7 Great Colleges That Are Easier to Get Into

Selective institutions are commonly associated with better academics, facilities and networking opportunities as well as higher earning potential and lifetime earnings. They tend to have higher college rankings, too.

But a low acceptance rate does not guarantee success and happiness in your postsecondary endeavor.

More importantly, a low acceptance rate does not guarantee acceptance — the more selective the school, the lower the chances of applicants getting in.

So, in other words, filling your college list with nothing but institutions that admit only a small fraction of hopefuls in hopes of earning a bachelor’s degree from a good school is both reckless and unwise.

As a general rule of thumb, colleges get more and more selective the fewer students they send acceptance letters to.

The following are the various categories of selectivity levels:

• Most selective – accepts fewer than 15% of all applicants
• Extremely selective – accepts fewer than 35% of all applicants
• Very selective – accepts fewer than 50% of all applicants
• Moderately selective – accepts fewer than 60% of all applicants

However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should make your college list off-limits to schools with low acceptance rates in order to avoid experiencing a heartache when it’s time for admissions decisions to be released.

When shortlisting schools, it’s a good idea to use the 3-3-3 system.

Basically, the said system makes it trouble-free to come up with a well-balanced college list.

The rules are easy to remember: you add 3 reach schools (schools you have a low chance of getting into), you include 3 match schools (schools you have a 50-50 chance of getting into), and then you round up the list with 3 safety schools (schools you are almost certain to get into).

It goes without saying that reach schools tend to be the most selective in the land. And, as one would expect, they tend to be the most prestigious, too, commonly found near or at the top of college rankings.

Usually, college-bound teens also opt for selective match schools, though not as selective as reach schools.

So, does this mean you should go for safety schools with open admissions and 100% acceptance rates?

Not necessarily!

Of course you still want to have safety schools that can provide you with good educational and professional opportunities just in case your reach and match schools do not send you any good news in a massive envelope in the mail.

Well, that’s what this post is all about — to let you know which colleges are good but are relatively easy to get into.

I will talk about colleges and universities with acceptance rates ranging from 70% to 80% (reach schools have acceptance rates of 20% to 30%, while match schools have acceptance rates of up to 70%) yet still have highly acceptable academics and everything else every degree-seeking student needs to reap success throughout college and beyond.

Please keep in mind that the list below will not include any community colleges, whose national average acceptance rates are about 88% for public ones and around 73% for their private counterparts.

And this brings us to this question begging for an answer…

Who can benefit from attending a community college?

Going to a community college is suited for students who are seeking an undergraduate degree quickly. It’s also ideal for those who wish to lower the cost of a bachelor’s degree by transferring to a 4-year institution after earning an associate degree.

Attending a community college is advantageous, too, for working adults who need a flexible academic schedule.

The majority of community colleges have an open admissions policy. This means that just about anyone who has a high school diploma or an equivalent can apply and actually get in.

Needless to say, there’s no need to impress with SAT or ACT scores, extracurriculars and supplemental essays!

But it doesn’t mean that attending one will be a complete waste of your time and other resources for being far from selective — as mentioned above, a community college is a great option for someone who is on a tight budget, on the hunt for an undergraduate degree in no time or has to juggle between making a living and working on a college diploma.

It also gives you the opportunity to complete some courses so that you don’t have to when you transfer to a 4-year institution, such as one that’s included in the list of colleges that are easy to get into but good below.

According to the latest data from the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of attendance at a public community college is $15,862.

Meanwhile, that’s $25,707 at an in-state public college and $54,501 at a private college. Doing 2 years at a community college and another 2 years at a 4-year institution lets you save anywhere from $19,690 to $77,387!

And speaking of 4-year institutions, I will now give you 7 colleges that are easy to get into but quite good:

Loyola University Maryland

• Location: Baltimore, Maryland
• School type: Private Jesuit university
• Tuition and fees: $53,430
• Acceptance rate: 84%
• Population: 5,140
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 46% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
• Number of majors: 33
• Popular majors: Business, communication, journalism, management, marketing, psychology, social sciences

According to Loyola University Maryland itself, the types of undergraduate students it looks for are those who are best suited to take advantage of just about everything its academic programs have to offer.

