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Presenting: The 25 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in America

Sending prayers to the SAT gods 🙏🙏🙏

By Laura Hanrahan and Siena Gagliano
cosmo

It’s not exactly a secret that the college admissions process has become wildly—if not ludicrously—competitive. Need I remind you of the 2019 college admissions scandal involving Hollywood’s own Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman? These days, people will do just about AN-Y-THING to get into a good school. And since the U.S. is home to some of the top colleges in the entire world, the competition to snag a spot is understandably stiff.

If you’re wondering what the list of top-tier institutions looks like this year—or you’re just trying to check the bona fides of your latest Hinge match—educational data company Niche has put together a handy list of 2022’s hardest schools to get into based on a combo of acceptance rates, SAT scores, and ACT scores so far throughout 2021.

But before we dive in, a quick reminder for prospective students: Just because a school is “elite,” (hi, Harvard; hi, Yale; hi, Columbia) doesn’t mean it’s the best place for you to get an education. There are tons of prestigious colleges and universities across the country that don’t crack the top 25 list simply because their endowments aren’t astronomically huge.

Besides, college costs a ridiculous amount of money, so community college might be a better option for you. Many factors go into deciding where to go to school, so while you’re weighing your choices, here are the 25 hardest colleges to get into right now.

1

Stanford University

hardest colleges to get into stanford
Geri Lavrov

To go to school in sunny Stanford, California, you need to ace your SATs in the 1420 to 1570 range. (No big deal or anything đŸ˜¶.) Stanford is well known for its computer science and engineering schools, so if that’s your thing, start studying because this university gets A TON of applicants and accepts only about 4 percent of ’em.

2

Harvard University

hardest colleges to get into harvard
Photo by Lisi Cai

In the words of our lord and savior Elle Woods, “What? Like it’s hard?” Welp, turns out, yeah, it actually is. Harvard accepts only 5 percent of applicants, and students who get accepted have, on average, SAT scores that range between 1460 and 1580. It takes some brains to be able to humble brag that you “went to school in Boston.”

3

California Institute of Technology

hardest colleges to get into caltech
Wolterk

Allow me to inform you about Caltech’s SAT requirements — the 7 percent of students who somehow secure a spot at this small Pasadena school have a scary-high score of 1530 to 1580. But it kinda makes sense, considering that the school often collaborates with NASA!

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4

Princeton University

hardest colleges to get into princeton
aimintang

No surprise that another Ivy League is near the top o’ this list. (#Illuminati. JK.) The 5 percent of applicants to get a big fat acceptance letter will enjoy the gorgeous more-than-200-years-old New Jersey campus. By the way, former First Lady Michelle Obama is an alum.

5

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

hardest colleges to get into mit
Joe Raedle

Turns out, if you want to build innovative robots or engineer cool new computer software with the best of the best, you’re gonna have to beat out a couple (okay, a couple thousands
and thousands) of other applicants. MIT has a 7 percent acceptance rate, and the students who do earn a spot are living in that intimidating 1500 to 1570 SAT score zone.

6

United States Naval Academy

annapolis, maryland   june 30 plebes arrive for their oath of office ceremony at the end of the induction day at the us naval academy on june 30, 2021 in annapolis, maryland more than 1,100 new midshipmen arrived to take part in the induction day i day, the official first day of plebe summer due to the health and safety concerns associated with the covid 19 pandemic, the naval academys class of 2025 arrived over a two day period photo by anna moneymakergetty images
Anna Moneymaker

If serving America's naval forces — aviation, ships, submarines, etc. — is something that you want to do, there's no better school than the United States Naval Academy in Maryland. The young people admitted here are exceptionally accomplished, considering the academy only accepts 8 percent of all that apply. If you choose to attend, you'll be ecstatic to know that it will be completely free. Yep, that's right; the United States Naval Academy is no tuition. However, keep in mind that you must commit to serve five years of active duty for the nation upon graduation, which is no small feat.

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7

University of Chicago

hardest colleges to get into chicago
Bob Krist

Throw caution to the wind(y city) and take your chances with this Midwestern school. Who knows, you could be one of the 7 percent who gets in—as long as you have an SAT score between 1470 and 1570, that is. Quick nerdy fact: UChicago scholars were the first to measure the speed of light!

8

Yale University

hardest colleges to get into yale
searagen

If you wanna be one of the 6 percent of applicants to channel their inner Rory Gilmore in the Ivy League halls of Yale, you’ll need *not only* a stellar GPA but also some solid extracurriculars (does Netflix count?) and an SAT score over 1460.

