For students building their college list, it’s always a good idea to have a solid mix of reach, target, and safety schools. But sometimes knowing the right place to look for these universities can be a challenge. Especially if you’re looking for schools with higher chances of acceptance, you might be wondering what is the easiest college to get into?
Simply, the easiest colleges to get into are defined as such because of their acceptance rate. At schools with high acceptance rates, the admissions process is less selective. This means that to determine your acceptance, a committee will not put as much emphasis on your high school or prior academic performance as a highly selective school.
In fact, some colleges have a 100% acceptance rate. In this case, students don’t have to worry about an intensive applicant pool or competitive test scores. Their admittance is all but guaranteed.
However, just because you think a university’s acceptance rate is ideal, that doesn’t necessarily mean the school will be a right fit for you. While the easiest colleges to get into can be beneficial additions to your college list, it doesn’t necessarily mean their academic offerings align with your interests. Conducting your own research before application is always a good idea.
In addition to considering colleges with high acceptance rates, you might also consider colleges with guaranteed admission policies. Guaranteed admission policies mean that if you meet the college’s minimum requirements, full admission will be granted. This could be a good option for college freshman looking for another safety option. But more on that later.
First, let’s take a look at some of the easiest colleges to get into—based on acceptance rate.
Easiest Colleges to Get Into
University | Location | Acceptance Rate |
1. Academy of Art University | San Francisco, California | 100% |
Academy of Art University is a mid-sized private school with about 5,300 undergraduate students. Curriculum at this institution has great emphasis on fine and liberal arts education. Popular programs include acting, advertising, fashion design, graphic design, jewelry & metal arts, and photography. This university does not offer STEM-based majors.
2. Art Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Ohio | 100% |
Another fine arts-focused school, Art Academy of Cincinnati might be a good option if you’re looking for a small-campus feel. With 235 undergraduate students, this university makes the time for personalized student support. Here, students can learn more about creative writing, digital arts and animation, film & video, sculpture, and other liberal arts fields.
3. Benedictine College | Atchison, Kansas | 100% |
A mid-size school with 2,261 undergraduates, Benedictine College is a private liberal arts school. Students on this campus have the option to partake in the college’s vibrant athletics scene, with offerings of baseball, basketball, cross country, football, lacrosse, soccer, track & field, and wrestling. Plus, students can also sign up for the athletic band, cheer, and dance teams. This college is also rooted in Catholic ideals with a focus on mission and spiritual direction.
Easy Colleges to Get Into (Continued)
4. Broward College | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 100% |
For students looking for a large campus feel, this institution may be a good fit. With over 30,000 undergraduate students, Broward College offers many undergraduate pathways in the Health Sciences, Education, Business, Arts & Humanities, Public Safety, STEM and more. Students can also earn other industry certifications in their chosen field.
5. Cameron University | Lawton, Oklahoma | 100% |
A mid-sized school with over 3,100 undergraduate students, Cameron University offers over 30 sports teams and even Greek life for students looking to get involved. Students can register for baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, track & field, softball, volleyball, or spirit teams. Plus, the campus even offers an Esports team which competes regularly.
6. Criswell College | Dallas, Texas | 100% |
Criswell College is a private Baptist Christian college. At this institution, education is influenced by a biblical perspective. Students can choose to major in Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, as well as Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry.
Easy Colleges to Get Into (Continued)
7. Central Christian College of Kansas | McPherson, Kansas | 100% |
A small, private school, Central Christian College of Kansas is home to 536 undergraduate students. With a focus on a Christ-centered education, students can choose from both on campus and online programs. Examples of undergraduate majors include Accounting, Applied Ministry, Biology, Criminal Justice, Education, Exercise Science, Music, Pre-Dental and more.
8. Design Institute of San Diego | San Diego, California | 100% |
A small program with 119 undergraduate students, Design Institute of San Diego allows for one-on-one learning. This college is experienced in and focused solely on interior design. Because of its singular focus, students have the ability to experience the profession first hand and up close from professional faculty.
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9. Adams State University | Alamosa, Colorado | 99% |
Adams State University is a small institution, with 1,835 undergraduate students. The university offers a variety of undergraduate degrees in many fields, including Agriculture programs, Business, Computer Science, Food Studies, Music, and more. The campus has a great focus on fusing student education with the community-at-large.
