The 35 hardest colleges to get into in America

The California Institute of Technology was the hardest US school to get into in the 2024-2025 year. Kit Leong/Shutterstock Admissions at some of America's most prestigious institutions have become increasingly competitive. Small curated programs and large applicant pools can contribute to low acceptance rates at schools. The California Institute of Technology is the hardest US university to get into, per 2024 data. For some schools across the US, a low single-digit acceptance rate has becom...