9

Amherst College

walker building, amherst college, amherst, massachusetts, usa, detroit publishing company, 1900 photo by universal history archiveuniversal images group via getty images
Universal History Archive

The private liberal arts college is located in Massachusetts and known for its intense and challenging academics. Notable alumni include Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Yep, that's right, a real-life prince. If a college is good enough for royalty, you can expect that it's prestigious. Just be prepared to spend upwards of 58K a year if you choose to attend.

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10

Columbia University

hardest colleges to get into colombia
Barry Winiker

Lots of people want to get an education right in the heart of New York City, so it won’t come as a shock to you that this school can be pretty picky—only 5 percent of applicants are accepted. Columbia’s freshman retention rate is super high (like, I'm talking 99 percent high), which means the students really, really like it here.

11

Brown University

hardest colleges to get into brown
kickstand

Providence, Rhode Island, is a pretty bomb place to go to school. The city is totally walkable (or bikeable, if you’d prefer) and there’s a sweet art scene thanks to neighboring RISD. If you’re one of the 8 percent of students who get in, just remember to pack your warmest wool socks and a bathing suit. The seasons in New England are crazy, y’all.

12

Claremont McKenna College

claremont, ca   april 12 claremont mckenna college has reopened in person tours after shutting them down last year amid the pandemic the college tour is a key aid in helping students make their big decisions photographed at claremont mckenna college on monday, april 12, 2021 in claremont, ca myung j chun  los angeles times via getty images
Myung J. Chun

If you're looking to major in government, economics, public affairs, finance, or international relations, Claremont McKenna College could be the one for you. Bonus: If you're not a winter person, Claremont, California is an ideal spot to be. Just be sure you're one of the 10 percent accepted.

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13

Duke University

hardest colleges to get into duke
Lance King

If you’re already dreaming of raucous basketball games and blue face paint, you better hit the books so you can be one of the 9 percent of people who get into this Durham, North Carolina, school.

14

University of Pennsylvania

hardest colleges to get into pennsylvania
Margie Politzer

UPenn is all about cross-disciplinary education—the real smarty-pants can even earn two different degrees from two different schools at the same time. It’s extremely competitive (only 8 percent of applicants are accepted), although, well, there’s no easy way to say this: Donald Trump is an alum.

15

Dartmouth College

hardest colleges to get into dartmouth college
kickstand

Dartmouth is definitely hard to get into (the acceptance rate is just 9 percent) and it boasts some highly successful alumni, particularly writers. I’m talking about the likes of Shonda Rhimes, Mindy Kaling, and even Dr. Seuss himself!

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16

Pomona College

hardest colleges to get into pomona
Ted Soqui

Pomona is a small liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Emphasis on small—there are only about 1,700 undergrads, so, yeah, it’s competitive. The school is part of a consortium made up of other elite institutions, including the colleges Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer.

17

Colby College

college courtyard
Colby Hicks

Surprise! Another small liberal arts school is Colby, located in Waterville, Maine. If you're one of the 10 percent of people accepted into Colby, you def have an SAT between 1380 and 1520. It's pretty old, too, considering it was founded all the way back in 1813.

18

Rice University

hardest colleges to get into rice university
Mabry Campbell

Everything is bigger in Texas and that includes the schools, apparently. Rice University’s campus sits on a casual 300 acres in Houston. And if athletics are your thing (think: sports management or kinesiology), the programs here are top notch.

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19

Vanderbilt University

hardest colleges to get into vanderbilt
SeanPavonePhoto

IDK what’s in the water over in Nashville, Tennessee, but Jay Cutler, David Price, and Will Perdue are among the talented athletes who played at Vandy. If you’re part of the 10 percent to get accepted, you could go pro too.

20

Northwestern University

hardest colleges to get into northwestern
Bruce Leighty

What do Meghan Markle, Stephen Colbert, and Zooey Deschanel have in common? They’re all Northwestern grads! In case it isn’t obvious, the school has an amazing performing arts program, among other accolades.

Headshot of Laura Hanrahan
Laura Hanrahan
Laura is a NYC-based freelance writer. When she's not binging the latest true crime docu-series, she's obsessing over all things Harry Styles, RHONY, and John Mulaney. You can follow her on Instagram @lauraehanrahan
Headshot of Siena Gagliano
Associate Editor

Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers beauty in the makeup, skin, and hair spaces, as well as some fashion and lifestyle. Wanna know how to get the best brows of your life? Gotchu. What about how to achieve ridiculously glowing skin, a super bouncy blowout, or exactly how to use that viral face mask? Check, check, and check. Before joining Cosmopolitan, Siena was a writer at Bustle and several other media outlets. As NYC's newest resident, she has vowed to find the best (extra) dirty martini this city has to offer—and yes, that means ~attempting~ to try every cute cocktail spot in the city (hit her up with some recs, pls). Follow Siena on Instagram where you'll see that her account is mostly dedicated to pics of her cute dog and that magazine life.

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