| Ranking | School | Class of 2029 | Class of 2028 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton University | 4.42% | 4.62% | 4.50% | 5.70% |
| 2 | Harvard University | 4.18% | 3.65% | 3.45% | 3.19% |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4.56% | 4.55% | 4.80% | 3.96% |
| 4 | Yale University | 4.75% | 3.87% | 4.50% | 4.57% |
| 5 | California Institute of Technology | 3.78% | 2.57% | 3.14% | 2.69% |
| 6 | Stanford University | 3.90% | 3.61% | 3.91% | 3.68% |
| 7 | University of Chicago | 4.30% | 4.48% | 4.79% | 5.43% |
| 8 | University of Pennsylvania | 4.87% | 5.40% | 5.87% | 6.50% |
| 9 | Columbia University | 4.94% | 3.86% | 4.00% | 3.74% |
| 10 | Brown University | 5.65% | 5.39% | 5.23% | 5.06% |
| 11 | Dartmouth College | 6.02% | 5.40% | 6.23% | 6.38% |
| 12 | Duke University | 5.20% | 5.71% | 6.78% | 6.20% |
| 13 | University of Notre Dame | 9.00% | 11.27% | 12.38% | 12.87% |
| 14 | Northwestern University | 7.00% | 7.69% | 7.22% | 7.21% |
| 15 | Vanderbilt University | 5.33% | 5.86% | 6.28% | 6.10% |
| 16 | Swarthmore College | 7.52% | 7.46% | 6.94% | 6.93% |
| 17 | Pomona College | 7.14% | 7.09% | 6.76% | 7.02% |
| 18 | Cornell University | 8.38% | 8.41% | 7.90% | 7.26% |
| 19 | Bowdoin College | 6.81% | 7.13% | 8.02% | 9.19% |
| 20 | Rice University | 8.01% | 8.00% | 7.88% | 8.68% |
Across nearly all schools shown, acceptance rates have steadily declined from the Class of 2026 to the Class of 2029, reflecting intensifying competition at highly selective institutions. This trend is because of a sustained growth in the number of applications, the normalization of test-optional policies, and broader applicant pools that allow colleges to be more selective without expanding class sizes. While year-to-year fluctuations exist, especially at schools with smaller cohorts, the overall downward trajectory highlights how marginal percentage-point changes now represent thousands of additional rejected applicants. As a result, selectivity has become less about absolute qualifications and more about institutional priorities, fit, and enrollment management strategies.