Not every university is easy to get accepted into because they have the hardest admissions requirements, such as High GPA, SAT Scores, ACT Scores etc.

Since the following universities get so many applicants to their schools, they’re very picky, and only the best of the best students who will be successful in their school’s programs are accepted.

Explore the most complex colleges to get into ranking based on acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores using the U.S. Department of Education data. Compare the most selective colleges with the lowest acceptance rates and highest SAT/ACT scores. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Here Are Hardest Colleges to Get Into in America 2018

10. Brown University

Brown University is a private institution that was founded in 1764. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,926, its setting is the city, and the campus size is 146 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Located atop College Hill in Providence, R.I., Brown University has a college-town feel, with Thayer Street serving as a center of activity for shopping and dining. The Brown Bears have about 35 NCAA Division I athletic teams and compete in the Ivy League.

Acceptance Rate: 9 %
SAT Range Scores: 1370- 1570
ACT Range Scores: 31-34
Application Fee: $ 75

9. Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private institution that was founded in 1873. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,871, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 333 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Vanderbilt University offers a wide range of student activities. Located in Nashville, or Music City, there are plenty of off-campus options for dining, shopping, music, and entertainment. In addition, Greek organizations play a big role in social life on-campus, with approximately 40 percent of students affiliated with Greek life.

Acceptance Rate: 11 %
SAT Range Scores: 1420- 1590
ACT Range Scores: 32-35
Application Fee: $50

8. Columbia University

Columbia University is a private institution that was founded in 1754. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,113, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 36 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Located in New York City, Columbia comprises three undergraduate schools  Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of General Studies, and several graduate and professional schools.

Acceptance Rate: 7 %
SAT Range Scores: 1410- 1590
ACT Range Scores: 32-35
Application Fee: $85

7. University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a private institution that was founded in 1890. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,941, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 217 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar.

The University of Chicago, situated in Hyde Park, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. In addition to the college, the university has postgraduate offerings that include the highly ranked Booth School of Business, Law School, Pritzker School of Medicine and Harris School of Public Policy Studies.

Acceptance Rate: 8 %
SAT Range Scores: 1450- 1600
ACT Range Scores: 32-35
Application Fee: $0

6. Princeton University

Princeton University is a private institution that was founded in 1746. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,400, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 600 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Princeton, among the oldest colleges in the U.S., is located in the quiet town of Princeton, New Jersey. Within the walls of its historic ivy-covered campus, Princeton offers several events, activities, and organizations.

Acceptance Rate: 7 %
SAT Range Scores: 1400- 1590
ACT Range Scores: 32-35
Application Fee: $65

5. California Institute of Technology

California Institute of Technology is a private institution that was founded in 1891. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 979, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 124 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar.

Caltech, which focuses on science and engineering, is located in Pasadena, California, approximately 11 miles northeast of Los Angeles. At Caltech, social and academic life centers on the eight student houses, which the school describes as “self-governing living groups.

Acceptance Rate: 8 %
SAT Range Scores: 1510- 1600
ACT Range Scores: 34-36
Application Fee: $75

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private institution that was founded in 1861. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,524, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 168 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar.

Located outside Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT focuses on scientific and technological research divided into five schools. University research expenditures have exceeded $700 million a year, with funding from government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Defense.

Acceptance Rate: 8 %
SAT Range Scores: 1460- 1590
ACT Range Scores: 33-35
Application Fee: $75

3. Yale University

Yale University is a private institution that was founded in 1701. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,472, its setting is the city, and the campus size is 345 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, is known for its excellent drama and music programs. Yale is made up of the College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and 12 professional schools. The professional schools are the top-ranked Law School and highly ranked schools of Management, School of Medicine, schools of Art and schools of Nursing.

Acceptance Rate: 6 %
SAT Range Scores: 1420- 1600
ACT Range Scores: 32-35
Application Fee: $80

2. Stanford University

Stanford University is a private institution that was founded in 1885. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,034, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 8,180 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar.

Stanford University’s pristine campus is located in California’s Bay Area, about 30 miles from San Francisco. Four of Stanford University’s seven schools offer undergraduate and graduate coursework, and the remaining three serve as purely graduate schools. Graduate programs include the highly ranked School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Law, School of Medicine and Graduate School of Business.

Acceptance Rate: 5 %
SAT Range Scores: 1380- 1580
ACT Range Scores: 31-35
Application Fee: $90

1. Harvard University

Harvard University is a private institution that was founded in 1636. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,710, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 5,076 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Harvard University is located outside of Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Harvard is made up of 13 schools and institutes, including the top-ranked Business School and Medical School and the highly ranked Graduate Education School, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Law School and John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Acceptance Rate: 5 %
SAT Range Scores: 1430- 1600
ACT Range Scores: 32-35
Application Fee: $75

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