The Inkwell
Rankings
Most selective

The most selective U.S. colleges

Lowest admission rates: the share of applicants offered a place. Top 100 of 1,361 qualifying colleges.

Highest-earning graduates Lowest net price Best graduation rate Most selective Highest SAT scores Lowest student debt Best first-year retention Pell Grant access Largest colleges Earnings vs. price Oldest colleges

#	College	State	Sector	Most selective	Net price	Grad.	Earnings
1	California Institute of TechnologyPasadena	CA	Nonprofit	2.6%	$8,509	90%	$166,642
2	Minerva UniversitySan Francisco	CA	Nonprofit	3.0%	—	93%	—
3	Harvard UniversityCambridge	MA	Nonprofit	3.6%	$19,148	97%	$121,957
4	Stanford UniversityStanford	CA	Nonprofit	3.6%	$12,307	92%	$125,340
5	Yale UniversityNew Haven	CT	Nonprofit	3.9%	$11,340	96%	$118,356
6	Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York	NY	Nonprofit	4.0%	$15,370	95%	$109,430
7	Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge	MA	Nonprofit	4.5%	$14,815	96%	$152,553
8	University of ChicagoChicago	IL	Nonprofit	4.5%	$16,776	95%	$103,872
9	Princeton UniversityPrinceton	NJ	Nonprofit	4.6%	$7,815	97%	$133,523
10	Northeastern UniversityBoston	MA	Nonprofit	5.2%	$29,060	91%	$99,371
11	Brown UniversityProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	5.4%	$26,976	96%	$99,974
12	Dartmouth CollegeHanover	NH	Nonprofit	5.4%	$26,707	95%	$111,162
13	University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia	PA	Nonprofit	5.4%	$29,577	97%	$121,687
14	Duke UniversityDurham	NC	Nonprofit	5.7%	$23,706	96%	$113,937
15	Vanderbilt UniversityNashville	TN	Nonprofit	5.9%	$15,497	93%	$99,080
16	Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore	MD	Nonprofit	6.4%	$18,431	93%	$104,590
17	Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick	ME	Nonprofit	7.1%	$15,595	93%	$90,153
18	Colby CollegeWaterville	ME	Nonprofit	7.1%	$19,835	87%	$88,776
19	Pomona CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	7.1%	$18,978	92%	$84,281
20	Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore	PA	Nonprofit	7.5%	$17,392	92%	$86,311
21	Northwestern UniversityEvanston	IL	Nonprofit	7.7%	$34,420	96%	$104,255
22	Rice UniversityHouston	TX	Nonprofit	8.0%	$11,164	95%	$90,773
23	Williams CollegeWilliamstown	MA	Nonprofit	8.2%	$15,157	95%	$95,954
24	Barnard CollegeNew York	NY	Nonprofit	8.8%	$28,930	92%	$98,280
25	Cornell UniversityIthaca	NY	Nonprofit	8.8%	$33,934	94%	$113,531
26	Amherst CollegeAmherst	MA	Nonprofit	9.0%	$19,536	92%	$95,161
27	University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles	CA	Public	9.0%	$14,659	93%	$88,581
28	New York UniversityNew York	NY	Nonprofit	9.2%	$35,737	88%	$90,957
29	United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis	MD	Public	9.3%	—	88%	—
30	Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	9.6%	$26,039	90%	$127,532
31	University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles	CA	Nonprofit	9.8%	$33,056	90%	$103,420
32	Stanbridge UniversityIrvine	CA	For-profit	10%	$25,124	51%	$67,293
33	Emory UniversityAtlanta	GA	Nonprofit	11%	$16,754	91%	$93,897
34	Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury	VT	Nonprofit	11%	$32,102	92%	$85,077
35	University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley	CA	Public	11%	$14,538	94%	$100,212
36	Boston UniversityBoston	MA	Nonprofit	11%	$36,503	90%	$89,087
37	University of Notre DameNotre Dame	IN	Nonprofit	11%	$25,339	95%	$113,124
38	Tufts UniversityMedford	MA	Nonprofit	12%	$38,797	94%	$89,187
39	Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh	PA	Nonprofit	12%	$35,780	94%	$125,257
40	College of the OzarksPoint Lookout	MO	Nonprofit	12%	$13,114	63%	$47,246
41	Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis	MO	Nonprofit	12%	$13,360	93%	$91,497
42	Haverford CollegeHaverford	PA	Nonprofit	12%	$31,075	89%	$76,397
43	United States Military AcademyWest Point	NY	Public	12%	—	86%	—
44	Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	13%	$39,347	93%	$164,248
45	Georgetown UniversityWashington	DC	Nonprofit	13%	$33,661	94%	$110,516
46	Bates CollegeLewiston	ME	Nonprofit	13%	$27,390	88%	$98,373
47	Davidson CollegeDavidson	NC	Nonprofit	13%	$15,060	90%	$89,297
48	Hamilton CollegeClinton	NY	Nonprofit	14%	$25,793	90%	$84,956
49	Colgate UniversityHamilton	NY	Nonprofit	14%	$29,409	89%	$96,328
