2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in America

• Cambridge, MA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  793 reviews

Sophomore: Make sure to do your research before deciding to apply or committing. Definitely a lot of prestige, resources, and amazing people. However, as an inner city kid from the midwest, the east coast, especially Boston, was sort of a culture shock. Social life is not as prominent as it is at other schools because academics and athletics definitely dominate the scene. Boston is definitely a college CITY. With so many colleges in a 10 mile radius you only see college study out and about. Overall a very eye opening experience, just make sure to visit and be sure that this is what you seek in your college experience!... Read 793 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 5%

• Net price $18,037

• SAT range 1460-1580

• Stanford, CA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.09 out of 5  1,244 reviews

Alum: Now, 60+ years after a Stanford BSME, I am astoundingly grateful for a rounded undergraduate engineering education that led to 1) a succession of rewarding employments, and through those, 2) development of cultural appreciation and of language capability in Malaysian/Indonesian - employment experiences in human relations and communication that made me a more effective and versatile engineer. So to Stanford, thanks for getting me off to a great start! T. Savage, Seattle... Read 1,244 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 5%

• Net price $20,023

• SAT range 1420-1570

• Princeton, NJ•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.98 out of 5  452 reviews

Junior: My time at Princeton is something I wouldn't change for the world. The institution isn't perfect, the course load is extremely rigorous and exhausting, and the academic pressure can often make you feel like your gonna break down; nonetheless, I've met some of the most amazing people here, the work and the thinking I do in class often sticks with me outside of the lecture, and the undergraduate-focused nature of the school makes me extremely supported and abundant with resources. Its a real give and take but overall, I love that I go to school there.... Read 452 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 6%

• Net price $18,685

• SAT range 1450-1570

• Pasadena, CA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.95 out of 5  127 reviews

Junior: Great academic and research environment. Amazing people all around, from students to faculty. Only problem is the administration.... Read 127 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 7%

• Net price $26,591

• SAT range 1530-1580

• New Haven, CT•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  1,014 reviews

Sophomore: Yale has been a fun and enjoyable experience overall. I would definitely choose Yale again if I had to re-do my college application. Academics: some departments are better taught than other departments. Yale can be weaker in CS and Math compared to other universities, but most alums are still very successful. Like most colleges, there is a lot of independent learning and there are numerous resources to help you. The environment is not competitive unless premed. Social life: Yale has an AMAZING social life compared to other universities of equal caliber. There is always something going on and you can be as social as you want. Social life is nonexistent during midterm season. There are parties, frats, concerts, woads, club formals, and many other events. Sports: Not a big sports school but many students are involved in club sports. Yale dining is delicious and healthy!... Read 1,014 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 7%

• Net price $17,511

• SAT range 1460-1580

• Cambridge, MA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  646 reviews

Sophomore: Currently reaching near the middle of my time here, and this school truly works you to the bone. The baseline of this place is that everyone is very smart. Some are decently smart and work hard enough to get in, others come in doing Olympiads from when they were 5 years old. The students are very diverse. Some come in "normal", others finally get to truly express the weird and unique that they've been suppressing their whole lives. The campus is extremely welcoming and you really get to be who you want to be; it's very beautiful. Each dorm has an extant history and culture; you can automatically learn about someone by what dorm they live in. The academics are exceedingly difficult by content and pace. The problem set difficulty are elevated beyond a typical school's, and they force you to collaborate with others. Everyone must collaborate. You're forced to learn time management skills. I was finally able to satisfy my love for learning here. Truly an amazing and unique school!... Read 646 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 7%

• Net price $19,998

• SAT range 1510-1580

• Chicago, IL•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  1,222 reviews

Sophomore: UChicago certainly lives up to the rumors of its academic rigor but it pays off because each of my classes has been full of highly engaged students excited to study and discuss the material! Unfortunately for students not very very well versed in time-management, the academic work really can take over your life and fulfill the “where fun goes to die” catch-phrase for this school so it requires some serious practice to balance fun and work. In terms of on-campus living, their “Hogwarts” style housing makes for an amazing built-in community even as a freshman. I love living in the dorms and plan to stay through graduation! I’d recommend this college only to students who genuinely enjoy dedicating over 50% of their time to their academics.... Read 1,222 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 7%

