Some are need-blind, some aren't. Some read every essay twice; some admit on a GPA formula and never see one. Some weigh faith, legacy, or an interview — and some tell you outright those count for nothing. Compare what each college actually says it looks for.
553 colleges · all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands · school CDS and federal sources · no rankings
How to read this: figures come from school-published Common Data Sets (section C7 is “what we weigh”), admissions releases, and federal college data, from the latest available school-published CDS, with 2024 federal baseline facts for gaps unless noted. Admit rates drift every year; treat a point or two as noise. A “—” means a value was not reported or could not be extracted reliably, not that it doesn't matter. We show the 18 current C7 factors only where a school source or archive extract is reliable; blank, unclear, or failed cells stay blank here instead of becoming guesses. Every generated profile links to NCES College Navigator. When a current school-published CDS could not be located, the profile says so.
553 of 553 colleges · figures from each college's Common Data Set where available and federal college data, latest available school-published CDS, with 2024 federal baseline facts for gaps. The full list covers all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. A missing value means it was not reported or could not be extracted reliably.
Garden City, NY · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Decatur, GA · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important; the essay, recommendations, and extracurriculars also carry weight.
Normal, AL · Public
Federal admissions and outcome figures are included; a current school-published Common Data Set was not located during this update.
New Haven, CT · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Meadville, PA · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Washington, DC · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Amherst, MA · Private
Dropped legacy preference in 2021 — one of the first elite colleges to do it.
Boone, NC · Public
Its CDS calls course rigor, class rank, and GPA very important; test scores, the interview, and extracurriculars also carry weight.
Glenside, PA · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Tempe, AZ · Public
Assured admission by published GPA/class-rank standards — if you qualify, you’re in. Access is the mission.
Russellville, AR · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Auburn, AL · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Montgomery, AL · Public
Its CDS calls course rigor, GPA, and test scores very important.
Sioux Falls, SD · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Sherman, TX · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important; the essay and extracurriculars also carry weight.
Clarksville, TN · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Wellesley, MA · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor, class rank, GPA, and test scores very important.
Berea, OH · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Annandale-On-Hudson, NY · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor, GPA, the essay, and recommendations very important; class rank, extracurriculars, and talent or ability also carry weight.
New York, NY · Private
A women's college wrapped inside Columbia — openly need-aware, so aid strategy matters here.
Lewiston, ME · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor, class rank, GPA, and the essay very important; first-generation status, geographic residence, and state residency also carry weight.
Waco, TX · Private · Baptist
A big religious university where faith is part of campus life but not a bar to admission.
Nashville, TN · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Beloit, WI · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important; extracurriculars, talent or ability, and character also carry weight.
Lisle, IL · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor and the essay very important; GPA, recommendations, and extracurriculars also carry weight.
Waltham, MA · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor very important; GPA, the essay, and recommendations also carry weight.
Berea, KY · Private · Christian (nondenominational heritage)
The inverse of need-aware: Berea ONLY admits students with financial need — no tuition, work program instead.
Boston, MA · Private
Its CDS calls GPA, the interview, and talent or ability very important.
Saint Paul, MN · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Daytona Beach, FL · Private
The school publishes a Common Data Set, but its current C7 factor table has not been encoded yet.
Vestal, NY · Public
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important; class rank and the essay also carry weight.
Boise, ID · Public
Its CDS calls GPA very important.
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private · Catholic (Jesuit)
Jesuit school that admits students of every faith; meets full need without the Ivy sticker shock.
Boston, MA · Private
Meets full need for US students since 2020 — a big-city school that got serious about aid.
Brunswick, ME · Private
Small, writing-heavy, and genuinely test-optional — scores truly aren’t missed.
Peoria, IL · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important; class rank also carries weight.
Waltham, MA · Private
Founded by the Jewish community, open to all — small research university with merit aid.
Providence, RI · Private
The open curriculum school — essays about how you’d actually use that freedom carry weight.
Bryn Mawr, PA · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Lewisburg, PA · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor, GPA, the essay, and extracurriculars very important; volunteer work and work experience also carry weight.
Indianapolis, IN · Private
Its CDS calls course rigor, GPA, and test scores very important; the essay and extracurriculars also carry weight.
Provo, UT · Private · Latter-day Saints (LDS)
Requires an ecclesiastical endorsement — religious commitment is central to admission here.
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
Learn By Doing: the CSU that outperforms its price tag — admission by MCA formula, no essays read.
Long Beach, CA · Public
CSUs admit on a GPA-based eligibility index — no essays, no recommendations, no interviews at all.
Arcata, CA · Public
Its CDS calls GPA very important.
Pomona, CA · Public
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important.
Bakersfield, CA · Public
Its CDS calls course rigor and GPA very important.
Chico, CA · Public
The school publishes a Common Data Set, but its current C7 factor table has not been encoded yet.
Fresno, CA · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Fullerton, CA · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Los Angeles, CA · Public
Its CDS calls GPA very important.
Northridge, CA · Public
The school publishes a Common Data Set, but its current C7 factor table has not been encoded yet.
Sacramento, CA · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
San Bernardino, CA · Public
Its CDS calls GPA and test scores very important; geographic residence also carries weight.
San Marcos, CA · Public
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Pasadena, CA · Private
1,000 students, ended legacy in 2022, and the math bar is real — the purest academics-first read.
Lawton, OK · Public
Its CDS calls class rank, GPA, and test scores very important.
Columbus, OH · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Northfield, MN · Private
Admissions and outcome figures are available; a reliable C7 factor extract is not yet available for this source.
Pittsburgh, PA · Private
Admits by college — CS is among the hardest doors in the country; drama auditions its own class.
Showing 60 of 553 matches
Want a college added? Tell us which one and we'll pull its Common Data Set.
Holistic vs. formula, the Common Data Set, and what “demonstrated interest” means.
What need-blind really promises — and the short list that extends it to international students.
Faith, fit, and financial aid — what changes at a religiously affiliated school.
The colleges whose aid policies beat their sticker price by a mile.