Getting In: how college admission works
How admission rates, selectivity, test policies and application plans work, and where to find each college’s own official numbers. Every fact below names its official source.
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Admission rate and selectivity
UpOnly Learning does not rank colleges. The schools named on this page are examples only.
Colleges report to IPEDS their fall admissions rate, defined as the number of admitted undergraduates divided by the number of undergraduates who applied, and these rates are also often called acceptance rates. [1]
In academic year 2021–22 some 25 percent of 4-year institutions had open admissions policies (they accepted all applicants), 42 percent accepted three-quarters or more of their applicants, 23 percent accepted from one-half to less than three-quarters, and 10 percent accepted less than one-half. [2]
More details
Most 2-year institutions (92 percent) had open admissions policies in fall 2021. [2]
The IPEDS Admissions component collects information about institutional admissions policies and the selection process, which may include admissions considerations, the numbers of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students, test scores used in admissions decisions, and practices such as waitlists, early decision and early action. [3]
Find a school’s numbers: College Scorecard
College Scorecard provides data at the institution level and data by field of study. [5]
Test scores of admitted students are not reported for all institutions but may help students find an institution that is a good academic match, and its files include the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile scores, for example for SAT reading. [1]
The Common Data Set, section C
To find a college’s Common Data Set, search the college’s own website for “Common Data Set”. Texas State University’s is used below as an example of the standard items.
The Common Data Set (CDS) is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers, represented by the College Board, Peterson’s and U.S. News & World Report. [6]
The Common Data Set Initiative's goal is the development of clear, standard data items and definitions, to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved. [6]
More details
Section C covers first-time, first-year admission. [7]
Item C1 asks for the number of degree-seeking, first-time, first-year students who applied, were admitted, and enrolled (full- or part-time) in fall 2025. [7]
Item C9 reports the percent and number of first-time, first-year students enrolled in fall 2025 who submitted national standardized (SAT/ACT) test scores, with the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile score for each assessment. [7]
What colleges weigh: the factors in item C7
- Item C7 asks for the relative importance of academic and nonacademic factors in first-time, first-year, degree-seeking admission decisions, each marked Very Important, Important, Considered or Not Considered. [7]
- The academic factors in item C7 are rigor of secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, standardized test scores, application essay and recommendation. [7]
- The nonacademic factors in item C7 are interview, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, first generation, alumni/ae relation, geographical residence, state residency, religious affiliation/commitment, volunteer work, work experience and level of applicant’s interest. [7]
Test-optional and test-required policies
Overview only. For dates, registration, rules and scoring, see each test maker's own site.
How test policies are labeled
Admission test scores are listed as Required to be considered, Not required, but considered (Test Optional), or Not considered (Test Blind). [4]
The Common Data Set asks whether test scores are required to be considered for admission, not required for admission but considered if submitted, or not considered for admission, even if submitted. [7]
Example of a test-required school: MIT
MIT requires the SAT or the ACT for both prospective first-year and transfer students, and it does not require the ACT writing or science sections or the SAT optional essay. [8]
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s profile lists the SAT / ACT as required to be considered. [4]
Example of a test-optional school: Columbia
Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will remain test optional for the upcoming admissions cycle, and applicants who do not submit test scores will not be disadvantaged in the application review process. [9]
Columbia has announced that it will require standardized testing again in a future admission cycle. [9]
SAT® is a registered trademark of College Board. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. Common App® is a registered trademark of The Common Application, Inc. None of these organizations is affiliated with or endorses UpOnly Learning.
Early decision, early action and regular decision
Each college decides which plans it offers and sets its own dates and rules. Read each college’s rules before you apply.
Under early decision (ED) students make a binding commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. [10]
Under early action (EA) students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date, and the commitment is non-binding. [10]
Under restrictive early action (REA) students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision early, and they may be restricted from applying ED, EA or REA to other institutions. [10]
More details
Under regular decision students submit an application by a specified date and receive a decision in a clearly stated period of time. [10]
Early decision is a binding application process by which an applicant commits to enrolling in a certain college if admitted, and parents only need to submit a form if the student applies using a college’s early decision deadline. [11] [12]
Rolling admission
Under rolling admission institutions review applications as they are submitted and render admission decisions throughout the admission cycle. [10]
Rolling admission is a decision plan that lets students submit an application at any time throughout the year. [11]
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
What is the difference between early decision and early action?
Under early decision (ED) students make a binding commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. [10]
Under early action (EA) students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date, and the commitment is non-binding. [10]
What does test optional mean?
Admission test scores are listed as Required to be considered, Not required, but considered (Test Optional), or Not considered (Test Blind). [4]
Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will remain test optional for the upcoming admissions cycle, and applicants who do not submit test scores will not be disadvantaged in the application review process. [9]
What is the Common Data Set?
The Common Data Set (CDS) is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers, represented by the College Board, Peterson’s and U.S. News & World Report. [6]
The Common Data Set Initiative's goal is the development of clear, standard data items and definitions, to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved. [6]
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Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Technical Documentation: College Scorecard Institution-Level Data. https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf. Version: June 2024 (PDF). Checked .
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, Condition of Education. Characteristics of Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/csa. last updated August 2023 (data for 2021–22). Checked .
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS. Admissions (ADM) survey component. https://nces.ed.gov/Ipeds/survey-components/6. no edition stated. Checked .
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, College Navigator. College Navigator: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (school profile, Admissions section). https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=166683. admissions data for Fall 2024. Checked .
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Data Documentation. https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/documentation/. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common Data Set Initiative. Common Data Set Initiative (home page). https://commondataset.org/. no edition stated. Checked .
- Texas State University. Common Data Set 2025-2026. https://docs.gato.txst.edu/779002/Common%20Data%20Set%202025-2026.pdf. 2025-2026 edition (PDF). Checked .
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Admissions. Tests & scores (first-year applicants). https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/tests-scores/. no edition stated. Checked .
- Columbia University, Undergraduate Admissions. Testing Policy. https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/process/testing. page refers to the 2026-2027 admissions cycle. Checked .
- National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Which College Admission Process Best Suits You? (Definitions of Admission Options in Higher Education). https://www.nacacnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Definitions-of-Admission-Options-in-Higher-Education.pdf. PDF posted October 2022. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Application dictionary. https://www.commonapp.org/static/eb936e0080b0c7535a04c720aabf4b75/Application-Dictionary_0.pdf. PDF dated September 2026. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). First-year application guide (step-by-step guide). https://www.commonapp.org/apply/first-year-students. no edition stated. Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.