• Net price $36,584

• SAT range 1500-1570

• New York, NY•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  1,295 reviews

Sophomore: I liked that there are endless academic opportunities available; you will never run out! Food is average and oftentimes the lines in the dining halls take an annoying amount of time. The dorms in my experience have been pretty nice, and some have crazy amazing views of the city. Students overall are pretty nice/polite here but there in definitely an air of competition in certain interest groups. Many of the general lectures courses leave a lot to be desired and didn't give me any special ivy league education that I couldn't have gotten elsewhere. However, that being said, I've also taken some incredible smaller courses where I've been able to build a relationship with my professor and learn a lot from them. Also make sure you are somewhat interested in what the core has to off because its a huge part of your education at Columbia.... Read 1,295 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 7%

• Net price $22,126

• SAT range 1460-1570

• Durham, NC•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  1,165 reviews

Freshman: It's really good and I enjoy the community and people here. Duke University is multi-faceted in the various opportunities it has to offer. When I arrived I was confused and completely out of my comfort zone. Yet upon arrival Duke held an orientation program that allowed incoming freshmen to interact with upperclassmen and bond with fellow first years through various activities like service projects, lake trips, and other leisure activities. This helped ease my transition and even helped me gain my social footing. Academics on the other hand was another thing. The courses are difficult, yes but they present students with a lovely major positive changes in myself as a person. Similarly, the extracurriculars here at Duke provided a wonderful outlet to push me out of my comfort zone and discover my passions, namely martial arts. To sum up my experience at Duke has been nothing short of transformative in the best way possible.... Read 1,165 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 8%

• Net price $26,932

• SAT range 1470-1570

• Providence, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.82 out of 5  1,048 reviews

Senior: I love Brown. I transferred here, and quickly met some of the most amazing, passionate, and genuine people I could imagine. The student body is so friendly and hard-working. Still, the best part of Brown is the open curriculum—the academic freedom and autonomy I am given here has changed my relationship to learning and life in general. I have discovered so many interests I never know I had! The open curriculum, in general, is perfect for students who have lots of wide-ranging interests and want to pursue multiple fields, or know exactly what they want to specialize in. But it's also great for students who have no idea, and want time to explore and try new areas of study while they figure things out. I agree with other reviewers that the food and dorms aren't outstanding by any means. However, the academic environement, professors, and fellow students at Brown are more than worth it. I'm so sad to be graduating :(... Read 1,048 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 8%

• Net price $27,659

• SAT range 1440-1560

• Philadelphia, PA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  1,302 reviews

Junior: Work hard, play hard! That’s life at Penn. Strengths - Great approachable Professors, almost any class or activity you can think of, wonderful diversity, beautiful campus. Lots of opportunities to study abroad. Greek life is active, but not necessary to have a rich social life. Tuition, room and board are expensive but there’s lots of aid available. Highly recommended, but very competitive admission rate ( around 8% ). Suggest applying Early Decision if Penn’s your first choice ( 18% acceptance rate ).... Read 1,302 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price $24,167

• SAT range 1460-1570

• Evanston, IL•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  1,441 reviews

Junior: Northwestern is a wonderful academic institution. The professors and one of a kind programs are incredibly engaging. Northwestern provides students with so many opportunities within their undergraduate career. The campus is in an ideal location with its proximity to Chicago and lakefront access. Additionally, Northwestern has hundreds of clubs that fit any and all interests. The only downsides to Northwestern include the competitive atmosphere, cold winters, and lackluster party scene. If you are someone who is willing to brave the cold and explore Chicago for your fun and parties, then Northwestern is the place for you!... Read 1,441 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price $28,344

• SAT range 1430-1550

• Hanover, NH•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  717 reviews

Junior: I am a transfer student athlete and am planning to attend Dartmouth in the fall. What I loved on my visit was the family atmosphere amongst the faculty and the close relationships they had with their students. I believe that it is important to put an emphasis on undergraduate education and Dartmouth does that the best in comparison to any other school in the nation. From an athletic standpoint I feel like Dartmouth has all the tools and facilities to help me achieve my athletic goals. Coming from an institution that gives athletic scholarships, Ivy leagues do not have that availability. I felt like the experiences and relationships that I would build would make it worth it to apply for scholarships online. Thank you!... Read 717 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price $24,525