10. Grand View University | Des Moines, Iowa | 98% |
A small, private university, Grand View offers over 35 undergraduate programs and over 20 online programs for maximum flexibility. Students can choose to enroll as a full-time student or on an online & evening schedule. For students looking to attend on campus, there are many options for housing, with six residence halls to choose from.
Easiest Colleges to Get Into – 100% Acceptance Rate
Colleges with 100% acceptance rates use a system called “open admissions.” This process is used to let prospective applicants know that the college is nonselective. In most cases, the only qualification for acceptance is a high school diploma or GED. These schools are great options for students looking for options with minimal application stress.
11. Alliant International University | California (six locations) | 100% |
12. Albizu University | Miami, Florida | 100% |
13. Divine Word College | Epworth, Iowa | 100% |
14. Grace Christian University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 100% |
15. Middle Georgia State University | Georgia (five locations) | 100% |
16. Missouri Western State University | St. Joseph, Missouri | 100% |
17. Montana State University – Billings | Billings, Montana | 100% |
18. Naropa University | Boulder, Colorado | 100% |
19. North Florida College | Madison, Florida | 100% |
20. Roberts Wesleyan College | Chili, New York | 100% |
21. Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Detroit, Michigan | 100% |
22. Snow College | Ephraim, Utah | 100% |
23. South Florida State College | Avon Park, Florida | 100% |
24. Southwest Baptist Univresity | Bolivar, Missouri | 100% |
25. University of Guam | Mangilao, Guam | 100% |
26. University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, Texas | 100% |
27. Wayne State University | Wayne, Nebraska | 100% |
28. Weber State University | Ogden, Utah | 100% |
29. Western New Mexico University | Silver City, New Mexico | 100% |
30. LeMoyne-Owen College | Memphis, Tennessee | 100% |
Quincy, California | 100% | |
32. Lake-Sumter State College | Florida (multiple campuses) | 100% |
33. Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland, Washington | 100% |
Near 100% Acceptance Rate
34. Southern Virginia University | Buena Vista, Virginia | 99% |
35. Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo, Colorado | 99% |
36. Columbus State University | Columbus, Georgia | 99% |
37. Davenport University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 99% |
38. Delta State University | Cleveland, Mississippi | 99% |
39. Eastern Oregon University | La Grande, Oregon | 99% |
40. Emmaus Bible College | Dubuque, Iowa | 99% |
41. Florida National University | Hialeah, Florida | 99% |
42. Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia | 99% |
43. Mississippi University for Women | Columbus, Mississippi | 99% |
44. Missouri Southern State University | Joplin, Missouri | 99% |
45. Northeastern State University | Tahlequah, Oklahoma | 99% |
46. Southern Louisiana University | Hammond, Louisiana | 99% |
47. South Georgia State College | Douglas, Georgia | 99% |
48. University of Maine – Fort Kent | Fort Kent, Maine | 99% |
49. University of South Dakota | Vermillion, South Dakota | 99% |
50. University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, Mississippi | 99% |
51. Glenville State University | Glenville, West Virginia | 99% |
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52. Centenary University | Hackettstown, New Jersey | 98% |
53. Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia | 97% |
54. Central Methodist University – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Fayetteville, Missouri | 98% |
55. Chestnut Hill College | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 98% |
Colleges with Guaranteed Admissions Policies
At this point, let’s take a quick break to look at the easiest college to get into based on its guaranteed admissions policies. These colleges do not have 100% acceptance rates, but if students meet certain requirements, then they will be offered full admittance. These requirements usually involve the student’s GPA, standardized test scores, and class ranking.
- Mississippi State University – Starkville, Mississippi
Non-Mississippi residents who meet the following criteria will be offered full admission if they have:
- A minimum 2.50 GPA
- Composite score of 20 or higher on the ACT or equivalent SAT score
- Missouri State University – Springfield, Missouri
- Student has 24+ transferable credit hours post-high school
- GPA of 2.0+
Easy Colleges to Get Into (Continued)
- Tulane University – New Orleans, Louisiana
Before you say, “What the heck is Tulane doing on THIS list?”. We fully understand that Tulane has a sub-15% acceptance rate. We’re including Tulane because, if you meet the following steep requirements, you’re in!
