PlainCollege

Most Selective Colleges: Ranks #501–600

Continuing PlainCollege's full most-selective ranking beyond the top 100 - colleges #501 through #600, ordered by reported undergraduate acceptance rate (lowest first), from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

1,146 colleges nationwide report a usable acceptance rate; this page covers one 100-school slice of that full list. See the top-100 page for the national context, distribution chart, and full methodology.

#School NameStateAcceptance RateSAT Avg
501Biola UniversityCA74.4%1,261
502Ohio Northern UniversityOH74.4%1,252
503Norwich UniversityVT74.4%1,190
504ECPI UniversityVA74.5%-
505Art Center College of DesignCA74.5%-
506Northeastern Illinois UniversityIL74.6%-
507Belmont Abbey CollegeNC74.7%1,099
508University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusCO74.7%1,116
509Nazareth UniversityNY74.7%1,216
510Marian UniversityWI75.0%-
511Saint Louis UniversityMO75.0%1,317
512Oklahoma State University-Main CampusOK75.0%1,150
513Methodist UniversityNC75.1%1,182
514California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCA75.2%-
515Georgia Southwestern State UniversityGA75.2%978
516Catawba CollegeNC75.2%1,096
517Coastal Carolina UniversitySC75.3%1,143
518University of MaryND75.3%1,159
519High Point UniversityNC75.3%1,288
520Kalamazoo CollegeMI75.3%1,280
521Southern Arkansas University Main CampusAR75.3%1,047
522University of Wisconsin-ParksideWI75.4%1,090
523Miami University-OxfordOH75.4%1,317
524University of Detroit MercyMI75.4%1,134
525Loyola University MarylandMD75.5%1,290
526Winona State UniversityMN75.5%-
527University of Wisconsin-La CrosseWI75.5%1,220
528University of IdahoID75.5%1,116
529Huntington UniversityIN75.6%1,052
530Emmanuel CollegeMA75.6%1,250
531California Lutheran UniversityCA75.7%1,266
532SUNY College of Technology at AlfredNY75.7%1,094
533Baldwin Wallace UniversityOH75.7%1,194
534Abraham Baldwin Agricultural CollegeGA75.7%990
535Edgewood UniversityWI75.7%-
536University of Mount OliveNC75.8%1,050
537Eckerd CollegeFL75.8%1,250
538Wartburg CollegeIA75.8%1,136
539DePaul UniversityIL75.9%1,262
540Kean UniversityNJ75.9%1,040
541Pace UniversityNY75.9%1,266
542Saint Mary's CollegeIN76.0%1,246
543Tennessee Technological UniversityTN76.1%1,151
544John Brown UniversityAR76.1%1,195
545Massachusetts College of Art and DesignMA76.3%-
546Albright CollegePA76.3%-
547Indiana University-IndianapolisIN76.4%1,139
548University of California-RiversideCA76.4%-
549Ashland UniversityOH76.4%1,120
550Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityOK76.4%1,087
551Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottAZ76.6%1,250
552University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOK76.6%1,246
553The University of AlabamaAL76.6%1,285
554Bradley UniversityIL76.8%-
555Maryland Institute College of ArtMD76.8%1,258
556Saint Francis UniversityPA76.8%1,155
557Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyIN76.9%1,427
558University of North DakotaND76.9%-
559Seattle UniversityWA76.9%1,307
560Shenandoah UniversityVA77.0%-
561Waldorf UniversityIA77.0%-
562Oklahoma City UniversityOK77.0%1,177
563Westmont CollegeCA77.0%1,328
564Willamette UniversityOR77.1%1,377
565DeSales UniversityPA77.1%1,186
566Morehead State UniversityKY77.2%-
567Gardner-Webb UniversityNC77.2%1,113
568Barry UniversityFL77.2%-
569Fort Lewis CollegeCO77.3%1,111
570Oregon State UniversityOR77.3%1,290
571North Central CollegeIL77.3%1,213
572Saint Ambrose UniversityIA77.3%1,093
573University of Illinois ChicagoIL77.3%1,250
574Clarkson UniversityNY77.4%1,304
575School of the Art Institute of ChicagoIL77.5%-
576University of EvansvilleIN77.6%-
577Buena Vista UniversityIA77.6%1,120
578Eastern Kentucky UniversityKY77.6%1,149
579Mississippi State UniversityMS77.6%1,219
580Rowan UniversityNJ77.7%1,212
581Jacksonville State UniversityAL77.7%1,059
582SUNY at FredoniaNY77.7%1,250
583SUNY College at PotsdamNY77.7%-
584Hood CollegeMD77.8%-
585Cornerstone UniversityMI77.8%-
586University of DenverCO77.8%1,355
587Elizabethtown CollegePA77.9%1,204
588University of MobileAL77.9%1,220
589McDaniel CollegeMD77.9%-
590Pacific Lutheran UniversityWA78.0%1,168
591Saint Anselm CollegeNH78.0%1,201
592University of Colorado BoulderCO78.1%1,357
593University of Central OklahomaOK78.1%1,090
594Spartanburg Methodist CollegeSC78.2%-
595University of Mount UnionOH78.2%1,088
596Concordia University-WisconsinWI78.2%1,190
597Indiana University-BloomingtonIN78.2%1,313
598Georgia College & State UniversityGA78.2%1,163
599Winston-Salem State UniversityNC78.3%945
600McNeese State UniversityLA78.3%1,087

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute admissions advice. A low 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.