Skip to main content
What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

What are some of the top 20 hardest colleges to get into?

Hey guys, I'm currently in my junior year and building a list of colleges to apply to. I'm really interested in challenging myself, so I was wondering if any of you could recommend some of the top 20 hardest colleges to get into in the US? Thanks!

a year ago

Hi there! While rankings can vary between sources, here are some consistently highly-ranked institutions known for their selective admissions process:

1. Harvard University

2. Stanford University

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

4. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

5. Yale University

6. Princeton University

7. University of Chicago

8. University of Pennsylvania

9. Columbia University

10. Duke University

11. Johns Hopkins University

12. Northwestern University

13. Washington University in St. Louis

14. University of Notre Dame

15. Vanderbilt University

16. Dartmouth College

17. Brown University

18. Cornell University

19. Rice University

20. University of California, Berkeley

Of course, there are many more colleges and universities known for their academic rigor and selective admissions process in the US. Also keep in mind that, while challenging yourself is of course an admirable goal, the competitiveness of a school's admissions process isn't necessarily the best measure of how good a fit it is for you.

Plus, some schools may be less competitive overall, but be exceptionally well-regarded in certain fields. For example, the University of Washington's computer science program in particular is as selective as many of the schools on this list, even though the institution as a whole is not. Make sure you research each school's specific programs and culture in addition to their admission rates to find the right match for you.

Good luck with your college search and applications!

a year ago

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.