- Resident of Louisiana
- Attend or have graduated from a Louisiana high school at the time of application
- Achieve 31+ superscore on the ACT or 1450 on SAT
- 60+ core GPA
- Complete 4 years of English; 3 years of social sciences; 3 years of lab science; 3 years of mathematics; 2 years of foreign language
- Have no prior college attendance
- Have no suspensions or disciplinary violations
- University of Texas at Austin – Austin, Texas
Same note as above re: Tulane. Highly-selective school that just happens to have a defined in-state guaranteed admissions criteria.
- Freshman applicants must rank within the top 6% of their graduating class
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- Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, Oklahoma
Students must meet one of the following criteria:
- 3.0 GPA or better unweighted AND top 33.3% rank in high school class
- 3.0 GPA or better in 15-unit core AND 21 ACT/1060 ACT or better
- 24 ACT/1160 SAT or better
- Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, Illinois
Applicants will be eligible for automatic admission if they are on track to complete the high school course pattern requirements and meet one of the following criteria:
- Cumulative high school GPA of 2.75/4.0
- Rank in the top 10% of their graduating class
- 23 ACT or 1130 SAT
- Truman State University – Kirksville, Missouri
As part of the TruMerit Scholarship, students will have an automatic admission option if they have:
- 27 ACT score/1260 SAT score
- 7 GPA
Easiest Colleges to Get Into (Continued)
- University of Kansas – Lawrence, Kansas
First-year students will have automatic admission to KU’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences if they meet at least one of these requirements:
- Cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) of 3.25+
- ACT of 21/SAT 1060 with a minimum GPA of 2.0
- Texas A&M – College Station, Texas
Students must be Texas residents and have attended a public or private high school in Texas and:
- Rank in the top 10% of graduating class on or before application deadline
- Central Washington University – Ellensburg, Washington
First-year students must:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
90% Acceptance Rate and Higher
66. co*ker University | Hartsville, South Carolina | 94% |
67. College of Coastal Georgia | Brunswick, Georgia | 98% |
68. The College of Westchester | White Plains, New York | 98% |
69. Columbia College (SC) | Columbia, South Carolina | 98% |
70. Culinary Institute of America | Hyde Park, New York | 98% |
71. Fairmont State University | Fairmont, West Virginia | 98% |
72. Life University | Marietta, Georgia | 98% |
73. Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver, Colorado | 98% |
74. Nicholls State University | Thibodaux, Louisiana | 98% |
75. Pacific Northwest College of Art | Portland, Oregon | 94.5% |
76. Plymouth State University | Plymouth, New Hampshire | 98% |
77. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico–Arecibo | Domingo Ruiz, Puerto Rico | 98% |
78. Prescott College | Prescott, Arizona | 98% |
79. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, Illinois | 98% |
80. Spalding University | Louisville, Kentucky | 98% |
81. University of Saint Francis | Fort Wayne, Indiana | 98% |
82. Washburn University | Topeka, Kansas | 98% |
83. Alabama State University | Montgomery, Alabama | 97% |
84. Belmont Abbey College | Belmont, North Carolina | 97% |
85. Bethel College | North Newton, Kansas | 97% |
86. Black Hills State University | Spearfish, South Dakota | 97% |
87. Brigham Young University–Idaho | Rexburg, Idaho | 96% |
88. Culver-Stockton College | Canton, Missouri | 97% |
89. Keiser University | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | 96% |
90. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota | Winona, Minnesota | 97% |
91. Shorter University | Rome, Georgia | 97% |
92. Sul Ross State University | Alpine, Texas | 97% |
93. Trinity Washington University | Washington, DC | 97% |
94. University of Mississippi | Lafayette County, Mississippi | 97% |
95. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown | Cambria County, Pennsylvania | 97% |
96. Wartburg College | Waverly, Iowa | 97% |
97. Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, Kentucky | 97% |
98. Herzing University | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 94% |
99. Maharishi International University | Fairfield, Iowa | 94% |
100. Mary Baldwin University | Saunton, Virginia | 90% |
Easiest Colleges to Get Into – In Review
Ultimately, a college may be selective because they are looking for a specific, specialized type of applicant. For example, colleges like Julliard or Berklee are looking for students with outstanding talent for the performing arts. Because the requirements are so rigorous, the applicant pool is more competitive, and therefore, the overall acceptance rate falls.
Colleges that are less selective are not necessarily looking for one type of student. Therefore, their acceptance rates are higher.
So, if you’re wondering what is the easiest college to get into, there is not a singular, definitive answer. There are many less selective colleges with high acceptance rates that may be a good fit for you.
Additional Resources
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