Most selective public colleges
Ranked by how few applicants they admit. Every one of these is a reach for every applicant, whatever the numbers say.
12 colleges
- University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA9% admit~3.94 GPANot considered
- University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA11% admit~3.90 GPANot considered
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA14% admit1370–1540 SATRequired
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC15% admit1390–1530 SATOptional
- University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI16% admit1360–1530 SATOptional
- University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, VA17% admit1410–1540 SATOptional
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee, FL21% admit1030–1180 SATRequired
- University of FloridaGainesville, FL24% admit1320–1480 SAT~3.92 GPARequired
- Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL24% admit1270–1410 SATRequired
- The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX27% admit1250–1510 SATRequired
- University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, CA27% admit~3.88 GPANot considered
- William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA34% admit1400–1530 SATOptional
Acceptance rate and cost come from U.S. Department of Education reporting. Admitted SAT, ACT and GPA come from each college’s Common Data Set, where it publishes one. Every name links to that school’s full read.
Check your own numbers
Where do you stand at these schools?
Add your GPA and scores once. You get a read on every school on this list, and on whether the list you’re building adds up. No account.
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Common questions
How was most selective public colleges built?
From published federal reporting and each college’s own Common Data Set. It’s filtered and sorted on the number the list is about. It isn’t a ranking, and nobody set the order by hand.
What should I do with a list like this?
Use it to find schools worth a look. Then check each one against your own numbers. A school being on a list says nothing about whether it fits you. Fit is the question that matters.
What Spike does with this
A list is a start, not a plan.
Spike reads your whole profile against every school on it. Then it works on the parts a list can’t show.
The full counselor launches in November.