The college acceptance process can be highly competitive. For some schools like Ivy League colleges, the acceptance rates are often less than 10%. In an effort to make higher education the human right that it should be, many colleges have a 100% acceptance rate. That means, with the right requirements, you can be guaranteed admittance. If you’re wondering about what college has a 100% acceptance rate, then we have some good news for you. There’s a lot more than just one!
From learning how an acceptance rate is calculated to understanding why it matters, this article will teach you everything you need to know about college acceptance rates. That way, you won’t have to fear receiving rejection letters because you’ll better understand what colleges expect. We’ll also give you some insight into the different types of institutions you can choose from to earn your higher education.
A college’s acceptance rate is the rate at which they admit applicants. It is calculated by taking the number of accepted students and dividing it by the total number of applicants. This results in a percentage.
Here’s an example. A school accepts 500 students and 1,000 total applied. To calculate the acceptance rate, you’d take 500/1,000 = .5, or 50%. That means half the students who try to get into the school are accepted.
If a school has a lot of interest and many students apply, then the denominator gets larger. This makes the acceptance rate likely to be lower, which could make the school even more desirable because it’s exclusive.
An acceptance rate is not to be confused with a school’s yield rate. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who actually choose to attend the institution.
Do Low Acceptance Rates Mean Anything?
Some people view a school with a low acceptance rate as providing a better education. This is because if the acceptance rate is low, that may reflect that only the top students are being allowed entrance.
For colleges, they may like to keep their acceptance rates on the lower side because it helps them rank higher in third-party ranking systems of the best colleges. However, in truth, there are schools with 100% acceptance rates, or relatively high acceptance rates, that provide very high-quality education (more on this later).
What Do Colleges Consider For Admission?
When it comes to applying to college, you’ll have to do some research to find the types of schools you wish to attend. Then, you’ll want to look at their admissions requirements and criteria by which they judge students for admittance.
While every school has their own set of requirements to apply based on the degree type and school, many share these similar requests:
SAT or ACT Scores: These standardized tests offer schools a way to judge students across the board based on the same type of test. While every student’s grades also play a role in the admissions process, it’s hard to judge grades equally as the course level is not standardized across every high school.
High School Transcript: A high school transcript contains all the class titles and grades received throughout your high school career. It is sent to your desired institutions of higher education.
Personal Statement: Most schools request that you write one or more personal statements in your application. A personal statement is either the answer to a provided prompt or an open-ended essay in which you can share more about yourself. For some, it gives them a space to explain gaps in their resume or reasons why their grades are less than ideal. Or, it can be a space to share how you’ve overcome hardship or positively contributed to the world. No matter what the prompt is about, a personal statement is another way to showcase your writing skills and give the admissions committee some insight into your character.
Letters Of Recommendation: Some colleges will ask for letters of recommendation from people who may know you best. This could be high school teachers, undergraduate professors, mentors, or employers. It’s more common that graduate schools ask for letters of recommendation. But undergraduate schools may request this too, along with or instead of an in-person interview.
It’s true that the college admissions process can feel overwhelming. There’s a lot of moving pieces and requirements you must fulfill to present yourself as a competitive candidate.
However, if you instead choose to attend a school with a lighter admissions process, you can alleviate a lot of the stress in the process.
For example, at University of the People, where all students attend online, we only ask for two requirements: proof of English proficiency and the completion of high school.
10 Colleges That Have 100% Acceptance Rates
Perhaps you’ve decided to forgo the high stakes application process. Instead, you’d like to attend a school where you are basically guaranteed admission. If that’s you, take a look at this abbreviated list of colleges with 100% acceptance rates:
The Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1929 and is a proprietary institution. The school is located in an urban setting. Tuition and fees amount to approximately $29,190, and the academic year is based on a semester calendar.
American Samoa Community College was founded in 1970 and is a public school. It’s located in a rural village called Mapusaga in American Samoa. Although the college has a 100% acceptance rate, only legal residents of American Samoa can be admitted to ASCC. They must have proof of high school completion or a GED to attend ASCC. Tuition costs around $4,000.