• SAT range 1440-1560

• Claremont, CA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.22 out of 5  414 reviews

Alum: Aside from all of the aspects Pomona promotes as the reasons in favor of attending, I have to say that the relationships I forged with faculty, staff, and my fellow majors (Public Policy Analysis) contributed in large part to my success in undergrad and beyond. The Career Development Office in particular helped me perfect my job-hunting skills, and tailor my resume to ensure I was always putting my best, most relevant self out there. The alumni network is robust, and folks are always willing to lend a helping hand when it comes to connecting current students and other alums to jobs or people who can lift them up. Thanks to the CDO, I was able to land a great internship that legitimized my thesis research to a point where I was able to create valid policy solutions to address the problems I was trying to solve, which is why I chose Pomona in the first place. So glad to have had the opportunities and experiences that I did! My life shifted for the better because of Pomona.... Read 414 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price $30,392

• SAT range 1390-1540

• Houston, TX•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  1,092 reviews

Freshman: At first, I was a bit disappointed that I ended up at Rice University. I was aiming for the Ivy Leagues and ended up at a college that I hadn't even heard of before the university application process. However, even though I've only been here for a few weeks, I couldn't be happier. Rice is a super inclusive university, with only the best of the best as professors, and the people here are nicer than any other people I've ever met. Everyone in the student body is willing to get to know you and, as an introvert, I feel myself becoming more and more relaxed when hanging out and talking to other people. Of course, I couldn't mention Rice without mentioning how good their academics are, and as a STEM student the classes are fast-paced yet easy to understand. Rice also has an enormous campus that rivals the Ivies while only having a total enrollment of under 7000 students. This means that dorms are also massive, and the living conditions are sensational. I'm happy to be an Owl!... Read 1,092 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 11%

• Net price $19,215

• SAT range 1460-1570

• Swarthmore, PA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  422 reviews

Niche User: The campus is amazing; the historical feeling of the buildings and the nature surrounding the campus is beautiful. The fact that it is close to Philadelphia also makes the college great to attend. Swarthmore even has a train station within the campus to make it even easier for students to travel!... Read 422 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price $20,360

• SAT range 1390-1540

• Brunswick, ME•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  715 reviews

Alum: Bowdoin was an incredible place for me. Being within both 15 minutes from the ocean, and 30 minutes from Portland, made it an exciting place to reside that offered plenty in both nature and the city. Though athletics may not be to the scale of large schools, the support I witnessed at big games was still absolutely electric in basketball and volleyball specifically, and Intramural sports have incredible participation in basketball, soccer, and softball tournaments alike. Socially, the school is small (1800) but felt big enough that I was still meeting new people every day until graduation, yet I also felt incredibly close with my grade. This made parties and social events feel comfortable, yet still exciting. I wouldn’t trade our lil’ Shindigs for anything. The Housing and Dining will be missed, as I’m sure it will be years ‘til I live and eat like I did at Bowdoin again! Classes are small and in depth, professors love what they teach, Truly a great place that I loved dearly... Read 715 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price $25,622

• SAT range 1360-1510

• Baltimore, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  1,359 reviews

Senior: John’s Hopkins is a great university with wonderful teaching staff and TA’s that are committed to helping their students succeed. I would highly recommend STEM students to apply as the engineering, computer science and other non pre-med curriculum is world class too. The smaller classes really provide a more conducive learning experience. There are also many things to do in Baltimore and living so close to Washington DC provides other opportunities to explore. The Hopkins Homewood campus is one of the most beautiful among all the campuses I toured before applying. As a top ten nationally ranked university you can’t go wrong!... Read 1,359 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 11%

• Net price $25,241

• SAT range 1470-1560

• Nashville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.01 out of 5  1,312 reviews

Alum: I graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2021 with a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience. I primarily chose to attend Vandy for its academic prowess, and it definitely lived up to that reputation. In retrospect, I loved the majority of my STEM classes, and I find that my education was well-rounded because of my required liberal arts classes. The campus is beautiful, the food is relatively good, and on-campus housing is average. Admittedly, I was excited to live off-campus for my last two years (but beware - living in Nashville is not cheap). Socially, I had a great time at Vandy, especially thanks to the liveliness of Nashville, but sadly not due to Vanderbilt sports - this is not their strong suit. I met lifelong friends at this school! Realistically, however, many students do come from wealthy backgrounds, which can be off-putting at times. Ultimately, while undeniably expensive, Vanderbilt is a great school that will certainly work to your advantage after graduation.... Read 1,312 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 12%

