Which colleges are the hardest for your students to get into in 2023? (2024)

FAQs

What is the hardest college to get into in the world in 2023? ›

Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.

The top 10 colleges in the US according to U.S. News' Best National University Rankings are: #1 Princeton University. #2 Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As of 2023, these are some of the institutions that consistently receive large numbers of applications: 1. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): As part of the University of California system, UCLA is known for its vibrant campus life, top-ranked programs, and desired location in Los Angeles.

10 Colleges With the Highest Acceptance Rates

A whopping 99% of students who apply to Liberty University get accepted. Marshall University, the University of New Mexico, Kansas State University, and the University of Maine all have acceptance rates of over 90%.

View the World University Rankings 2023 methodology

The University of Oxford tops the ranking for the seventh consecutive year. Harvard University remains in second place, but the University of Cambridge jumps from joint fifth last year to joint third.

The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Famous for its emphasis on STEM, MIT's challenging coursework and innovative research opportunities are just the beginning. The pace and depth of the coursework can be intense—students describe the academic environment as "drinking from a firehose."

What are the big 3 US colleges? ›

The Big Three, also known as HYP (Harvard, Yale, Princeton), is a historical term used in the United States to refer to Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University.

Grade-Point Average Requirement

California residents are eligible for admission to the University of California with a 3.0 grade-point average; nonresidents are eligible with a 3.4 GPA.

The highest GPA achievable is a 4.0 on a traditional scale. However, some schools use a weighted scale that can go up to 5.0, factoring in the difficulty of coursework.

Is Stanford Harder to Get Into Than Harvard? Being an Ivy League school, most would assume that Harvard is more difficult to get into. However, both schools are quite prestigious and have a very selective admission process. Both schools admit less than 4% of hopeful applicants.

The U.S. is overall the No. 5 best country in the world, according to the 2023 Best Countries rankings, which were based on a survey of more than 17,000 people and gathered perceptions about 87 nations. That's down just one spot from last year, when it was the No. 4 Best Country in the U.S. News rankings.