The hardest college to get into in every state

USA - New Jersey - Princeton
Flickr | Harshil.Shah

Applying to college is always a competitive process, but some schools are harder to get into than others. Academic review site Niche compiled a list showing the toughest college to get into in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

Wondering which school is the most competitive in your state? Read on to see the full list, which includes each school’s acceptance rate, average SAT score (the scores of the 25th-75th percentile) and average cost of tuition, expressed as “net price,” which is the average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid.

A note: A few states—including Alaska, Delaware, Nevada and Wyoming—are missing because there wasn’t enough data to give a ranking.

1. Alabama: University of Alabama

Acceptance Rate: 51.1%

Average SAT scores: 990-1250

Average Tuition: $20,133

university of alabama photo
Getty Images | Chris Graythen

2. Arizona: Arizona Christian University

Acceptance Rate: 56.7%

Average SAT scores: 840-1090

Average Tuition: $22,491

3. Arkansas: University of Arkansas

Acceptance Rate: 63%

Average SAT scores: 1010-1220

Average Tuition: $15,411

4. California: California Institute of Technology

Acceptance Rate: 8%

Average SAT scores: 1510-1600

Average Tuition: $26,839

5. Colorado: Colorado College

Acceptance Rate: 16%

Average SAT scores: 1220-1430

Average Tuition: $23,812

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcDpBuMD60I/?hl=en&taken-by=coloradocollege

6. Connecticut: Yale University

Acceptance Rate: 6%

Average SAT scores: 1420-1600

Average Tuition: $18,319

7. District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.): Georgetown University

Acceptance Rate: 17%

Average SAT scores: 1320-1520

Average Tuition: $26,625

georgetown university photo
Flickr | brownpau

8. Florida: University of Miami

Acceptance Rate: 38%

Average SAT scores: 1210-1390

Average Tuition: $37,424

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfjeal1FLVo/?hl=en&taken-by=univmiami

9. Georgia: Emory University

Acceptance Rate: 25%

Average SAT scores: 1290-1500

Average Tuition: $24,804

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcLMpFLnhnI/?hl=en&taken-by=emoryuniversity

10. Hawaii: Brigham Young University at Hawaii

Acceptance Rate: 27%

Average SAT scores: 973-1158

Average Tuition: $12,319

11. Idaho: Northwest Nazarene University

Acceptance Rate: 95%

Average SAT scores: 1000-1240

Average Tuition: $18,176

12. Illinois: University of Chicago

Acceptance Rate: 8%

Average SAT scores: 1450-1600

Average Tuition: $31,068

university of chicago photo
Getty Images | Scott Olson

13. Indiana: University of Notre Dame

Acceptance Rate: 19%

Average SAT scores: 1350-1540

Average Tuition: $26,683

notre dame football photo
Getty Images | Joe Robbins

14. Iowa: Grinnell College

Acceptance Rate: 20%

Average SAT scores: 1320-1530

Average Tuition: $30,010

15. Kansas: Sterling College-Kansas

Acceptance Rate: 37%

Average SAT scores: 880-1030

Average Tuition: $19,219

16. Kentucky: Berea College

Acceptance Rate: 33%

Average SAT scores: 1000-1220

Average Tuition: $2,862

17. Louisiana: Tulane University

Acceptance Rate: 26%

Average SAT scores: 1240-1410

Average Tuition: $32,515

https://www.instagram.com/p/BY6EoF1BJRR/?hl=en&taken-by=tulaneu

18. Maine: Bowdoin College

Acceptance Rate: 15%

Average SAT scores: 1360-1510

Average Tuition: $24,888

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbSkhs-Aehd/?hl=en&taken-by=bowdoincollege

19. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University

Acceptance Rate: 13%

Average SAT scores: 1400-1570

Average Tuition: $27,352

john hopkins university photo
Getty Images | Leigh Vogel

20. Massachusetts: Harvard University

Acceptance Rate: 5%

Average SAT scores: 1430-1600

Average Tuition: $16,205

harvard university photo
Getty Images | Scott Eisen

21. Michigan: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Acceptance Rate: 29%

Average SAT scores: 1310-1500

Average Tuition: $16,107

university of michigan photo
Getty Images | Stacy Revere

22. Minnesota: Carlton College

Acceptance Rate: 23%

Average SAT scores: 1320-1540

Average Tuition: $28,587

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaPJ9DmlhNO/?hl=en&taken-by=carletoncollege

23. Mississippi: Mississippi Valley State University

Acceptance Rate: 84%

Average SAT scores: N/A

Average Tuition: $11,591

24. Missouri: Washington University in St. Louis

Acceptance Rate: 17%

Average SAT scores: 1400-1570

Average Tuition: $28,824

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfjX9MAgNR4/?hl=en&taken-by=wustl_official

