Based on The Princeton Review’s survey of 160,000 students for “The Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition,” these are the top scoring schools:
1. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
6,886 full-time students
Applicants: 37,310
Average HS GPA: 3.84
Acceptance rate: 9%
2. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
5,619 full-time students
Applicants: 9,822
Average HS GPA: 3.77
Acceptance rate: 96%
3. Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, CA
349 full-time students
Applicants: 162
Average HS GPA: 3.80
Acceptance rate: 81%
4. Brown University, Providence, RI
7,349 full-time students
Applicants: 46,568
Average HS GPA: n/a
Acceptance rate: 6%
Brown University came in fourth place on the Princeton Review list. Getty Images5. William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA
6,543 full-time students
Applicants: 17,475
Average HS GPA: 4.30
Acceptance rate: 37%
6. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
7,780 full-time students
Applicants: 45,525
Average HS GPA: 3.64
Acceptance rate: 10%
7. Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
1,515 full-time students
Applicants: 2,994
Average HS GPA: 3.93
Acceptance rate: 24%
The rankings are based off of a survey of 160,000 students for Princeton Review’s “The Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition.”
8. Auburn University, Auburn, AL
24,931 full-time students
Applicants: 27,619
Average HS GPA: 3.97
Acceptance rate: 71%
9. Clemson University, Clemson, SC
21,653 full-time students
Applicants: 47,001
Average HS GPA: 4.38
Acceptance rate: 49%
10. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
29,760 full-time students
Applicants: 42,054
Average HS GPA: 3.97
Acceptance rate: 56%
11. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
35,474 full-time students
Applicants: 53,829
Average HS GPA: 3.88
Acceptance rate: 60%
12. Washington State University, Pullman, WA
24,278 full-time students
Applicants: 18,197
Average HS GPA: 3.50
Acceptance rate: 86%
Washington State University has 24,278 full-time students. Getty Images/iStockphoto13. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, MA
382 full-time students
Applicants: 907
Average HS GPA: 3.90
Acceptance rate: 18%
14. Elon University, Elon, NC
6,302 full-time students
Applicants: 17,834
Average HS GPA: 4.07
Acceptance rate: 78%
15. Emory University, Atlanta, GA
7,130 full-time students
Applicants: 33,435
Average HS GPA: 3.81
Acceptance rate: 13%
Emory University in Atlanta ranked 15th on the list. Getty Images/iStockphoto16. Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO
8,034 full-time students
Applicants: 33,634.
Average HS GPA: 4.20
Acceptance rate: 13%
17. Rice University, Houston, TX
4,247 full-time students
Applicants: 29,544
Average HS GPA: n/a
Acceptance rate: 9%
Rice University was came in 17th on the list of most loved schools. Getty Images18. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
5,451 full-time students
Applicants: 14,107.
Average HS GPA: n/a
Acceptance rate: 46%
19. Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
1,828 full-time students
Applicants: 9,081
Average HS GPA: n/a
Acceptance rate: 10%
Bowdoin College has an acceptance rate of 10%. Photo by Tim Greenway/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images20. University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
3,164 full-time students
Applicants: 13,955
Average HS GPA: 3.71
Acceptance rate: 29%
