What Are the Easiest Colleges to Get Into? List of 100+ Schools

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Applying to colleges is stressful. You often don't know whether you've gotten accepted until well after you've submitted your application; therefore, it's useful to have safety schools as a backup. These are colleges you're almost certain that you'd get into if you were to apply.

We've compiled a thorough guide of the easiest colleges to get into in the United States. Find out which schools have the highest admission rates, which ones guarantee admission if you meet certain requirements, and which ones have the lowest average SAT/ACT scores.

 

What Is an "Easy College to Get Into"?

What an "easy college to get into" is will depend on your specific circumstances and application.

If you scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT or a full 36 on the ACT, most colleges will be easy to get into. For below-average students, schools that have high admission rates and low requirements will be easy colleges to get into.

Whatever your personal situation, having safety schools is critical to your college application strategy. You don't want to end up with no admission offers your senior spring, so it's important to have a few schools that you're almost certain will accept you.

Below, we've compiled three collections of schools that are easy to get into in their own way.

First, we'll look at schools in the US that have the highest admission rates, which means nearly all those who apply to them get admitted.

Next, we'll discuss schools with guaranteed admission—if you meet their requirements, they will guarantee you a spot, no matter what.

Finally, we'll introduce schools with the lowest average SAT/ACT scores. So if you're performing a bit below average on one of these tests, these schools will be a solid bet for you.

 

Top 100 Colleges With the Highest Admission Rates

The hardest schools to get into have admission rates below 10%. Harvard, for example, has an admission rate of just 3.43%. This means that out of 1000 students who apply, only 34 get in.

By contrast, the easiest colleges to get into have nearly 100% admission rates. So if you apply, you're almost certain to get in. Unlike community colleges (which also have 100% admission rates), the following schools are usually affiliated with state university systems.

Here's a list of the 100 colleges with the highest admission rates. All data comes from US News.

School City State Admission Rate
Academy of Art University San Francisco CA 100%
Boston Architectural College Boston MA 100%
Broward College Fort Lauderdale FL 100%
Cameron University Lawton OK 100%
Dickinson State University Dickinson ND 100%
Dixie State University Saint George UT 100%
Glenville State College Glenville WV 100%
Goddard College Plainfield VT 100%
Granite State College Concord NH 100%
Lake-Sumter State College Leesburg FL 100%
Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland WA 100%
LeMoyne-Owen College Memphis TN 100%
Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston ID 100%
Maharishi International University Fairfield IA 100%
Mary Baldwin University Staunton VA 100%
Montana State University — Billings Billings MT 100%
Montana State University — Northern Havre MT 100%
New England College Henniker NH 100%
New School of Architecture and Design San Diego CA 100%
Rochester College Rochester Hills MI 100%
South Florida State College Avon Park FL 100%
St. Petersburg College St. Petersburg FL 100%
Thomas More College of Liberal Arts Merrimack NH 100%
University of Maryland University College Adelphi MD 100%
University of Pikeville Pikeville KY 100%
University of Texas — El Paso El Paso TX 100%
Utah Valley University Orem UT 100%
Wayne State College Wayne NE 100%
Wilmington University New Castle DE 100%
Adams State University Alamosa CO 99%
Black Hills State University Spearfish SD 99%
Central Christian College McPhearson KS 99%
La Roche University Pittsburgh PA 99%
Martin Methodist College Pulaski TN 99%
Milligan University Milligan TN 99%
Naropa University Boulder CO 99%
Northeastern State University Talequah OK 99%
Shawnee State University Portsmouth OH 99%
University of Maine—Ft. Kent Ft. Kent ME 99%
University of Maine—Machias Machias ME 99%
University of Maine—Presque Isle Presque Isle ME 99%
Concordia University--St. Paul St. Paul MN 98%
Covenant College Lookout Mountain GA 98%
Eastern Oregon University La Grande OR 98%
The Evergreen State College Olympia WA 98%
National Louis University Chicago IL 98%
Nyack College Nyack NY 98%
Purdue University—Northwest Hammond IN 98%
University of Mary Bismark ND 98%
University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas VI 98%
Alabama State University Montgomery AL 97%
Benedictine College Atchison KS 97%
Bringham Young University — Idaho Rexburg ID 97%
California University of Pennsylvania California PA 97%
Columbia College Columbia SC 97%
Mississippi University for Women Columbus MS 97%
Oregon Tech Klamath Falls OR 97%
University of Providence Great Falls MT 97%
Warner Pacific University Portland OR 97%
Wayland Baptist University Plainview TX 97%
Western Kentucky University Bowling Green KY 97%
Bennett College Greensboro NC 96%
Blue Mountain College Blue Mountain MS 96%
Brewton-Parker College Mount Vernon GA 96%
Eastern Washington University Cheney WA 96%
Grambling State College Grambling LA 96%
Grand View University Des Moines IA 96%
Lancaster Bible College Lancaster PA 96%
Life Pacific College San Dimas CA 96%
Louisiana State University—Shreveport Shreveport LA 96%
Pittsburg State University Pittsburg KS 96%
Portland State University Portland OR 96%
Saint Martin's University Lacey WI 96%
Sheperd University Sheperdstown WV 96%
Spalding University Louisville KY 96%
Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar VA 96%
University of Kentucky Lexington KY 96%
University of Saint Francis Fort Wayne IN 96%
University of Wyoming Laramie WY 96%
Arkansas Tech University Russellville AR 95%
Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia PA 96%
Neumann University Aston PA 96%
Northwest Nazarene University Nampa ID 96%
Sterling College Craftsbury Common VT 96%
University of the West Rosemead CA 96%
Arkansas Tech University Russellville AR 95%
Austin Peay State University Clarksville TN 95%
Bethany College Bethany WV 95%
Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley PA 95%
Lindsey Wilson College Columbia KY 95%
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven PA 95%
Mount Aloysius College Cresson PA 95%
Prescott College Prescott AZ 95%
Trinity Washington University Washington, DC DC 95%
University of Toledo Toledo OH 95%
University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee Milwaukee WI 95%

