National ranking · College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges with the Highest Acceptance Rates

Using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data retrieved March–July 2026, these 100 operating colleges (undergraduate enrollment 1,000+) report the highest admission rates among schools that publish a rate above 0%. Many are open-admission or near-open; a high rate measures how many applicants are admitted, not teaching quality or outcomes.

Compiled by PlainCollege , College outcomes data analysis

100.0%
Highest acceptance rate: 100
Colleges ranked: 11
At or near 100% admit

The list in one line

Every college on this list admits at least 95.9% of applicants. Martinsburg College sits at the open end, reporting 100.0% acceptance.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

100.0%
#1 most open - Martinsburg College: 95.9%
#100 - the cutoff to make this list: 11
schools reporting ~100% acceptance: 100
colleges ranked (enrollment 1,000+)

Ranked by reported admission rate (highest first); enrollment floor 1,000 undergraduates. See methodology for year and cohort details.

Martinsburg College

100
Reach University

100
Texas A&M University-Cen…

100
Delta State University

100
University of Arkansas C…

100
Arizona College of Nursi…

100
Chamberlain University-N…

100
Arizona College of Nursi…

100
Abilene Christian Univer…

100
Arizona College of Nursi…

100
The University of Texas at

99.9
University of Maine at P…

99.9
Loras College

99.9
The University of Montan…

99.8
Western Colorado Univers…

99.7

What this shows Open-admission and near-open colleges cluster at the top - a 100% rate usually means the school admits every qualified applicant who completes the process, not that every applicant is equally prepared.

Here is where the #100 cutoff (95.9%) lands among all US colleges that report an admission rate:

The bar to make this top-100 list

Admission rate, College Scorecard

96% Top 16% higher than 84% of 1,906 US colleges

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Full ranking table

Filter by state, ownership sector, or minimum enrollment, then open any school profile for SAT and outcomes context.