• Net price $25,804

• SAT range 1470-1570

• Ithaca, NY•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  2,011 reviews

Senior: Work hard, play harder. Cornell is an excellent school academically speaking & one where you'll find friends for life. The opportunities are endless, and job placement is spectacular. All of my friends are either going to top firms or top PhD/MD programs. It's hard to transition to college, but Cornell is a pretty difficult transition (very cold, hard academically, exclusive Greek life scene). That said, once you make it work for you it's the best uni experience!... Read 2,011 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 11%

• Net price $27,522

• SAT range 1400-1540

• Amherst, MA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  310 reviews

Junior: I really appreciate the way in which many of my STEM-based courses are constructed to cater to the learning needs and goals of all students. This "flipped" style of teaching has been different from most STEM classes that I've taken here throughout my educational journey, but I find that I'm preferring it over the traditional textbook/lecture-focused courses. This collaborative, active-style of learning closely simulates the type of learning that you do in scientific research, and I'm glad that we're able to experience this in a scientific classroom.... Read 310 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 12%

• Net price $18,832

• SAT range 1430-1560

• Waterville, ME•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  551 reviews

Freshman: Colby is a really great school, and all that I was looking for academically. While the workload for some of my classes took a little bit of transitioning towards, I feel like I am being challenged while also learning a lot. The school gives great financial aid and funding, which is a huge advantage too. Personally, I like the smaller campus size. It's easy to navigate and get around, but there's still a pretty wide expanse so you don't feel suffocated. However, because it is a small campus, there isn't much to do outside of events being held. Downtown is also pretty barren, and there's nothing to do. The shuttle is a bit limited, and only goes downtown and to Walmart. Having a car would be very nice here! If you love nature and the outdoors, it's perfect here. There is a lack of diversity, but also more diversity than I was expecting from a college in the middle of nowhere Maine.... Read 551 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 10%

• Net price $18,552

• SAT range 1380-1520

• Annapolis, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.82 out of 5  239 reviews

Sophomore: Multiple sons attending. Best academic institution in the world! Magnificent architectural buildings. The military regiment, the friendships, a band of brothers is what they become. Midshipmen have the opportunity to participate in various activities and sports. Academics are rigorous. Plebe year is extremely difficulty (don't quit!)followed by earned respect in the youngster year, more relaxed, still highly academic years to come, but more at ease as they know how to navigate the waters.... Read 239 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price —

• SAT range 1230-1450

• West Point, NY•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  460 reviews

Junior: Even though the past year has been tough because of COVID restrictions, I have had overall a pretty good time at West Point. The people here are mainly what makes it worth it--I've made friends that I know will last a lifetime. There are also endless opportunities (both during the semester and summer), especially if you want to get involved with research as an undergraduate. I have been able to publish my research in well known journals and conduct research alongside experts professors in the field I hope to pursue graduate school. The academics are not too hard, but it is very hit or miss in the core classes, because the instructors are randomly assigned and you don't get to choose. You might end up with someone not that great. However, in the upper division classes in the major, instructors are amazing and passionate about the subject. I really enjoy most parts about West Point and I look forward to commissioning as an army officer!... Read 460 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 9%

• Net price —

• SAT range 1210-1440

• New Orleans, LA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  1,612 reviews

Alum: The academics were absolutely stellar. Wide variety of classes with lots of flexibility to take courses outside of your primary disciplines. I was even able to double major AND minor! The professors are also fantastic; super knowledgeable in their field. Even the TAs and PhD students who taught courses were engaging and knew their stuff. The diversity and social scene of Tulane could use a bit of help. For a school in one of the most diverse cities in the country, the student body was VASTLY white-passing. The university is taking measures to make Tulane more accessible to BIPOC, though, which is a fantastic move to see. The social scene can at times feel overwhelmed by Greek life, but only if you are in Greek life or have friends who are in it. The variety of clubs and student orgs that Tulane offers is sure to help just about anyone find "their people," though.... Read 1,612 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 11%

• Net price $47,413

• SAT range 1340-1500