Hardest Colleges to Get Into by State

Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, was founded in 1878 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, and the United Church of Christ. This private college offers dozens of majors and four post-graduate programs in occupational therapy, education, accounting, and physician assistant studies. The campus is small, with only about 1,000 students.

UNL, a public research university, is Nebraska’s oldest university, founded in 1869. The state’s flagship university is also home to the popular Huskers athletic program, a member of the Big Ten Conference. UNL has 10 colleges teaching subject including agricultural science, architecture, journalism, engineering, and law. Like most public state universities, the student population is relatively large, consisting of more than 25,000 students in fall 2018, its third largest semester enrollment number. Notable Husker alumni include Twitter co-founder Ev Williams, billionaire Warren Buffett, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser.

Founded in 1969, SNC is the youngest institution on this list. This private, liberal arts college located on the north shore of scenic Lake Tahoe focuses on environmental science, creative writing, humanities, and teacher education. Located so close to Nevada’s ski slopes, SNC also offers courses in ski area management. In total, it offers more than 20 undergraduate majors through its six departments, as well as postgraduate programs in education. Last year, it lowered tuition to in-state students seeking to complete their four-year degrees through the college’s extension program.

Based in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country, founded in 1769. It is considered an Ivy League-level private research university, with a student body of about 6,500. Like many other Ivy League schools, it has a low admission rate. Just 10.4% of applicants are accepted. Notable alumni include comic actress and producer Mindy Kaling, sports medicine pioneer Freddie Fu, and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich.

Established in 1746, Princeton is one of the oldest institutions of higher education nationwide and a top private research university. The Ivy League university has one of the smallest student-to-faculty ratios, at just five to one. (The average in the United States is 18 to one.) From its 37 departments, Princeton offers 18 master’s degrees programs and 33 doctoral programs. About 7,000 students attend Princeton. Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a leading educator of government leaders, like senators Jeff Merkley, Bill Frist, and Ted Cruz. while its Plasma Physics Laboratory is a leading nuclear fusion research center.