We’ve got some fantastic universities in North Carolina. There is no question about that. But when I saw Niche’s latest ranking of the most difficult schools to be admitted to I wasn’t expecting to find an NC school ranked so high. But it’s true, a North Carolina college is one of the hardest to get into in the entire country. It’s ranked right between Columbia and Brown which is not bad company to be included in. This list is compiled by Niche and is based on acceptance rates and SAT/ACT test scores using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The top 25 features schools with acceptance rates between 5 and 12%. And while there has been an overall de-emphasis on SAT/ACT scores, you still are looking at scores in the high 1400s or 1500s if you want to attend one of the most elite schools in the country.
Of course, the Universities you’d expect are on this list including the Ivy League schools. And the top spot should come as no surprise to anyone. But I’ll be honest there were several schools on this list that I had never heard of before. Though to have such rigorous standards for admission a lot of people must have. Most of the toughest colleges to get into are in the Northeast with some in California as well. While it’s not a school I could ever get into, nor a sports team I find myself cheering for sans 2 games a year, it’s still something to be proud of that a North Carolina college is one of the hardest to get into in the country.
So which one is it? Below you’ll find the top 25 list, but I’ll let you know that it’s near the top. You can read the full Niche rankings here.
1. Harvard University
Harvard University Eliot House across Charles River, in Cambridge, Massachusetts
“What like it’s hard?” Actually Elle Woods it is. Very hard. Harvard, located in Cambridge, MA outside of Boston was ranked the number one most difficult college to get accepted to in the country. Which doesn’t surprise me at all. Looking to get in? The acceptance rate is just 5% of applicants (and let’s be honest only the best of the best are even applying). You’ll need an SAT score between 1460 and 1580 for the best chance. A perfect SAT score is 1600 just FYI. If you do get in tuition is $18,037 per year.
2. Stanford University
Aerial view of Stanford University campus
Coming in at number two is Stanford, I’m not surprised they made the list though how high Stanford ranks is a little unexpected IMO.
Location: Stanford, CA
Acceptance Rate: 5%
SAT Range: 1420-1570
Net Cost: $20,023
3. Princeton University
Number 3 brings us back to the Northeast this time New Jersey.
Location: Princeton, NJ
Acceptance Rate: 6%
SAT Range: 1450-1570
Net Cost: $18,685
5. Yale University
Everyone knows that the only real Ivies are the holy trinity: Harvard, Yale, and Princeton at least according to Blair Waldorf. So it’s fitting that Yale rounds out the top 5.
Location: New Haven, CT
Acceptance Rate: 7%
SAT Range: 1460-1580
Net Cost: $17,511
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
While I’ve been to Cambridge, I don’t think I’m smart enough to live there. Not one, but two of the most elite schools in the country call this Boston suburb home.
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance Rate: 7%
SAT Range: 1510-1580
Net Cost: $19,998
7. University of Chicago
This one stood out to me just because I’m not very familiar with the University of Chicago, but they are in elite company.
Location: Chicago, IL
Acceptance Rate: 7%
SAT Range: 1500-1570
Net Cost: $36,584
8. Columbia University
Another Ivy League school that I would expect to be on this list.
Location: New York, NY
Acceptance Rate: 7%
SAT Range: 1460-1570
Net Cost: $22,126
9. Duke University
North Carolina is represented on this list by none other than Duke University. I knew it was a top school and one of the most difficult to get into, but it’s smack in the middle of some of the most prestigious schools in the country. That’s impressive!
Location: Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: 8%
SAT Range: 1470-1570
Net Cost: $26,932
10. Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island. City in New England region of the United States. Brown University, Department of Economics.
I’d agree with Serena Vanderwoodsen and put Brown in with the Ivy’s.
Location: Providence, RI
Acceptance Rate: 8%
SAT Range: 1440-1560
Net Cost: $27,659
11. University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Acceptance Rate: 9%
SAT Range: 1460-1570
Net Cost: $24,167
12. Northwestern University
Campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Location: Evanston, IL
Acceptance Rate: 9%
SAT Range: 1430-1550
Net Price: $28,344
13. Dartmouth College
Location: New Hanover, NH
Acceptance Rate: 9%
SAT Range: 1440-1560
Net Cost: $24,525
15. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
Acceptance Rate: 11%
SAT Range: 1460-1570
Net Cost: $19,215
16. Swarthmore College
“Gate of Dean Bond Rose Garden in Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, USA”
Location: Swarthmore, PA
Acceptance Rate: 9%
SAT Range: 1360-1510
Net Cost: $20,360
18. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, MD
Acceptance Rate: 11%
SAT Range: 1470-1560
Net Cost: $25,241
19. Vanderbilt University
Campus of Vanderbilt Unversity in Nashville, Tennessee.
Location: Nashville, TN
Acceptance Rate: 12%
SAT Range: 1470-1570
Net Price: $25,804
20. Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, NY
Acceptance Rate: 11%
SAT Range: 1400-1540
Net Cost: $27,522
23. United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland, USA town skyline at Chesapeake Bay with the United States Naval Academy Chapel dome.
Location: Annapolis, MD
Acceptance Rate: 9%
SAT Range: 1230-1450
Net Cost: N/A
24. United States Military Academy at West Point
Location: West Point, NY
Acceptance Rate: 9%
SAT Range: 1210-1440
Net Cost: N/A
25. Tulane University
Location: New Orlean, LA
Acceptance Rate: 11%
SAT Range: 1340-1500
Net Cost: $47,413
