These 8 US colleges are more selective than some Ivy League schools

Updated
How To Choose Which College
How To Choose Which College

Ivy League admissions decisions were released last month, and thousands of hopeful high school students were rejected by their dream schools.

Although the Ivies are notoriously tough to get into — their acceptance rates range from 5.2% to 13.96% — you might be surprised to learn other schools have even lower acceptance rates.

Business Insider listed some schools that are even more selective than some of the Ivies, according to statistics provided on the class of 2020* admission rates from school websites or admissions offices directly.

*US Military Academy and US Naval Academy figures are based on the class of 2019 figures as decisions for the class of 2020 are not yet complete.

To start, here's the ranking of Ivy League schools by their Class of 2020 selectivity.

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8. Cornell University — 13.96%

7. Dartmouth College — 10.52%

6. University of Pennsylvania — 9.41%

5. Brown University — 9.01%

4. Princeton University — 6.46%

3. Yale University — 6.27%

2. Columbia University — 6.04%

1. Harvard University — 5.2%

College of the Ozarks — 13%

This Christian college in Missouri has a lower acceptance rate than Cornell, the Ivy with the highest acceptance rate and requires students to show financial need for admission. Students work 15 hours a week on campus and get free tuition in return.

Claremont McKenna College — 10.8%

Located in southern California, Claremont is a small liberal arts college and was ranked3rd in the nation for happiest students by the Princeton Review. Its acceptance rate is lower than Cornell's.

US Military Academy — 9.5%

Also referred to as West Point or Army, cadets enrolled have their tuition paid by the US Army. In return, they have an active-duty service obligation. Its admissions rate is lower than the rates for Dartmouth and Cornell.

California Institute of Technology — 7.9%

Based in Pasadena, Caltech focuses on science and engineering. Its acceptance rate is lower than Cornell's, Dartmouth's, UPenn's, and Brown's.

University of Chicago — 7.6%

The 125-year-old school is situated in Chicago's Hyde Park community. Its admissions rate is lower than the rates for Brown, UPenn, Dartmouth, and Cornell.

US Naval Academy — 7.9%

Also referred to as Navy, students enrolled have their tuition paid by the US Navy, and, in return, they have an active-duty service obligation. This school is more selective than Brown, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Princeton.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology — 7.8%

MIT's mascot is the beaver due to the school's "remarkable engineering and mechanical skill and its habits of industry." Its admissions rate is lower the rates for Brown, UPenn, Dartmouth, and Cornell.

Stanford — 4.69%

Stanford is the most selective college in the US — aside from Curtis College of Music in Philadelphia, which has an acceptance rate of around 4% but is more of a conservatory than a traditional university.

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SEE ALSO: Ivy League admission letters just went out — here are the acceptance rates for the class of 2020

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