The average cost of a college education has increased by more than 100% throughout the 21st century. This rising cost makes college more inaccessible for many people. Rising cost is only compounded by later debt, with the Education Data Initiative explaining that a Bachelor’s degree can cost in excess of $500,000. Despite these factors, competition for selective institutions like Ivy League universities and elite liberal arts schools has only intensified. After all, a degree from these institutions can correlate with a higher paycheck down the line. (Here is a look at the average cost of college in America.)
The U.S. is home to some of the most renowned colleges and universities in the world. With a reputation for fast-tracking graduates into rewarding careers, many top-ranked American schools review tens of thousands of applicants a year, and can only accept a small portion of them. (Here is a look at the colleges with the most upward mobility.)
Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 50 hardest colleges and universities to get into. The schools on this list were identified using a two-part index composed of the admissions rate – the share of applicants who are offered admission – and the median SAT score among students admitted in the fall of 2022. Supplemental data on the average annual cost of attendance, median earnings 10 years after entry, and the graduation rate — or the share of students who graduate within eight years after entry — are from the U.S. Department of Education.
Every school on this list admitted fewer than one in every five applicants. For several schools on this list, the admissions rate is less than 5%. Median SAT scores at these institutions range from 1450 to 1560 out of a maximum possible score of 1600. The exact criteria these schools use to decide who is accepted varies but generally include personal statements, high school transcripts, extracurricular activities, and standardized test scores – like the SAT.
These schools include well known Ivy League institutions, like Brown, Harvard and Yale, major research institutions like Carnegie Mellon and MIT, and small liberal arts colleges and universities, like Amherst, Colgate, and Williams.
Why This Matters
Many employers require employees to have a college degree. In some industries, having a Bachelor’s degree is simply not enough; psychologists, public health consultants, and statisticians are just three groups where a Master’s degree is essentially required. Attending a top-tier college with high quality undergraduate and graduate programs offers benefits that expand beyond the working world. Median incomes among former students from the below schools 10 years after enrollment exceed the median income of all recent college graduates (outside of one school), and the typical graduate from many of these schools earns at least $90,000 a decade after enrolling. (Take a look at the college majors most likely to earn six figures.) Understanding these schools can help potential students make more informed decisions about their academic futures.
Here are the 50 most selective colleges across the United States.
50. University of Virginia-Main Campus
- Admissions rate: 18.7%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 17,041 (45% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $20,507
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $80,584
- Location: Charlottesville, VA
49. Vassar College
- Admissions rate: 18.7%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,500 (63% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $35,236
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $64,639
- Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
48. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
- Admissions rate: 17.1%
- Median SAT scores: 720 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 16,554 (71% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $14,820
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $96,375
- Location: Atlanta, GA
47. Washington and Lee University
- Admissions rate: 17.0%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,857 (63% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $27,417
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $84,232
- Location: Lexington, VA
46. Boston College
- Admissions rate: 16.7%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 9,757 (44% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $38,412
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $96,325
- Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
45. Carleton College
- Admissions rate: 16.6%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,008 (64% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $31,800
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $70,334
- Location: Northfield, MN
44. Tulane University of Louisiana
- Admissions rate: 11.5%
- Median SAT scores: 720 in reading and writing, 730 in math
- Undergraduate students: 8,515 (66% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $42,217
- Graduation rate: 68%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $59,812
- Location: New Orleans, LA
43. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
- Admissions rate: 19.1%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 361 (95% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $21,474
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $116,968
- Location: Needham, MA
42. Emory University-Oxford College
- Admissions rate: 15.0%
- Median SAT scores: 720 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,066 (59% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $31,883
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $81,802
- Location: Oxford, GA
41. Bates College
- Admissions rate: 13.7%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,821 (39% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $26,560
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $65,860
- Location: Lewiston, ME
40. Colgate University
- Admissions rate: 12.4%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 3,152 (47% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $24,489
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $86,737
- Location: Hamilton, NY
39. Wellesley College
- Admissions rate: 13.6%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,383 (61% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $21,561
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $75,784
- Location: Wellesley, MA
38. Haverford College
- Admissions rate: 14.2%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,420 (46% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $29,138
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $78,330
- Location: Haverford, PA
37. Middlebury College
- Admissions rate: 12.7%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,837 (45% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $29,047
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $69,022
- Location: Middlebury, VT
36. Grinnell College
- Admissions rate: 10.8%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 750 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,714 (89% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $28,610
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $62,529
- Location: Grinnell, IA
35. Hamilton College
- Admissions rate: 11.8%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,049 (54% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $26,296
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $77,214
- Location: Clinton, NY
34. Georgetown University
- Admissions rate: 12.2%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,325 (39% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $24,570
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $101,797
- Location: Washington, DC
33. University of Notre Dame
- Admissions rate: 12.9%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 8,950 (60% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $32,369
- Graduation rate: 97%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $93,220
- Location: Notre Dame, IN
32. Emory University
- Admissions rate: 11.4%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,050 (58% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $25,424
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $81,802
- Location: Atlanta, GA
31. Harvey Mudd College
