 to 1 0% 38% N/A 55% 23 12% N/A  
24 SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome 0.72 to 1 43% 38% 71% 47% 33 4% N/A  
24 University of South Florida-Main Campus 7.26 to 1 53% 38% 88% 52% 47 10% N/A  
27 Clayton State University 1.44 to 1 5% 39% 67% 26% 41 12% 100%  
27 San Diego Christian College 0.46 to 1 88% 39% 62% 31% 30 9% N/A  
27 Texas Southern University 2.68 to 1 21% 39% 61% 12% 64 24% N/A  
27 Western Carolina University 2.64 to 1 64% 39% 72% 50% 66 6% N/A  
31 Mt Sierra College 0.00 to 1 42% 40% 69% 27% 16 11% N/A  
31 Prairie View A & M University 4.85 to 1 23% 40% 64% 34% 78 19% N/A  
33 University of Houston-Victoria 1.62 to 1 87% 41% 54% N/A N/A 7% N/A  
33 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 4.36 to 1 47% 41% 96% 90% 99 2% N/A  
35 Jacksonville University 1.31 to 1 99% 42% 60% 40% 62 13% N/A  
35 Stevens Institute of Technology 1.65 to 1 95% 42% 93% 79% 85 4% N/A  
37 Central Pennsylvania College 0.27 to 1 34% 43% 42% 46% 35 10% N/A  
37 Newman University 0.53 to 1 99% 43% 70% 28% 45 8% N/A  
37 Southern University and A & M College 4.06 to 1 18% 43% 70% 25% 74 12% N/A  
37 University of Florida 5.01 to 1 32% 43% 95% 84% 99 3% N/A  
41 California Lutheran University 0.77 to 1 97% 44% 85% 64% 50 3% N/A  
41 Dallas Baptist University 29.50 to 1 88% 44% 74% 56% 53 8% N/A  
41 Mississippi College 0.73 to 1 98% 44% 75% 51% 90 7% N/A  
41 Mississippi University for Women 2.06 to 1 78% 44% 75% 39% 91 9% N/A  
41 Southern Illinois University Carbondale 5.24 to 1 28% 44% 66% 45% 99 8% N/A  
41 The University of Alabama 2.75 to 1 46% 44% 86% 66% 115 6% N/A  
41 University of St Francis 0.46 to 1 100% 44% 79% 63% 74 3% N/A  
48 University of Central Florida 1.82 to 1 36% 45% 87% 63% 42 8% N/A  
49 La Roche College 0.60 to 1 76% 46% 73% 52% 33 7% N/A  
49 Lamar University 3.23 to 1 13% 46% 65% 31% 57 15% N/A  
49 Lander University 1.51 to 1 37% 46% 64% 37% 60 4% N/A  
49 Northwood University-Florida Education Center 0.26 to 1 93% 46% 57% 34% 28 13% N/A  
49 St. John's University-New York 0.73 to 1 95% 46% 79% 57% 91 10% N/A  
49 The University of Texas at Tyler 2.30 to 1 44% 46% 64% 40% 38 12% N/A  
55 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice 0.56 to 1 0% 47% 78% 30% 47 5% N/A  
55 Lawrence Technological University 0.39 to 1 79% 47% 77% 44% 45 6% N/A  
55 North Park University 0.68 to 1 93% 47% 75% 52% 86 10% N/A  
55 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 3.39 to 1 59% 47% 90% 70% 99 3% N/A  
55 West Chester University of Pennsylvania 2.21 to 1 12% 47% 86% 68% 66 4% N/A  
55 Westwood College-Los Angeles 0.06 to 1 20% 47% 29% 16% 21 23% N/A  
61 Belhaven University 0.60 to 1 81% 48% 63% 48% 71 7% N/A  
61 Bethel University 0.49 to 1 86% 48% 62% 32% 60 16% N/A  
61 Brescia University 1.14 to 1 96% 48% 61% 32% 55 14% N/A  
