“Congratulations! You’ve been accepted,” are words all prospective students long to hear. However, whether you get an acceptance letter or rejection letter largely depends on the colleges you apply to. Some colleges and universities pride themselves on selectivity. Others strive to be more inclusive, providing a wider range of students with access to higher education.
Easiest Colleges to Get Into
We understand that going to an Ivy League school may look good on paper, but let’s face it, we’re not all Ivy League material. Maybe you weren’t a straight A student, or perhaps you simply didn’t score that well on a standardized test. Whatever the case, one of these top 15 colleges with high acceptance rates might be a better fit for you.
We combed through thousands of rows of data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to compile our list of the top 15 colleges with high acceptance rates. As we were going through that process, we realized that a high acceptance rate on it’s own doesn’t hold much weight. In our opinion, a high acceptance rate is only meaningful if a school can also keep those students enrolled year after year, and graduate a high percentage of those enrolled.
With that in mind, we filtered our list to only include schools that met all of the following criteria:
- Acceptance rate over 85%,
- Retention rate over 80%,
- And Graduation rate over 55%.
At this point, you’re probably wondering, ‘Well, which schools actually made the list?’ Let’s take a look.
Our List of Top 15 colleges with High Acceptance Rates:
- Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
- Mount Carmel College of Nursing
- Benedictine College
- Transylvania University
- John Paul the Great Catholic University
- Loras College
- Waynesburg University
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
- Sweet Briar College
- Maryville University of Saint Louis
- Iona College
- Principia College
- Houghton College
- Otis College of Art and Design
- Providence Christian College
Applying to one of these high acceptance rate schools may offer you more confidence that you’ll gain admission. However, there are a few other factors you may also want to consider, including: cost, location, majors-offered, available program-format, and credit for military or life experience. We’ve included some of these data points below to help you make a more informed decision.
We recommend reaching out to all the schools that interest you and gathering as much information as needed to ensure you find the right fit for you!
| Institution Name | Location | Acceptance Rate | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Out-of-State Tuition | Credits for Life Exp | Credit for Military | Online Programs Offered |
| Thomas More College of Liberal Arts | Merrimack, NH | 100% | 100% | 72% | $21,000.00 | Implied no | Implied no | Implied no |
| Mount Carmel College of Nursing | Columbus,OH | 99% | 67% | 67% | $19,759.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Benedictine College | Atchison, KS | 97% | 80% | 56% | $27,730.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Transylvania University | Lexington, KY | 95% | 82% | 67% | $35,770.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| John Paul the Great Catholic University | Escondido, CA | 95% | 81% | 63% | $24,000.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Loras College | Dubuque, IA | 95% | 76% | 57% | $31,418.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Waynesburg University | Waynesburg, PA | 95% | 76% | 56% | $23,160.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | Philadelphia, PA | 93% | 76% | 57% | $35,646.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Sweet Briar College | Sweet Briar, VA | 93% | 72% | 57% | $36,520.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO | 92% | 83% | 56% | $26,070.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iona College | New Rochelle, NY | 92% | 75% | 57% | $35,482.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Principia College | Elsah, IL | 91% | 88% | 71% | $28,320.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Houghton College | Houghton, NY | 91% | 80% | 66% | $31,040.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles, CA | 91% | 80% | 65% | $42,370.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Providence Christian College | Pasadena, CA | 91% | 61% | 60% | $28,522.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Bethel College-Indiana | Mishawaka, IN | 90% | 79% | 58% | $27,580.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI | 89% | 89% | 58% | $39,300.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Willamette University | Salem, OR | 89% | 86% | 71% | $47,840.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Whitworth University | Spokane, WA | 89% | 85% | 64% | $41,086.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Gordon College | Wenham, MA | 89% | 83% | 61% | $35,180.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Taylor University | Upland, IN | 87% | 90% | 71% | $32,640.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Centenary University | Hackettstown, NJ | 87% | 78% | 58% | $31,156.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mills College | Oakland, CA | 87% | 77% | 58% | $44,765.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Randolph College | Lynchburg, VA | 86% | 67% | 60% | $37,540.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL | 85% | 93% | 81% | $35,190.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| John Carroll University | University Heights, OH | 85% | 86% | 57% | $38,490.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 85% | 83% | 74% | $42,890.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Saint Michael’s College | Colchester, VT | 85% | 83% | 69% | $43,315.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| McDaniel College | Westminster, MD | 85% | 81% | 63% | $41,800.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| University of St Thomas | Saint Paul, MN | 84% | 88% | 60% | $40,224.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| University of Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA | 84% | 86% | 72% | $47,840.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Niagara University | Niagara University, NY | 84% | 83% | 56% | $30,500.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Simpson College | Indianola, IA | 84% | 80% | 62% | $36,969.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Hanover College | Hanover, IN | 84% | 79% | 65% | $35,750.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Pacific University | Forest Grove, OR | 84% | 79% | 64% | $42,594.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Buzzards Bay, MA | 83% | 88% | 63% | $19,140.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Franciscan University of Steubenville | Steubenville, OH | 83% | 87% | 70% | $25,970.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 83% | 87% | 59% | $29,640.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calvin College | Grand Rapids, MI | 83% | 87% | 57% | $33,100.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Catholic University of America | Washington, DC | 83% | 86% | 62% | $43,300.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Bethel University | Saint Paul, MN | 83% | 85% | 63% | $36,060.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Immaculata University | Immaculata, PA | 83% | 78% | 59% | $26,500.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American Jewish University | Los Angeles, CA | 83% | 50% | 63% | $29,592.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| St Mary’s College of Maryland | St. Mary’s City, MD | 82% | 87% | 67% | $27,098.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Saint Mary’s College of California | Moraga, CA | 82% | 86% | 63% | $45,536.