The most selective colleges in New York

Columbia University in the City of New York is the most selective four-year college in New York, admitting 4% of applicants (Fall 2024).

College	City	Admission rate	Applicants	Average net price
Columbia University in the City of New York	New York	4%	57,613	$15,370
Barnard College	New York	8.8%	11,803	$28,930
Cornell University	Ithaca	8.8%	65,635	$33,934
New York University	New York	9.2%	113,578	$35,737
The Juilliard School	New York	9.2%	2,020	$41,799
United States Military Academy	West Point	13%	11,430	—
Hamilton College	Clinton	14%	9,643	$25,793
Colgate University	Hamilton	14%	21,130	$29,409
Vassar College	Poughkeepsie	19%	12,145	$36,924
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art	New York	21%	1,790	$12,999
Skidmore College	Saratoga Springs	21%	12,144	$31,829
United States Merchant Marine Academy	Kings Point	34%	1,392	$1,516
Binghamton University	Vestal	39%	49,513	$20,907
University of Rochester	Rochester	40%	21,680	$34,347
Manhattan School of Music	New York	41%	1,432	$55,613

See all colleges in New York.

How we got these numbers

Figures come from two U.S. Department of Education sources, the College Scorecard (released 2026-10-15) and the IPEDS Admissions survey. Data years:

• Admission rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
• Applicants: Fall 2023, reported in IPEDS ADM2023
• Average net price: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Colleges with fewer than 500 applicants are excluded from selectivity rankings because their admission rates say little about selectivity. Full details on our data page.

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