Most Accessible Elite Schools

Or in student speak – these are the elite safer* schools.

1. Berea College
2. Trinity College (CT)
3. Pitzer College
4. Franklin and Marshall College
5. St. Olaf College
6. Connecticut College
7. Colby College
8. Mount Holyoke College
9. Scripps College
10. Grinnell College
11. Smith College
12. Bryn Mawr College
13. Davidson College
14. Colgate University
15. Barnard College
16. Oberlin College
17. Macalester College
18. Emory University
19. Washington and Lee University
20. Wesleyan University
21. Hamilton College
22. Wellesley College
23. Georgetown University
24. Bowdoin College
25. Vassar College
26. Reed College

This ranking uses the 75% SAT score as an indicator of selectivity, and defines “elite” schools as those that are committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated need to all admitted students (that is, if you can get in, you can afford it). With those criteria in place, these are the least selective elite schools. Since applicants and parents often view selectivity as a good thing, I’m calling this the rank of Most Accessible Elite Schools (instead of “least selective”). If you’re a top applicant who’s serious about the financial investment of college, this is where you should look for those exceptional schools for which admission isn’t next-to-impossible.

*I hesitate to call them safety schools, because they do have very tough admissions standards. I’ve included all twenty-six schools with a 75% SAT less than 2250. As any prospective college applicant knows, a 2250 is an extremely high score. Therefore, the schools in this list aren’t safe at all. But they are notably safer than the 15-20 schools most often discussed by elite students.