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| George Fox University | Newberg, OR | 82% | 83% | 59% | $34,500.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Merrimack College | North Andover, MA | 82% | 81% | 65% | $37,910.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grace College and Theological Seminary | Winona Lake, IN | 82% | 79% | 58% | $22,918.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roger Williams University | Bristol, RI | 82% | 79% | 56% | $30,326.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| College of Saint Benedict | Saint Joseph, MN | 81% | 87% | 77% | $42,690.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Belmont University | Nashville, TTN | 81% | 85% | 57% | $31,300.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Endicott College | Beverly, MA | 81% | 84% | 67% | $31,454.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Huntington University | Huntington, IN | 81% | 80% | 57% | $24,694.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| University of New England | Biddeford, ME | 81% | 78% | 60% | $35,240.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Johns University | Collegeville, MN | 80% | 88% | 66% | $42,574.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Hendrix College | Conway, AR | 80% | 83% | 64% | $43,720.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| International Business College-Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, IN | 80% | 0% | 76% | $13,960.00 | Implied no | Implied no | Implied no |
| Misericordia University | Dallas, PA | 79% | 85% | 64% | $30,030.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Norbert College | De Pere, WI | 79% | 83% | 67% | $35,878.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Assumption College | Worcester, MA | 79% | 82% | 70% | $35,510.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Albany, NY | 79% | 80% | 71% | $32,840.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Goucher College | Baltimore, MD | 79% | 78% | 57% | $42,600.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Siena College | Loudonville, NY | 78% | 88% | 72% | $35,435.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA | 78% | 85% | 74% | $50,360.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Saint Mary’s College | Notre Dame, IN | 78% | 84% | 75% | $39,980.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Canisius College | Buffalo, NY | 78% | 83% | 63% | $34,966.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Joseph’s University | Philadelphia, PA | 77% | 91% | 72% | $43,700.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Messiah College | Mechanicsburg, PA | 77% | 88% | 71% | $33,320.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wartburg College | Waverly, IA | 77% | 79% | 65% | $38,710.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | Mount Vernon, OH | 77% | 79% | 57% | $18,696.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wheelock College | Boston, MA | 77% | 76% | 56% | $34,950.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Centre College | Danville, KY | 76% | 91% | 83% | $40,500.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Saint Anselm College | Manchester, NH | 76% | 89% | 70% | $38,960.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 76% | 89% | 63% | $34,000.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Moravian College | Bethlehem, PA | 76% | 82% | 65% | $40,293.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| University of Scranton | Scranton, PA | 75% | 87% | 73% | $42,910.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Marywood University | Scranton, PA | 75% | 86% | 56% | $32,190.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Loyola University Maryland | Baltimore, MD | 75% | 85% | 76% | $46,160.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Manhattan College | Riverdale, NY | 75% | 85% | 59% | $38,200.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 75% | 82% | 65% | $47,722.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hope College | Holland, MI | 74% | 88% | 64% | $32,490.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Elizabethtown College | Elizabethtown, PA | 74% | 87% | 72% | $45,350.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | 74% | 86% | 71% | $44,420.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH | 74% | 84% | 66% | $37,000.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seattle University | Seattle, WA | 74% | 84% | 64% | $42,120.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| The University of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA | 74% | 82% | 58% | $43,100.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| DeSales University | Center Valley, PA | 74% | 81% | 58% | $34,500.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Whittier College | Whittier, CA | 74% | 78% | 60% | $45,720.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Kalamazoo College | Kalamazoo, MI | 73% | 90% | 77% | $46,350.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Bryant University | Smithfield, RI | 73% | 90% | 76% | $41,700.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 73% | 85% | 60% | $40,880.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, VA | 73% | 84% | 59% | $21,278.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL | 73% | 82% | 60% | $42,428.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Lebanon Valley College | Annville, PA | 73% | 81% | 68% | $40,990.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Emmanuel College | Boston, MA | 73% | 78% | 56% | $38,584.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| University of Dayton | Dayton, OH | 72% | 90% | 62% | $41,750.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Creighton University | Omaha, NE | 72% | 89% | 67% | $37,086.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Knox College | Galesburg, IL | 72% | 87% | 69% | $44,191.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Stonehill College | Easton, MA | 72% | 86% | 83% | $41,300.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA | 72% | 86% | 63% | $36,394.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rockhurst University | Kansas City, MO | 72% | 86% | 60% | $35,800.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Salve Regina University | Newport, RI | 72% | 84% | 69% | $38,386.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DePaul University | Chicago, IL | 72% | 84% | 56% | $38,410.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dordt College | Sioux Center, IA | 72% | 81% | 61% | $29,480.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Westminster College | New Wilmington, PA | 72% | 78% | 63% | $34,830.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Lancaster Bible College | Lancaster, PA | 72% | 76% | 57% | $21,900.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wittenberg University | Springfield, OH | 72% | 72% | 59% | $37,930.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY | 71% | 83% | 69% | $42,884.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Lewis & Clark College | Portland, OR | 71% | 83% | 66% | $48,628.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | 71% | 83% | 64% | $41,470.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Juniata College | Huntingdon, PA | 71% | 81% | 67% | $43,050.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |
| Albion College | Albion, MI | 71% | 79% | 56% | $42,560.00 | Yes | Yes | Implied no |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware, OH | 71% | 78% | 64% | $44,430.00 | Yes | Implied no | Implied no |
| King’s College | Wilkes-Barre, PA | 71% | 73% | 61% | $34,630.00 | Yes | Implied no | Yes |