- Admissions rate: 13.4%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 905 (65% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $30,026
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $128,215
- Location: Claremont, CA
30. University of Southern California
- Admissions rate: 12.0%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 20,619 (68% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $25,972
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $89,884
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
29. Claremont McKenna College
- Admissions rate: 10.4%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,414 (47% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $20,114
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $97,174
- Location: Claremont, CA
28. New York University
- Admissions rate: 12.5%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 28,556 (51% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $39,565
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $79,812
- Location: New York, NY
27. Colby College
- Admissions rate: 7.6%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,262 (43% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $17,739
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $84,482
- Location: Waterville, ME
26. Tufts University
- Admissions rate: 9.7%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 6,628 (40% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $35,683
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $74,430
- Location: Medford, MA
25. Washington University in St Louis
- Admissions rate: 11.8%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,713 (44% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $27,595
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $90,646
- Location: Saint Louis, MO
24. Barnard College
- Admissions rate: 8.8%
- Median SAT scores: 745 in reading and writing, 760 in math
- Undergraduate students: 3,016 (41% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $32,514
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $74,415
- Location: New York, NY
23. Bowdoin College
- Admissions rate: 9.2%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,948 (53% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $16,925
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $68,211
- Location: Brunswick, ME
22. Northeastern University
- Admissions rate: 6.8%
- Median SAT scores: 730 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 15,645 (67% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $34,255
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $88,842
- Location: Boston, MA
21. Carnegie Mellon University
- Admissions rate: 11.3%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 6,880 (48% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $37,846
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $111,064
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
20. Amherst College
- Admissions rate: 7.3%
- Median SAT scores: 740 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,968 (61% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $17,304
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $81,855
- Location: Amherst, MA
19. Williams College
- Admissions rate: 8.5%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 2,129 (53% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $14,739
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $74,473
- Location: Williamstown, MA
18. Pomona College
- Admissions rate: 7.0%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,744 (56% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $9,170
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $74,305
- Location: Claremont, CA
17. Swarthmore College
- Admissions rate: 6.9%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 770 in math
- Undergraduate students: 1,681 (59% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $20,780
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $80,398
- Location: Swarthmore, PA
16. Rice University
- Admissions rate: 8.7%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 4,240 (63% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $17,805
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $87,254
- Location: Houston, TX
15. Cornell University
- Admissions rate: 7.5%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 15,451 (49% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $29,011
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $98,321
- Location: Ithaca, NY
14. Northwestern University
- Admissions rate: 7.2%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 8,691 (54% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $28,230
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $85,796
- Location: Evanston, IL
13. Vanderbilt University
- Admissions rate: 6.7%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,111 (66% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $22,204
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $84,415
- Location: Nashville, TN
12. University of Pennsylvania
- Admissions rate: 6.5%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 10,644 (51% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $14,851
- Graduation rate: 97%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $112,761
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
11. Johns Hopkins University
- Admissions rate: 7.3%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 5,727 (58% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $14,254
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $89,551
- Location: Baltimore, MD
10. Princeton University
- Admissions rate: 5.7%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 5,236 (61% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $11,080
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $110,433
- Location: Princeton, NJ
9. University of Chicago
- Admissions rate: 5.4%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,558 (55% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $22,690
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $78,439
- Location: Chicago, IL
8. Dartmouth College
- Admissions rate: 6.4%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 4,533 (52% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $33,023
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $95,540
- Location: Hanover, NH
7. Duke University
- Admissions rate: 6.3%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 6,883 (53% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $31,416
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $97,418
- Location: Durham, NC
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
- Admissions rate: 3.9%
- Median SAT scores: 750 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 8,832 (57% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $12,836
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $97,540
- Location: New York, NY
5. Brown University
- Admissions rate: 5.1%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,125 (47% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $26,308
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $87,811
- Location: Providence, RI
4. Yale University
- Admissions rate: 4.6%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 780 in math
- Undergraduate students: 6,535 (57% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $16,341
- Graduation rate: 97%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $95,961
- Location: New Haven, CT
3. Stanford University
- Admissions rate: 3.7%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,645 (63% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $7,200
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $106,987
- Location: Stanford, CA
2. Harvard University
- Admissions rate: 3.2%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 790 in math
- Undergraduate students: 7,938 (46% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $13,259
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $95,114
- Location: Cambridge, MA
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Admissions rate: 4.0%
- Median SAT scores: 760 in reading and writing, 800 in math
- Undergraduate students: 4,629 (77% receive financial aid)
- Avg. annual cost of attendance: $5,084
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median annual earnings 10-yrs. after entry: $124,213
- Location: Cambridge, MA
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