Universities Report 2013 Acceptance Rates

Click here to see our list of 2013 admission decisions at dozens of universities.

As students and parents make their college decisions, The Choice presents its 2013 listing of college admission statistics at a range of institutions.

I hope that this data â€" while far from comprehensive â€" adds some perspective to the college admission process, especially for seniors who were disappointed by the results, and juniors who are anxious about their own outcomes next year.

Applicant pools are growing larger; the University of Southern California received more than 47,000 applications this year. That’s 10,000 more students than just two years ago, when this year’s applicants were sophomores.

Colleges are also becoming more selective. The Ivy League reported an admit rate that dipped to 5.79 percent at Harvard this year. Stanford accepted 5.69 percent of its more than 38,800 applicants. The University of Chicago accepted only 8.8 percent of its more than 30,300 applicants.

These are extreme examples; there are more than 2,000 four-year colleges and universities in the United States, and many of them offer an excellent education and admit the majority of students who apply. But as interest increases at selective institutions, it may help disappointed applicants to know that thousands of smart, talented, qualified American and international students had to be turned away.

Johns Hopkins University received 20,614 applications this year and denied 17,149 of them. Although Case Western Reserve University accepted 7,200 students, it wait-listed an additional 5,515.

There are various reasons for this: Colleges concerned about their rankings are appearing more selective (and appealing) than ever. Admission officers often select students who are likely to enroll. And, of course, the huge volume of applications dictates that there just isn’t enough room for every good student who applies.

There are other reasons for the outcomes, all of which make holistic college admissions a complex, unpredictable process. So if you are a student or a parent who is scratching your head as you review the chart, just know that you’re not alone. Our student bloggers are a bit “baffled” and “dumbfounded” about the admission decisions, too.

Some notes about our 2013 college admissions report:

• This list is hardly comprehensive. There are more than 2,000 colleges and universities in this country; only a fraction are listed here. Our aim is to provide a sense of the admissions decisions made around the United States, based on the statistics that we have received so far.
• Early admission applicants who were deferred and accepted in regular admissions were counted twice: as early applicants, and again as regular admits.
• “N/A” indicates that the data was not made available or does not apply to the institution. (Universities that do not have early admissions, for example, did not report early admit rates.)
• Check the chart for updates. This list represents a rough draft, based on early figures supplied by those colleges and universities that responded to a survey from The Choice over the last few weeks. Some admissions officers are still compiling their data. (Admissions officers: If you have data that you wish to have published on The Choice, please contact us at thechoicenyt@gmail.com.)

If you are a student (or parent) who would like to share your admission decisions, please join the round-table discussion we began in late March.

If you are still trying to decide where to enroll, I also hope you will visit our five-part Decision Time Q. and A. with Mark Kantrowitz, an expert on financial aid, and Marie Bigham, a former college admission officer and veteran college counselor.

As always, I also welcome your thoughts on this year’s admissions data in the comments box below.