25. Montana: Carroll College

Acceptance Rate: 71%

Average SAT scores: 990-1220

Average Tuition: $25,449

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc5F00mFX0T/?hl=en&taken-by=carrollcollegemt

26. Nebraska: Union College

Acceptance Rate: 64%

Average SAT scores: 876-1183

Average Tuition: $20,863

27. New Hampshire: Dartmouth College

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Average SAT scores: 1350-1560

Average Tuition: $21,177

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd_CxzDhDBi/?hl=en&taken-by=dartmouthcollege

28. New Jersey: Princeton University

Acceptance Rate: 7%

Average SAT scores: 1400-1590

Average Tuition: $17,732

princeton university photo
Flickr | Harshil.Shah

29. New Mexico: New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology

Acceptance Rate: 23%

Average SAT scores: 1110-1350

Average Tuition: $13,331

30. New York: Columbia University

Acceptance Rate: 7%

Average SAT scores: 1410-1590

Average Tuition: $22,973

columbia university photo
Getty Images | Mario Tama

31. North Carolina: Duke University

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Average SAT scores: 1380-1570

Average Tuition: $19,950

duke university photo
Getty Images | Lance King

32. North Dakota: University of Jamestown

Acceptance Rate: 57%

Average SAT scores: 890-1140

Average Tuition: $16,944

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSzB3QPj_Tf/?hl=en&taken-by=universityofjamestown

33. Ohio: Kenyon College

Acceptance Rate: 27%

Average SAT scores: 1230-1440

Average Tuition: $28,192

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfwFRdzgAw9/?hl=en&taken-by=kenyoncollege

34. Oklahoma: University of Tulsa

Acceptance Rate: 40%

Average SAT scores: 1100-1390

Average Tuition: $27,264

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbc5_oJDS5m/?hl=en&taken-by=utulsa

35. Oregon: Reed College

Acceptance Rate: 31%

Average SAT scores: 1280-1480

Average Tuition: $27,805

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbcZyHsjy8U/?hl=en&taken-by=reedcollege

36. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania

Acceptance Rate: 9%

Average SAT scores: 1380-1570

Average Tuition: $22,944

university of pennsylvania photo
Getty Images | Brian Garfinkel

37. Rhode Island: Brown University

Acceptance Rate: 9%

Average SAT scores: 1370-1570

Average Tuition: $25,264

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfreBYgF–z/?hl=en&taken-by=brownu

38. South Carolina: Clemson University

Acceptance Rate: 51%

Average SAT scores: 1150-1340

Average Tuition: $17,797

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bft1rtGFnSw/?hl=en&taken-by=clemsonuniversity

39. South Dakota: Augustana University

Acceptance Rate: 69%

Average SAT scores: 930-1230

Average Tuition: $19,974

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdbLt0JDn-4/?hl=en&taken-by=augustanasd

40. Tennessee: Vanderbilt University

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Average SAT scores: 1420-1590

Average Tuition: $23,150

Vanderbilt University photo
Flickr | thart2009

41. Texas: Rice University

Acceptance Rate: 15%

Average SAT scores: 1410-1570

Average Tuition: $22,061

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfrDS6qnhGV/?hl=en&taken-by=riceuniversity

42. Utah: Brigham Young University

Acceptance Rate: 51%

Average SAT scores: 1160-1380

Average Tuition: $12,864

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfY5DodA3hz/?hl=en&taken-by=brighamyounguniversity

43. Vermont: Middlebury College

Acceptance Rate: 16%

Average SAT scores: 1280-1495

Average Tuition: $21,437

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfweVt1h0H9/?hl=en&taken-by=middleburycollege

44. Virginia: Washington & Lee University

Acceptance Rate: 24%

Average SAT scores: 1320-1460

Average Tuition: $23,867

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bff8JfrD6k0/?hl=en&taken-by=wlunews

45. Washington: Whitman College

Acceptance Rate: 51%

Average SAT scores: 1200-1420

Average Tuition: $34,272

whitman college photo
Flickr | Joe Shlabotnik

46. West Virginia: Concord University

Acceptance Rate: 81%

Average SAT scores: 870-1090

Average Tuition: $7,928

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX766IlBhgk/?hl=en&taken-by=concorduniversity

47. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin

Acceptance Rate: 53%

Average SAT scores: 1200-1420

Average Tuition:  $15,874

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeTx8CHjq5f/?hl=en&taken-by=uwmadison

 

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Kate Streit
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything.

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