 

As you can see, these are definitely some of the easiest schools to get into. Applying to any of these schools will give you a great shot at getting in.

For schools that have less than a 100% admission rate, you should still create a target SAT score or target ACT score so you can figure out what minimum SAT/ACT score you'll need to get in.

 

Colleges With Guaranteed Admission

Some colleges have policies that grant you automatic admission once you've fulfilled their academic criteria. The school will usually require a minimum GPA and/or a minimum SAT/ACT score. If you exceed these guidelines, you're in!

But what's the difference from the 100% admission colleges above?

Guaranteed admission schools are typically more selective for the population as a whole. For example, the University of Texas at Austin has a 32% acceptance rate overall, but if you're a Texas resident and are in the top 6% of your class, you'll be automatically admitted.

These schools are therefore more competitive (and usually have better reputations) than the 100% admission schools listed above. So if you qualify, these are solid bets for safety schools.

Each school has different criteria, but we've done the hard work of gathering all the schools in one list for you. Just click on the school to see its admission policies.

If you pick one, this might be the easiest college to get into for you.

 

Colleges With the Lowest SAT/ACT Scores

Aside from the schools listed above, some schools have very low SAT/ACT score averages. If you score above the average, you're very likely to be admitted. As a result, the following list represents some of the colleges that are easy to get into.

While some of these schools have already appeared above, here we'll be showing the middle 50% (average range) of SAT/ACT scores, wherein the lower score refers to the 25th percentile and the higher score refers to the 75th percentile.

School SAT Middle 50% ACT Middle 50%
Wiley College 640-1020 Avg = 16
Central State University 710-880 14-18
Bethune-Cookman University 710-880 15-17
Jarvis Christian University 720-880 13-17
CUNY Medgar Evers College 730-910 13-16
Rust College 730-890 13-17
Paul Quinn College 730-950 14-17
Paine College 740-930 14-18
Livingstone College 755-920 13-16
Shaw University 763-935 13-16
Pine Manor College 770-970 13-18
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania 770-1030 15-21
Virginia Union University 780-970 15-18
College of St. Elizabeth 850-1040 15-18
University of Louisiana at Monroe 800-880 20-25
Chowan University 810-1000 14-18
Kentucky State University 810-990 16-26
Texas Southern University 830-990 15-19
Wesley College 750-1050 15-20
Trinity College of Florida 850-1140 15-20
Randall University 830-1030 16-20
Sul Ross State University 805-1020 16-20
Elizabeth City State University 840-1010 16-21
Huston-Tillotson University 840-1050 16-20
Savannah State University 840-1000 16-19
SUNY Cobleskill 870-1070 17-22
Calumet College of St. Joseph 810-1010 17-21
Post University 850-1100 17-21
Virginia State University 820-1010 15-19
Fayetteville State University 890-1030 15-23
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 890-1070 16-20
Lincoln Christian University 880-1050 17-24
Grand View University 890-1150 18-23
Kentucky Christian University 900-1060 18-22
Clark Atlanta University 950-1100 18-21
Northern State University 950-1270 19-24
Marietta College 1000-1210 20-26
Missouri Valley College 920-1230 17-26
Texas A&M University — Kingsville 940-1130 17-22
Albertus Magnus College 810-1050 19-29

 

What's Next?

Another important factor in college apps is how long it will take you to graduate. Learn what the average bachelor's degree length is and how to graduate on time (or early!) with this article.

Even if you're applying to the easiest colleges to get into, you'll still likely need to take the SAT/ACT. Find out your SAT target score/ACT target score based on where you're applying.

Not sure how to organize your test-taking schedule? Learn what the best SAT/ACT test dates are and get tips on coming up with an ideal schedule for you.

Aiming for a perfect SAT/ACT score? Get the rundown of what it takes in our guides on how to get a full 1600 on the SAT and how to get a full 36 on the ACT.

Even if you feel your chances at college are low right now, we still heavily encourage you to try to improve your SAT or ACT score. Increasing your SAT score by 120 points or your ACT score by 3 points will completely change the quality of school you can get into. This can have a huge impact on your salary after graduation.

 

 



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About the Author
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Allen Cheng

As co-founder and head of product design at PrepScholar, Allen has guided thousands of students to success in SAT/ACT prep and college admissions. He's committed to providing the highest quality resources to help you succeed. Allen graduated from Harvard University summa cum laude and earned two perfect scores on the SAT (1600 in 2004, and 2400 in 2014) and a perfect score on the ACT. You can also find Allen on his personal website, Shortform, or the Shortform blog.



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