Ranking the Toughest Colleges to Gain Admission Into

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to apply to some really competitive colleges. As part of my planning, I would love to know which are considered the 50 hardest colleges to get into, worldwide? Any insights would be super helpful!

As someone privy to college admissions, I can certainly give you a general idea of extremely competitive schools. Do keep in mind that acceptance rates fluctuate year by year and between programs within the universities; this should solely serve as a list to guide your application strategy but it should not be viewed as definitive.

Here's a list arranged in no particular ranking order, as each of these institutions is known for being highly selective:

United States:

1. Harvard University

2. Stanford University

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

4. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

5. University of Chicago

6. Princeton University

7. Yale University

8. Columbia University

9. Brown University

10. Dartmouth College

11. Johns Hopkins University

12. Cornell University

13. Duke University

14. Vanderbilt University

15. Northwestern University

16. University of Pennsylvania

17. Amherst College

18. Pomona College

19. Williams College

20. University of Notre Dame

International:

1. University of Oxford (UK)

2. University of Cambridge (UK)

3. Imperial College London (UK)

4. University College London (UK)

5. LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)

6. National University of Singapore (Singapore)

7. Ecole Polytechnique (France)

8. ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Switzerland)

9. Tsinghua University (China)

10. Peking University (China)

11. University of Tokyo (Japan)

12. Kyoto University (Japan)

13. Seoul National University (South Korea)

14. Australian National University (Australia)

15. University of Melbourne (Australia)

16. University of Argentine Social Museum (Argentina)

17. University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

18. McGill University (Canada)

19. The University of British Columbia (Canada)

20. University of Toronto (Canada)

Again, this list is pretty rough and should be used as a starting point. And remember, the “hardest” college to get into isn’t necessarily the one that’s best for you. I encourage you to look at factors beyond admission rates, such as programs of interest, the school's culture, location, and financial fit when you're finalizing your college list. Good luck with your applications!