Cracking admission: Hardest US colleges to get into based on SAT

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) tops the list, with an acceptance rate of just 4.0% and median SAT scores of 760 in reading and writing, and 800 in math. Following closely is Harvard University, with a rate of 3.2% and median SAT scores of 760 in reading and writing, 790 in math.

Stanford University ranks third, with an acceptance rate of 3.7%, and SAT scores of 760 in reading and writing, and 790 in math.

To identify the toughest schools to get into, 24/7 Wall St., a website providing analysis and commentary, analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The rankings were based on several factors, including acceptance rates and average SAT scores.

The top 10 also includes Yale University, Brown University, Columbia University, Duke University, Dartmouth College, University of Chicago, and Princeton University.

24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the 50 most selective colleges and universities, using a two-part index that combined admissions rates (the percentage of applicants offered admission) and median SAT scores for students admitted in the fall of 2022.

Additional data from the U.S. Department of Education included the average annual cost of attendance, median earnings 10 years post-entry, and graduation rates (the percentage of students graduating within eight years).

All the schools on this list accepted fewer than 20% of applicants, with some having admission rates as low as 5%. Median SAT scores at these institutions range from 1450 to 1560 out of a maximum score of 1600.

While each school's acceptance criteria vary, they generally include personal statements, high school transcripts, extracurricular activities, and standardized test scores such as the SAT.