50	Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans	LA	Nonprofit	14%	$40,693	87%	$68,226
51	Washington and Lee UniversityLexington	VA	Nonprofit	14%	$25,279	96%	$102,966
52	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta	GA	Public	14%	$12,028	94%	$114,210
53	United States Air Force AcademyUSAF Academy	CO	Public	14%	—	84%	—
54	Wellesley CollegeWellesley	MA	Nonprofit	14%	$23,995	91%	$90,458
55	Grinnell CollegeGrinnell	IA	Nonprofit	14%	$15,203	86%	$72,106
56	University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill	NC	Public	15%	$11,305	91%	$81,094
57	University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor	MI	Public	16%	$14,362	93%	$92,832
58	Boston CollegeChestnut Hill	MA	Nonprofit	16%	$38,930	90%	$112,178
59	Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown	CT	Nonprofit	16%	$23,014	90%	$86,811
60	University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville	VA	Public	17%	$18,056	94%	$96,468
61	Babson CollegeWellesley	MA	Nonprofit	17%	$34,096	92%	$138,950
62	Denison UniversityGranville	OH	Nonprofit	17%	$40,163	78%	$73,151
63	College of the Holy CrossWorcester	MA	Nonprofit	18%	$38,829	86%	$100,485
64	Colorado CollegeColorado Springs	CO	Nonprofit	18%	$27,951	86%	$70,914
65	Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie	NY	Nonprofit	19%	$36,924	89%	$75,532
66	Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence	RI	Nonprofit	19%	$50,513	92%	$69,341
67	University of MiamiCoral Gables	FL	Nonprofit	19%	$36,483	84%	$84,093
68	Berea CollegeBerea	KY	Nonprofit	19%	$5,836	66%	$48,071
69	Carleton CollegeNorthfield	MN	Nonprofit	20%	$25,295	89%	$82,742
70	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee	FL	Public	21%	$15,220	62%	$52,104
71	Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale	MI	Nonprofit	21%	—	89%	—
72	The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York	NY	Nonprofit	21%	$12,999	82%	$76,895
73	Smith CollegeNorthampton	MA	Nonprofit	21%	$25,519	86%	$69,936
74	Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs	NY	Nonprofit	21%	$31,829	82%	$79,268
75	Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem	NC	Nonprofit	22%	$28,165	90%	$104,443
76	University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond	VA	Nonprofit	22%	$34,256	86%	$92,362
77	United States Coast Guard AcademyNew London	CT	Public	22%	—	95%	—
78	Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston	SC	Public	23%	$22,019	79%	$82,609
79	Crown CollegeSaint Bonifacius	MN	Nonprofit	23%	$25,963	47%	$50,003
80	Florida State UniversityTallahassee	FL	Public	24%	$8,605	86%	$68,225
81	University of FloridaGainesville	FL	Public	24%	$5,969	92%	$78,456
82	Reed CollegePortland	OR	Nonprofit	25%	$32,800	74%	$64,977
83	Spelman CollegeAtlanta	GA	Nonprofit	25%	$46,089	77%	$65,773
84	Pitzer CollegeClaremont	CA	Nonprofit	25%	$36,135	83%	$72,270
85	Lehigh UniversityBethlehem	PA	Nonprofit	26%	$25,272	85%	$116,342
86	Trinity UniversitySan Antonio	TX	Nonprofit	26%	$22,962	82%	$79,620
87	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-FajardoFajardo	PR	Nonprofit	26%	$9,597	44%	$28,660
88	The University of Texas at AustinAustin	TX	Public	27%	$18,554	89%	$81,694
89	University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla	CA	Public	27%	$14,794	86%	$96,197
90	Villanova UniversityVillanova	PA	Nonprofit	27%	$41,536	93%	$115,382
91	Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster	PA	Nonprofit	28%	$33,445	79%	$81,484
92	Macalester CollegeSaint Paul	MN	Nonprofit	28%	$27,851	91%	$69,951
93	University of Virginia's College at WiseWise	VA	Public	28%	$5,869	44%	$50,389
94	University of California-IrvineIrvine	CA	Public	29%	$13,866	87%	$83,432
95	Bucknell UniversityLewisburg	PA	Nonprofit	29%	$50,021	85%	$109,954
96	Mississippi Christian UniversityClinton	MS	Nonprofit	29%	$21,034	64%	$54,122
97	Trinity CollegeHartford	CT	Nonprofit	29%	$37,004	83%	$103,089
98	Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr	PA	Nonprofit	29%	$44,593	83%	$80,291
99	University of North Carolina School of the ArtsWinston Salem	NC	Public	30%	$14,859	80%	$46,097
100	Kenyon CollegeGambier	OH	Nonprofit	31%	$33,279	86%	$65,780

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education · ties broken alphabetically