61 Cardinal Stritch University 0.32 to 1 64% 48% 71% 46% 59 8% N/A  
61 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 3.48 to 1 25% 48% 79% 40% 77 18% N/A  
61 SUNY College at Oswego 1.26 to 1 39% 48% 79% 57% 62 8% N/A  
61 SUNY College at Plattsburgh 1.31 to 1 44% 48% 81% 59% 60 4% N/A  
61 Texas A & M International University 32.00 to 1 24% 48% 68% 42% 42 12% N/A  
69 Bluefield College 0.70 to 1 99% 49% 56% 36% 63 9% N/A  
69 Cumberland University 0.51 to 1 96% 49% 71% 34% 50 14% N/A  
69 Savannah College of Art and Design 4.81 to 1 91% 49% 82% 64% 7 7% N/A  
69 Spring Hill College 1.95 to 1 99% 49% 76% 61% 90 7% N/A  
69 Sterling College 1.03 to 1 100% 49% 62% 48% 84 14% N/A  
69 Waldorf College 15.67 to 1 100% 49% 37% 45% 64 7% 87%  
75 Graceland University-Lamoni 1.76 to 1 100% 50% 68% 51% 92 6% N/A  
75 Missouri Valley College 1.66 to 1 100% 50% 50% 26% 96 18% N/A  
75 Ramapo College of New Jersey 0.88 to 1 31% 50% 85% 72% 37 5% N/A  
75 Remington College to 1 2% 50% 55% N/A N/A N/A N/A  
75 Toccoa Falls College 1.74 to 1 97% 50% 67% 50% 55 5% N/A  
75 University of South Carolina-Aiken 1.75 to 1 28% 50% 70% 41% 35 6% N/A  
81 Florida International University 1.46 to 1 46% 51% 82% 43% 38 9% N/A  
81 Limestone College 1.13 to 1 90% 51% 59% 41% 84 14% N/A  
81 Oklahoma Christian University 1.13 to 1 100% 51% 76% 45% 46 9% N/A  
81 Roberts Wesleyan College 7.92 to 1 97% 51% 73% 65% 49 8% N/A  
81 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College 0.59 to 1 98% 51% 59% 57% 93 10% N/A  
81 Tiffin University 0.21 to 1 68% 51% 69% 47% 27 7% N/A  
81 University at Buffalo 2.22 to 1 36% 51% 88% 71% 91 4% N/A  
88 Bacone College 0.27 to 1 79% 52% 31% 14% 47 30% N/A  
88 Blue Mountain College 2.21 to 1 89% 52% 68% 50% 85 12% N/A  
88 Hope International University 0.23 to 1 98% 52% 67% 33% 43 9% N/A  
88 Kentucky Wesleyan College 1.17 to 1 95% 52% 54% 44% 64 18% N/A  
88 Midwestern State University 2.72 to 1 45% 52% 68% 34% 62 10% N/A  
93 George Mason University 1.23 to 1 17% 53% 87% 64% 40 3% N/A  
93 Lindenwood University 0.43 to 1 94% 53% 70% 45% 94 5% N/A  
93 Mount Mary College 0.47 to 1 100% 53% 66% 46% 86 6% N/A  
93 North Georgia College & State University 2.00 to 1 9% 53% 76% 52% 77 7% N/A  
93 Northern Illinois University 3.47 to 1 36% 53% 71% 56% 97 7% N/A  
93 The University of Texas at Dallas 2.96 to 1 73% 53% 83% 61% 40 8% N/A  
99 Arcadia University 0.58 to 1 99% 54% 76% 62% 66 5% N/A  
99 Columbus State University 1.37 to 1 11% 54% 70% 31% 49 9% N/A  

Methodology

For each college, we gathered data for nine different metrics: the number of full-time faculty per part-time faculty member; institutional financial aid, acceptance, retention, graduation, job placement, and default rates; years accredited; and undergraduate tuition. Learn more