Located in Broward, Florida, Broward College is a public school that was founded in 1959. The urban campus spans 370 acres. It’s ranked as the top college nationally for awarding minorities with associate’s degrees in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Tuition for in-state residents is just under $2,000, with fees at about $862. For out-of-state students, they can expect to spend the same on tuition, but fees are just under $7,000. The application fee is $35 and can be submitted based on rolling admissions where 100% of applicants receive acceptance.
California State University Bakersfield is located in central California in Bakersfield. Ranked #66 in Regional Schools West, the public institution has an undergraduate class of 9,196. In-state tuition and fees cost about $7,422.
University of the People is an accredited institution that is fully online. With the online setup, we are able to offer education to students all over the world, completely tuition-free. Our degrees include: Health Science, Education, Business Administration, and Computer Science. Students can choose between an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.
With a physical campus location in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Keiser University also offers 100% online degree programs. The private college was founded in 1977 and runs on a semester calendar. Tuition and fees are $33,120.
Founded in 1891 the public institution of West Virginia State University ranks #46 on the list of Regional Colleges South. The campus is suburban and sits on 100 acres of land. Tuition and fees for in-state students costs $8,212, whereas out-of-state students can expect to pay $17,666.
Wayne State College is in Wayne, Nebraska. Founded in 1909, the public school is rurally located on 128 acres. The relatively small student body is made up of 2,975 undergraduate students. It costs $7,206 in tuition and fees for in-state students and $12,651 for out-of-state students.
Henniker, New Hampshire is home to the private liberal arts college called New England College. About 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students are in attendance. Founded in 1946, the academic calendar differs based on the program you select to study.
If you want to attend college in Kentucky, then the University of Pikeville is calling your name. Founded in 1889, it is a private school on 25 acres in a rural setting. To attend, tuition and fees cost $21,550 and the school runs on a semester calendar.
When it comes time to start applying to colleges, you’ll notice that there are different labels attached to each school. The type of university that you attend will help to define the cost, experience, and likelihood of admittance.
Let’s take a look at a quick break down of your options:
Public vs. Private: Public schools are funded by the government, be it local or state. For students who reside in that state, in-state tuition is less than out-of-state tuition. Additionally, the tuition rates for public schools tend to be lower than that of private institutions. Every state in America has at least one public college. Private institutions are run like for-profit businesses and tend to be more expensive to attend.
College vs. University: It’s common that the term university and college will be used interchangeably. However, there are some slight nuances between the two. While both can offer bachelor’s degrees and tend to offer four-year programs, universities are likely to be larger in size than a college. It’s also common that a university will offer master’s or doctoral programs, too. Some universities are set up such that the entire campus is under the name of the university, but it is divided into smaller colleges. An example of this is the University of California, San Diego, which is made up of six colleges all located across the university’s campus.
Community College: Community colleges tend to be two-year public schools. They offer associate’s degrees, by which students can graduate and enter a profession. Students can also opt to transfer to another school and complete the final two years to earn a bachelor’s degree. Community colleges may be called city colleges, junior colleges, or technical colleges.
Online College: Online colleges are those that take place online. They require an adequate internet connection and compatible device (best to be a computer, but in some cases, a tablet can suffice). Online colleges tend to be the most affordable option when it comes to higher education. In some instances, a college may be considered a hybrid, meaning that students will attend on campus sometimes, mixed in with online remote learning.
The Bottom Line
In an effort to offer students the right to higher education, a lot of schools do provide a 100% acceptance rate. University of the People and the abbreviated list above are just a few examples of schools like this.
It’s important to note that an 100% acceptance rate does not mean that the quality of education is any less than that of a school with a low acceptance rate. The student body in all schools is diverse and has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, when choosing schools to apply for, it’s more important to check that it is accredited than to consider the acceptance rate in your ranking system.
College acceptance rates should be used in your consideration to judge your likelihood of acceptance. This will help you decide how many schools to apply for as you’ll want to secure safety schools (just in case you don’t get into your target schools). But if you apply to any of the schools mentioned in this article, then you will have one less thing to worry about!
Depending on your academic merit and future goals, you should be able to find a school that aligns with what you’re looking to achieve.
At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone. Read More
