Table 305.40.

Acceptance rates; number of applications, admissions, and enrollees; and enrollees’ SAT and ACT scores for degree-granting postsecondary institutions with first-year undergraduates, by control and level of institution: 2020-21

Acceptance rates, applications, admissions, enrollees, and SAT and ACT scores	All institutions			Public institutions			Private institutions
	Total	4-year	2-year	Total	4-year	2-year	Total	4-year	2-year	Nonprofit			For-profit
										Total	4-year	2-year	Total	4-year	2-year
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Number of institutions reporting     application data1	3,553	2,265	1,288	1,551	717	834	2,002	1,548	454	1,350	1,268	82	652	280	372
Percentage distribution of institutions     by their acceptance of applications	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
No application criteria	49.5	25.0	92.5	65.8	27.8	98.4	36.9	23.7	81.7	16.8	14.0	61.0	78.4	67.9	86.3
90 percent or more accepted	10.0	13.8	3.3	7.0	14.9	0.1	12.3	13.2	9.0	14.2	14.3	13.4	8.3	8.6	8.1
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	15.3	23.0	1.7	14.1	29.4	1.0	16.1	20.0	3.1	22.2	23.3	6.1	3.5	5.0	2.4
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	17.6	26.6	1.8	10.1	21.5	0.4	23.4	29.0	4.4	32.4	33.6	13.4	4.9	8.2	2.4
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	5.5	8.4	0.4	2.5	5.2	0.1	7.9	9.9	0.9	9.6	9.9	3.7	4.4	10.0	0.3
10.0 to 24.9 percent accepted	1.5	2.3	0.3	0.5	1.0	0.0	2.4	2.8	0.9	3.3	3.4	2.4	0.5	0.4	0.5
Less than 10 percent accepted	0.6	1.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.0	1.0	1.3	0.0	1.5	1.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number of applications (in thousands)	11,544	11,492	52	6,594	6,573	20	4,951	4,919	32	4,856	4,835	21	94	83	11
Percentage distribution of applications     by institutions' acceptance of     applications	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
No application criteria	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
90 percent or more accepted	7.5	7.5	16.6	9.0	9.0	4.8	5.5	5.4	24.0	5.4	5.4	3.6	10.6	3.6	64.2
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	30.9	30.9	35.1	36.7	36.6	72.6	23.2	23.3	11.7	22.4	22.5	8.8	64.5	70.7	17.3
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	31.7	31.8	12.8	30.2	30.2	19.5	33.6	33.8	8.7	34.1	34.2	6.8	9.2	8.8	12.3
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	16.3	16.4	2.5	19.2	19.3	3.1	12.4	12.5	2.1	12.4	12.4	1.7	15.3	16.9	2.7
10.0 to 24.9 percent accepted	9.3	9.1	33.0	4.4	4.5	0.0	15.7	15.4	53.6	16.0	15.7	79.0	0.4	#	3.5
Less than 10 percent accepted	4.3	4.4	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	9.5	9.6	0.0	9.7	9.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number of admissions (in thousands)	7,005	6,973	32	4,361	4,345	16	2,644	2,628	17	2,574	2,566	7	71	62	9
Percentage distribution of admissions     by institutions' acceptance of     applications	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
No application criteria	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
90 percent or more accepted	11.6	11.5	25.9	12.7	12.7	6.2	9.7	9.5	44.3	9.6	9.6	10.0	13.4	4.7	71.5
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	41.5	41.5	45.8	45.4	45.3	75.0	35.1	35.2	18.6	34.1	34.2	21.3	69.5	77.5	16.4
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	33.6	33.7	13.9	29.5	29.6	17.1	40.2	40.4	10.9	41.1	41.2	12.1	8.4	8.2	10.0
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	10.3	10.3	1.5	11.1	11.2	1.6	8.8	8.8	1.3	8.8	8.8	1.5	8.5	9.7	1.1
10.0 to 24.9 percent accepted	2.6	2.5	12.9	1.2	1.2	0.0	4.9	4.8	24.9	5.0	4.9	55.1	0.1	#	0.9
Less than 10 percent accepted	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0	1.3	1.3	0.0	1.3	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number of enrollees (in thousands)	1,556	1,542	14	1,047	1,041	6	509	502	8	487	485	2	22	17	5
Percentage distribution of enrollees     by institutions' acceptance of     applications	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
No application criteria	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
90 percent or more accepted	13.1	13.0	32.0	13.3	13.3	7.5	12.8	12.2	52.6	12.4	12.4	21.2	21.4	7.3	66.9
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	39.1	39.0	46.8	44.6	44.4	73.4	27.6	27.7	24.4	26.6	26.5	32.0	51.6	61.1	21.0
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	30.9	31.0	14.0	28.4	28.5	15.7	36.0	36.3	12.6	37.2	37.2	21.2	8.9	9.0	8.7
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	11.2	11.3	2.9	11.5	11.5	3.4	10.6	10.7	2.4	10.3	10.3	4.0	17.7	22.6	1.8
10.0 to 24.9 percent accepted	4.3	4.3	4.3	2.0	2.0	0.0	9.1	9.1	7.9	9.4	9.4	21.6	0.4	#	1.7
Less than 10 percent accepted	1.4	1.4	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.0	3.9	4.0	0.0	4.1	4.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Average institutional-level SAT scores     of enrollees
Evidence-based reading and writing     (ERW), 25th percentile2	516	516	497	507	508	462	522	522	566	522	522	594	524	528	511
ERW, 75th percentile2	614	614	595	606	607	565	618	618	656	618	618	712	604	623	546
Mathematics, 25th percentile2	510	511	482	502	503	446	516	516	554	516	516	572	517	517	519
Mathematics, 75th percentile2	610	610	581	602	603	545	615	614	654	615	614	709	614	637	544
Average institutional-level ACT scores     of enrollees
Composite, 25th percentile2	20.6	20.6	18.0	20.0	20.0	16.0	21.0	21.0	21.0	21.0	21.0	22.0	20.0	20.5	18.0
Composite, 75th percentile2	26.2	26.3	22.4	25.7	25.8	20.8	26.6	26.6	24.8	26.6	26.6	26.0	24.6	25.5	21.0
English, 25th percentile2	19.6	19.7	14.8	18.9	19.0	14.0	20.1	20.1	16.3	20.1	20.1	15.5	18.0	18.0	18.0
English, 75th percentile2	26.6	26.6	21.3	26.0	26.1	20.5	26.9	27.0	23.0	27.0	27.0	24.0	24.3	25.3	21.0
Mathematics, 25th percentile2	19.3	19.3	16.0	18.9	18.9	15.8	19.5	19.6	16.3	19.6	19.6	16.0	18.0	18.3	17.0
Mathematics, 75th percentile2	25.5	25.5	19.7	25.2	25.3	19.8	25.7	25.7	19.3	25.7	25.8	19.5	22.3	23.3	19.0

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

1 The total on this table differs slightly from other counts of institutions with first-year undergraduates because approximately 1.0 percent of these institutions did not report application information.

2 Data are only for institutions that require test scores for admission. Relatively few 2-year institutions require test scores for admission. The SAT evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) and mathematics scales range from 200 to 800. The ACT composite, English, and mathematics scales range from 1 to 36.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Excludes institutions not enrolling any first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2020-21, Admissions component. (This table was prepared October 2021.)