#	School Name	State	Acceptance Rate	Enrollment	SAT Avg
1	Martinsburg College	WY	100.0%	2,491	-
2	Reach University	CA	100.0%	1,946	-
3	Texas A&M University-Central Texas	TX	100.0%	1,750	-
4	Delta State University	MS	100.0%	1,620	1,050
5	University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton	AR	100.0%	1,447	1,020
6	Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix	AZ	100.0%	1,229	-
7	Chamberlain University-New Jersey	NJ	100.0%	1,226	-
8	Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas	NV	100.0%	1,222	-
9	Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online	TX	100.0%	1,219	-
10	Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe	AZ	100.0%	1,202	-
11	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	99.9%	21,005	962
12	University of Maine at Presque Isle	ME	99.9%	1,913	-
13	Loras College	IA	99.9%	1,083	-
14	The University of Montana-Western	MT	99.8%	1,198	-
15	Western Colorado University	CO	99.7%	1,586	1,230
16	Middle Georgia State University	GA	99.7%	6,574	1,083
17	Northeastern State University	OK	99.6%	4,772	1,049
18	American International College	MA	99.6%	1,017	-
19	Trinity Washington University	DC	99.5%	1,414	-
20	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	99.5%	163,164	-
21	Southeastern Louisiana University	LA	99.3%	9,514	1,090
22	University of Southern Mississippi	MS	99.1%	10,075	1,190
23	Columbus State University	GA	99.1%	5,625	977
24	Grand View University	IA	99.1%	1,486	-
25	Liberty University	VA	99.0%	50,012	-
26	University of the Virgin Islands	VI	99.0%	1,518	938
27	Oral Roberts University	OK	98.9%	3,487	1,196
28	Dunwoody College of Technology	MN	98.9%	1,533	1,120
29	University of the Cumberlands	KY	98.8%	6,941	-
30	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	98.8%	15,002	1,019
31	University of South Dakota	SD	98.8%	5,439	1,125
32	Metropolitan State University	MN	98.7%	5,616	1,020
33	Sul Ross State University	TX	98.7%	1,396	1,024
34	West Texas A & M University	TX	98.7%	6,917	1,050
35	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks	PA	98.7%	1,872	1,174
36	Fairmont State University	WV	98.6%	2,590	996
37	Central State University	OH	98.6%	2,620	-
38	DeVry University-California	CA	98.5%	2,378	-
39	Colorado State University Global	CO	98.4%	6,563	-
40	DeVry University-Illinois	IL	98.4%	27,825	868
41	New Jersey City University	NJ	98.4%	3,681	-
42	South Dakota State University	SD	98.3%	9,198	1,120
43	Eastern Oregon University	OR	98.3%	2,172	-
44	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	98.2%	5,612	-
45	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	98.1%	8,385	-
46	University of the Incarnate Word	TX	98.1%	4,440	-
47	College of Coastal Georgia	GA	98.1%	2,979	1,000
48	Benedictine College	KS	98.1%	2,272	1,252
49	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine	PA	98.1%	1,223	1,200
50	Western Oregon University	OR	98.1%	3,103	-
51	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce	PR	98.1%	3,874	1,300
52	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona	PA	98.1%	2,367	1,187
53	Virginia Union University	VA	98.0%	1,203	850
54	St. Thomas University	FL	97.9%	2,214	-
55	Davenport University	MI	97.8%	3,134	-
56	St. Mary's University	TX	97.8%	1,951	1,089
57	Emporia State University	KS	97.7%	2,239	1,120
58	Bethel University	IN	97.7%	1,008	1,014
59	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	97.6%	4,031	1,227
60	Alabama State University	AL	97.5%	3,477	976
61	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	97.5%	8,750	1,100
62	California State University-Monterey Bay	CA	97.4%	6,819	-
63	California State University-East Bay	CA	97.4%	9,809	-
64	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	CO	97.4%	8,697	1,133
65	West Liberty University	WV	97.3%	1,511	1,045
66	Bluefield State University	WV	97.2%	1,042	989
67	Roosevelt University	IL	97.2%	2,849	1,011
68	Missouri Southern State University	MO	97.0%	3,019	1,065
69	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale	FL	97.0%	17,678	-
70	Texas Southern University	TX	96.9%	6,844	914
71	Point Park University	PA	96.9%	2,331	-
72	University of Wyoming	WY	96.9%	7,944	-
73	Lesley University	MA	96.9%	1,122	-
74	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	PA	96.8%	3,240	1,228
75	Shepherd University	WV	96.8%	2,344	1,034
76	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington	PA	96.8%	2,877	1,181
77	University of Maine at Farmington	ME	96.7%	1,140	1,130
78	University of Maine	ME	96.6%	8,496	-
79	La Salle University	PA	96.6%	1,953	-
80	University of Mississippi	MS	96.6%	21,473	1,184
81	Oklahoma Christian University	OK	96.5%	1,885	1,122
82	Charleston Southern University	SC	96.5%	2,893	1,059
83	Upper Iowa University	IA	96.5%	1,994	1,090
84	Shorter University	GA	96.5%	1,028	1,115
85	San Francisco State University	CA	96.4%	18,639	-
86	Austin Peay State University	TN	96.4%	7,560	1,088
87	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	MD	96.4%	2,391	-
88	The Evergreen State College	WA	96.4%	2,160	1,216
89	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	96.3%	6,762	-
90	Black Hills State University	SD	96.3%	1,928	1,087
91	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	96.2%	24,622	1,094
92	Texas Woman's University	TX	96.1%	8,767	-
93	Kentucky State University	KY	96.1%	1,309	870
94	Troy University	AL	96.0%	9,805	1,088
95	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne	IN	96.0%	1,567	981
96	West Virginia State University	WV	96.0%	1,321	955
97	Texas A&M University-Victoria	TX	95.9%	2,513	-
98	LIM College	NY	95.9%	1,187	1,035
99	Arkansas Tech University	AR	95.9%	5,388	1,049
100	Salem State University	MA	95.9%	4,291	-

About This Ranking

Schools are ranked by admission rate (highest first). Only operating schools with enrollment of at least 1,000 undergraduates and a reported admission rate above 0% are included. Ties break toward larger enrollment. All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our methodology for how admission rates are sourced from IPEDS. For the inverse list, see most selective colleges.

Caveats and limitations

A high acceptance rate measures how many applicants are admitted, not academic rigor, completion odds, or earnings. Open-admission community colleges and specialized career schools often top this list because they intentionally admit nearly everyone who applies and meets basic requirements.

Reported rates can differ from yield (how many admitted students enroll) and from program-level selectivity inside a larger institution. SAT averages are incomplete at many open-admission schools that do not require tests.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute admissions advice. A high acceptance rate does not by itself indicate teaching quality or the right fit for any individual applicant.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.