Like many institutions of higher education in the land, it evaluates applicants holistically.

Cura personalis — it means “care for the whole person” in English.

And it’s the school’s tradition, which is why it takes into account not only the merit aspect of a degree-seeking student’s application but various other components of it, too.

The private Jesuit institution considers things like personal qualities, talents, extracurriculars, work experience and volunteer work.

Around 26% of the first-time, first-year students Loyola University Maryland admits have an average GPA of 4.0. Up to 31% of them, on the other hand, graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.

It has a test-optional admissions policy — you may or may not report SAT or ACT scores.

But just for reference, among its admitted applicants, 53% submitted their SAT scores and 17% submitted their ACT scores. Their average composite SAT and ACT scores were 1150 to 1310 and 25 to 30, respectively.

University of Colorado Boulder

• Location: Boulder, Colorado
• School type: Public research university
• Tuition and fees: $13,106 (in-state) and $40,356 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance rate: 80%
• Population: 37,956
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 45% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
• Number of majors: 50+
• Popular majors: Biological sciences, business management, engineering, social sciences

Established in 1876, the University of Colorado Boulder came into being about 5 months before Colorado obtained its statehood. It’s also the flagship institution of the University of Colorado system.

US News ranks it #97 in National Universities and #42 in Top Public Schools.

Some of the highly ranked undergraduate programs of it by the same college ranker include business and computer science as well as various engineering ones such as aeronautical, chemical, civil, environmental and mechanical engineering.

The University of Colorado Boulder says that it’s looking for an incoming first-year class consisting of highly qualified, intellectually curious and actively involved students who have demonstrated high levels of maturity and personal integrity as well as a commitment to serving their communities.

Needless to say, it has a holistic admissions policy.

It says, too, that the main factor in the admissions process is an applicant’s academic achievement — classroom performance in core classes, the rigor of courses selected and overall GPA are all taken into account.

Around 34% of freshmen students admitted to the public research university had high school GPAs of 4.0.

Michigan State University

• Location: East Lansing, Michigan
• School type: Public land-grant research university
• Tuition and fees: $14,850 (in-state) and $40,662 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance rate: 83%
• Population: 49,659
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 25% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
• Number of majors: 200+
• Popular majors: Biological sciences, communication, engineering, journalism, management, marketing

When it was founded in 1855, Michigan State University was known as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. During that time, the institution was the first of its kind in the US.

The public land-grant research university considers a number of academic factors in the admissions process.

They include the strength and quality of the high school curriculum, recent trends in the academic performance, class rank and SAT and ACT scores, although it’s important to note that, as of this writing, submission of one’s test scores is optional.

According to Michigan State University, the average GPA of admitted first-time, first-year students is 3.72. Around 23% of them, on the other hand, graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.

US News ranks it #77 in National Universities. Other rankings the institution got from the well-known college ranker are #31 in Top Public Schools, #41 in Most Innovative Schools and #46 in Best Colleges for Veterans.

Michigan State University is considered a Public Ivy League.

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

• Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• School type: Public land-grant research university
• Tuition and fees: $15,859 (in-state) and $35,099 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance rate: 73%
• Population: 52,376
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 38% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
• Number of majors: 107
• Popular majors: Biomedical sciences, computer and information sciences, engineering, social sciences

The goal of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities is to admit students who are academically qualified and have something unique to offer to its community because the institution values having a diverse campus.

Various academic and non-academic factors, in doing so, are taken into account during the admissions process.

They range from GPA, rigor of high school curriculum to class rank and from talents, community service to whether or not applicants are first-generation college students. Interested ones can apply early action I and II and regular decision.

The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities itself says, the middle 50% of admitted students had high school GPAs between 3.59 and 3.96. Meanwhile, their SAT and ACT scores ranged from 1330 to 1500 and 27 to 32, respectively.

Currently, though, the public land-grant research university is test-optional.

Some of the most highly-ranked programs at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities are engineering ones. They include chemical, civil, computer, environmental, materials and mechanical engineering.

