The 25 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in 2023

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to life, but in sweeping terms, having a college education is better than not having one. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly half of college graduates believe a two- or four-year degree helps them achieve their professional and career goals. A third of respondents said they declined to apply for a job owing to a lack of advanced education.

But not all colleges and universities leave their doors wide open for applicants. Recently, college information hub Niche broke down their list of the most difficult colleges and universities to gain admission to. The rankings are based on the chances of acceptance as well as test score requirements. Take a look at the 25 elite campuses, along with their acceptance rates.

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1. Minerva University (San Francisco, California) // 1 Percent
2. Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) // 5 Percent
3. Stanford University (Stanford, California) // 5 Percent
4. Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey) // 6 Percent
5. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California) // 7 Percent
6. Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) // 7 Percent
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts) // 7 Percent
8. University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) // 7 Percent
9. Columbia University (New York, New York) // 7 Percent
10. Duke University (Durham, North Carolina) // 8 Percent
11. Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island) // 8 Percent
12. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) // 9 Percent
13. Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) // 9 Percent
14. Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire) // 9 Percent
15. Pomona College (Claremont, California) // 9 Percent
16. Rice University (Houston, Texas) // 11 Percent
17. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania) // 9 Percent
18. Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) // 9 Percent
19. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland) // 11 Percent
20. Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee) // 12 Percent
21. Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) // 11 Percent
22. Amherst College (Amherst, Massachusetts) // 12 Percent
23. Colby College (Waterville, Maine) // 10 Percent
24. United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland) // 9 Percent
25. United States Military Academy at West Point (West Point, New York) // 9 Percent
26. Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana) // 11 Percent

1. Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) // 5 Percent
2. Stanford University (Stanford, California) // 5 Percent
3. Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey) // 6 Percent
4. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California) // 7 Percent
5. Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) // 7 Percent
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts) // 7 Percent
7. University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) // 7 Percent
8. Columbia University (New York, New York) // 7 Percent
9. Duke University (Durham, North Carolina) // 8 Percent
10. Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island) // 8 Percent
11. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) // 9 Percent
12. Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) // 9 Percent
13. Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire) // 9 Percent
14. Pomona College (Claremont, California) // 9 Percent
15. Rice University (Houston, Texas) // 11 Percent
16. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania) // 9 Percent
17. Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) // 9 Percent
18. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland) // 11 Percent
19. Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee) // 12 Percent
20. Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) // 11 Percent
21. Amherst College (Amherst, Massachusetts) // 12 Percent
22. Colby College (Waterville, Maine) // 10 Percent
23. United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland) // 9 Percent
24. United States Military Academy at West Point (West Point, New York) // 9 Percent
25. Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana) // 11 Percent