Understanding college selectivity
In addition to the factors listed on the previous pages, researching colleges today must also include an examination of the school’s selectivity. Increased applications at schools across the country have led to very low acceptance rates at some schools, while most still offer admission to most of their applicants. In fact, according to the 2010 State of College Admission, published by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the average selectivity of colleges and universities in the United States is 65.5%, meaning the “average” American college offers admission to 6.5 out of 10 applicants.
While many equate selectivity with quality, studies have shown that students who make the most of their education find success, regardless of where they go to college. The most important component is that they go to college.
According to US Department of Labor statistics from 2015, the unemployment rate averages 5.4% and $2,700 per month for a population with no college degree compared to a 2.8% unemployment rate and $4,500 per month with a college degree.
The major distinctions below are broad classifications, and are not to be confused with assessments. Selectivity varies not only among institutions, but also within academic departments. For example, the College of Engineering at a school may be very selective while the university as a whole is not selective. Also remember, selectivity does not guarantee quality.
Open colleges and universities
This group of predominantly public two and four year colleges has clearly stated admissions requirements or open enrollment policies. These schools offer the usual academic liberal arts and sciences disciplines as well as professionally-focused degree and certificate programs. Over half of college-going students attend these schools.
Selective colleges and universities
These schools usually accept 50 to 75% of their applicants. A combination of public and private schools, this group accounts for about 30% of students in college. Admissions policies include an expectation of balanced coursework, solid GPA and standardized tests.
Very selective colleges and universities
Schools in this group are usually private institutions or flagship state universities and accept fewer than half of their applicants. In the latter group, selectivity varies based on the student’s residency. That is, schools like the Universities of California, Michigan, Virginia, and North Carolina are extremely selective for out-of-state students. Successful applicants to these schools have a strong record of challenging course work, GPA’s in the upper third of their graduating class, high standardized testing, and strong records of extracurricular involvement or significant talent. Fewer than 15% of college-going students enroll at these schools.
Ultra selective colleges and universities
These elite, almost exclusively private, institutions accept no more than 25% of their applicants. These 20-30 schools are statistically quite similar to the schools in the previous category, and enroll an extremely small percentage of overall college students.
