Welcome. This site explores how college selectivity (acceptance rate) relates to affordability (tuition). It summarises a dataset of 15 well-known US universities and highlights a few key patterns. Some of the content & sql written by AI.
Key Takeaways
- Most selective schools (sub‑10% acceptance) also have among the highest tuition.
- Public flagships offer strong value: higher acceptance rates and much lower in‑state tuition.
- Acceptance rate alone doesn’t predict outcomes; consider both selectivity and affordability.
Sample Snapshot
| School | Acceptance Rate | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 5.8% | $42,292 |
| UCLA | 22.3% | $12,696 (in‑state) |
| University of Florida | 45.6% | $6,310 (in‑state) |
See the full dataset on the Dataset page, deeper comparisons on the Analysis page, and a Glossary in Resources.
Elite Low-Acceptance Schools
| School | Acceptance Rate | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 5.8% | $42,292 |
| Stanford | 5.7% | $42,690 |
| Yale | 7.1% | $42,300 |
These are the most selective schools. They are hard to get into, and also have a high cost of attendance.
Good Value Public Universities
| School | Acceptance Rate | In-State Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| University of Florida | 45.6% | $6,310 |
| UNC | 30.8% | $8,340 |
| UT Austin | 43.9% | $9,798 |
These state public schools are easier to get into and have a much lower cost of attendance.