Indiana University – Bloomington

• Location: Bloomington, Indiana
• School type: Public research university
• Tuition and fees: $11,447 (in-state) and $39,120 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance rate: 85%
• Population: 45,328
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 40% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
• Number of majors: 80+
• Popular majors: Business, computer and information sciences, management, marketing, public administration

Other than being the flagship school, Indiana University – Bloomington is also the largest — its 1,953-acre campus with a city setting is home to a total of 45,328 students, around 76% of which are undergraduates.

Students who dream of having academic experience outside of the country may consider adding the public research university to their college list.

That’s because it offers more than 380 overseas study programs in over 70 countries across the planet. The institution itself says that more than 3,000 students study abroad per year.

Ranked #72 in National Universities by US News, Indiana University – Bloomington considers GPA, the level and rigor of high school curriculum in reviewing applications and standardized test scores (optional).

The average high school GPA of admitted first-time, first-year students was 3.76 — around 39% of them had an average GPA of 4.0.

Meanwhile, about 31% of them graduated in the top 10% of their high school class. Those who reported their SAT and ACT scores had composite scores ranging from 1160 to 1380 and 26 to 32, respectively.

The school also makes decisions based on things like extracurriculars, leadership skills and teacher recommendations.

Miami University – Oxford

• Location: Oxford, Ohio
• School type: Public research university
• Tuition and fees: $17,464 (in-state) and $38,493 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance rate: 89%
• Population: 19,216
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 36% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
• Number of majors: 200+
• Popular majors: Biological sciences, business, finance, management, marketing, psychology, social sciences

Founded in 1809, Miami University – Oxford is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the state of Ohio and the tenth-oldest public university in the US. It has a massive campus measuring 2,100 acres and featuring a rural setting.

Because it’s prestigious despite having a high acceptance rate, it’s considered a Public Ivy.

It also has a Carnegie R2 designation due to the institution’s high research activity.

Like many postsecondary schools, Miami University – Oxford is test-optional.

But just to give you an idea, admitted students who submitted their test scores had SAT scores ranging from 1160 to 1370 and ACT scores ranging from 24 to 30.

During the admissions process, more admits submitted ACT scores than SAT scores — 62% vs. 18%.

On the other hand, the average high school GPA of theirs was 3.85 — around 42% of them had an average 4.0 GPA, while about 36% of them graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.

Some of the school’s highly-ranked undergraduate programs include business and computer science.

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
• School type: Public land-grant research university
• Tuition and fees: $13,244 (in-state) and $31,434 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance rate: 75%
• Population: 31,701
• Students per class: Fewer than 20 students in 29% of classes
• Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
• Number of majors: 97
• Popular majors: Biology, business, engineering, kinesiology, nursing, psychology, social sciences

Freshmen applicants to the University of Tennessee – Knoxville do not have to meet a minimum GPA requirement.

However, there are some programs at the flagship institution that require applicants to have a GPA of at least 3.5. Similarly, they include the reporting of standardized test scores in the admissions process.

Besides the GPA and rigor of the high school curriculum, other things are considered by its admissions officers. Some of them include extracurriculars, awards and special talents.

Applicants may also choose to submit optional supporting statements or recommendation letters.

US News ranks the University of Tennessee – Knoxville #115 in National Universities, #53 in Top Public Schools and #71 in Best Colleges for Veterans.

The trusted college ranker also gives the public land-grant research university’s undergraduate engineering, business and computer science programs good rankings.

Its rural campus, which is home to nearly 300 buildings, measures 2,100 acres and is ranked by Niche #18 in Best College Campuses in Tennessee and #19 in Most Diverse Colleges in Tennessee.

Just Before You Apply to a Good College That’s Easier to Get Into

Refrain from assuming that the lower the acceptance rate, the better the academics and everything else associated with things necessary for you to have a successful and meaningful postsecondary education.

If truth be told, there are also those that accept many of the applicants and give them plenty of wonderful opportunities to succeed in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and also to have a satisfying and high-paying career.

Especially if you apply to a good institution with a high acceptance rate that provides you with the best fit, you can have the best possible experience.

Feel free to add any of the schools above as a safety school to your college list to make it well-balanced.

But before you do, spend some time researching it so that you can obtain more pieces of information other than the ones I have mentioned earlier, thus allowing you to determine if it’s something that can really give you what you need.