When students and families begin the college admissions process, one of the first numbers they look for is a school’s acceptance rate.
At first glance, this percentage can seem like a reflection of your chances of getting into a particular college. For example, if a college has a 10% acceptance rate, does that mean you have a 10% chance of being admitted? Not exactly.
The acceptance rate is a piece of the puzzle, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Different factors can influence acceptance rates, which can create a misleading impression of your chances of admission. That’s why we want to help you understand the factors that impact college acceptance rates.
This guide will break down what goes into a college’s acceptance rate and how to understand what that number really means.
Deadlines: Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Regular Decision
One major factor that can influence a college's acceptance rate is the type of deadline a student chooses. Many colleges offer multiple options: Early Decision (ED), Early Action (EA), and/or Regular Decision (RD). Each of these pathways can have different acceptance rates, often dramatically so.
Early Decision (ED): This is a binding application deadline, meaning that if you’re admitted, you must attend the school. ED applicants often see higher acceptance rates than those who apply Regular Decision because colleges know these students are committed to enroll. As a reminder, not all colleges offer an Early Decision deadline.
Early Action (EA): Unlike ED, Early Action is not binding. Students apply early and receive their admissions decision sooner, but they are not required to attend if admitted. The acceptance rate for EA is often slightly higher than RD but lower than ED, depending on the school. As a reminder not all colleges offer an Early Action deadline.
Regular Decision (RD): This is the most common application cycle (though fall deadlines are becoming more and more popular each year). RD applicants can end up facing more competition since this is often—but not always—the largest pool of applicants for a college.
Some colleges are very transparent and report the acceptance rate breakdown across deadline types, but many colleges do not make this information publicly available. This can make it difficult for families to see how individual deadlines impact an overall acceptance rate.
One of our favorite resources to understand how deadlines and acceptance rates comes from Big J Educational Consulting. They provide charts for many colleges that report this data, and they update them each year!
Deadlines Part 2: Percentage of Class Filled Through Early Deadlines
Another important element to consider is how much of a college’s incoming class is filled through fall deadlines like Early Decision or Early Action. Many schools, especially highly selective ones, fill a large portion of their freshman class during the early rounds.
Some schools may admit as much as 50-60% of their incoming class through Early Decision, leaving fewer spots available for Regular Decision applicants.
This impacts the overall acceptance rate because the more seats that are filled early, the fewer seats are left for later deadlines. This can make other deadlines, like Regular Decison, all the more competitive. For example, if a college admits 50% of its class through ED, the acceptance rate for RD applicants will be much lower, as more students are competing for far fewer spots.
Understanding how a school uses its early rounds can help you better interpret what the acceptance rate really means for your chances.
Residency: In-State vs. Out-of-State at Public Universities
For public universities, residency plays a significant role in acceptance rates. Public institutions typically prioritize in-state students, offering them lower tuition and higher acceptance rates. Out-of-state students, on the other hand, often face more competition for fewer available spots.
For example, a public university might have an overall acceptance rate of 30%, but when broken down by residency, in-state students might have a 40% acceptance rate while out-of-state applicants see rates closer to 15%.
Some states also have a requirement that a certain percentage of their incoming class consist of in-state students. For example, for North Carolina public institutions, state law requires that at least 82% of each year's admitted class are residents of North Carolina.
If you’re applying to a public university as an out-of-state student, it’s important to recognize that your actual chances may be different than the overall acceptance rate suggests.
Impacted Majors: Acceptance Rates by Major
It’s also important to recognize that not all majors have the same acceptance rate in the admissions process if a college admits by major. When colleges consider a student’s intended major as part of the admissions process, some majors are “impacted,” meaning they have more applicants than available spots. Impacted majors often have significantly lower acceptance rates than less popular programs.
For example, engineering, computer science, business, and nursing are commonly impacted majors at many universities. If you’re applying to one of these fields, you may face steeper competition than students applying to other programs, even at the same college. The overall acceptance rate might be 50%, but if you’re applying to an impacted major, your chances could be closer to 30%.
Researching how competitive your intended major is at a specific school can give you a more accurate picture of your chances of admission. It’s also worth considering other potential majors if you’re open to multiple academic interests.
Institutional Priorities
Colleges often have specific institutional priorities (IP), or unique goals for admissions, that can influence their admissions decisions in ways that aren’t immediately obvious from the acceptance rate. Admissions offices may prioritize certain groups of students, such as:
Legacy applicants
Recruited athletes
Underrepresented groups (such as first-generation college students or students from underrepresented regions)
Students applying to particular majors or programs that have been named institutional priorities
These students may have higher acceptance rates, which can affect the overall rate for other applicants.
Most colleges, unfortunately, do not make all of their institutional priorities public knowledge. It’s one of the factors of admission students cannot control. However, referencing a college’s Common Data Set (Google College Name + Common Data Set) and reviewing the chart found in section C7 can help you understand what factors are considered in a college’s admissions decision.
Below, you can see some of the institutional priorities considered by Georgia Tech. While this is not a complete representation of the college’s IPs, you can see that the college does consider talent/ability, first-generation status, and residency in the admissions process but does not consider legacy status.
Action Steps
Now that you know the factors influencing acceptance rates, how can you use this information to improve your college admissions strategy? Here’s what you can do:
Research Your Schools: Look beyond the overall acceptance rate. Check for information on Early Decision vs. Regular Decision rates, residency breakdowns, and how your intended major is impacted at each college. Understanding these details can help you apply strategically and make sure you have a balanced college list.
Understand The Numbers: Pay attention to how much of the class is admitted through ED or EA. If a school fills half of its class early, consider whether you’re a good candidate for early deadlines, especially if that’s your top choice.
Learn What You Can About Institutional Priorities: Try to understand a college’s specific priorities. If you’re a legacy student or an athlete, your chances might be higher, but if you’re applying as an out-of-state applicant to a state school, know that your chances might be lower.
Ask Questions: If you’re unsure about how certain factors may influence your application, don’t hesitate to reach out to admissions offices for clarification. Many colleges are transparent about their admissions process and are happy to provide information on how different variables impact acceptance rates.