Choosing where to go to college can be a daunting task. One needs to take into consideration not only which institution will make the best fit but also the future opportunities it can open up.
Furthermore, there is the cost of tuition, prestige, and reputation that come with a hefty price tag. It generally also means that acceptance standards are much stricter, and the competition to get in can be fierce. Many of the most selective top schools take in less than one in ten of the candidates that apply.
However, the rewards of making the effort to get in can pay off after graduation through the networks built up over one’s university career. Additionally, prestigious institutions offer ongoing help long after graduation to advance the professional careers of their alumni.
The 10 hardest colleges to get into in 2025
With so many universities to choose from, it can be difficult for families and students to get their hands on all the information they need when deciding which university will meet all their requirements. Fortunately, there are ever more tools at their disposal, like Niche, with its in-depth profiles on every college in America and over 140 million ratings and reviews.
According to Niche, the following schools are currently the hardest to get into in the United States:
| Rank | Institution | Acceptance rate | SAT range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minerva University | 1% | NA |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 3% | 1530-1580 |
| 3 | Harvard University | 3% | 1490-1580 |
| 4 | Stanford University | 4% | 1500-1580 |
| 5 | Columbia University | 4% | 1490-1580 |
| 6 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4% | 1530-1580 |
| 7 | Yale University | 5% | 1500-1580 |
| 8 | Brown University | 5% | 1490-1580 |
| 9 | University of Chicago | 5% | 1500-1580 |
| 10 | Princeton University | 6% | 1490-1580 |
All of the top ten hardest colleges to get into in the US received a grade of A+ for academics and an overall Niche of A+ too.