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Several Massachusetts colleges rank among the most selective in the U.S., boasting rigorous admission standards. Their selective nature reflects high application volumes and stringent acceptance criteria, emphasizing academic excellence and diverse student profiles. These institutions maintain esteemed reputations and foster competitive learning environments.
Massachusetts colleges account for six of the 27 most selective colleges in the country. It’s more than any other state in the nation. Only California comes close.
A few are no surprise. Harvard’s selectivity speaks for itself (even if the tiny California Institute of Technology outranks it) and most wouldn’t be surprised to see MIT high on the list.
But others are less well-known, like the Western Massachusetts liberal arts standouts Amherst College and Williams College.
In all, Massachusetts has 12 of the top 100 on the list, which is ranked according to new U.S. Department of Education data that covers the 2022-2023 school year.
California has five of the top 27, and seven of the top 100. New York has fewer colleges in the uppermost tier, but 11 of the top 100.
Matriculation rates, the percent of accepted students who end up enrolling, provides additional context on how many applicants made that school their top choice.
Harvard and MIT, for example, both have matriculation rates above 80%, placing them in the top five nationally. Northeastern University has soared up the ranks of the most selective colleges, finding itself essentially tied with Vanderbilt University and ahead of Cornell University, but it has the lowest matriculation rate among the top 25 — just over 40%.
As for public campuses in Massachusetts, UMass Amherst lands second best in New England behind the University of Connecticut, at 64% and 55%, respectively. University of California Los Angeles leads the country’s public schools with a rate at just below 9%, while the University of Wyoming stands at 96%.
Source: Boston Business Journal
