1
SMU
TX · Acceptance Rate: 53%
SAT Midpoint: 1390
SAT Range: 1310–1470
Enrollment: 7,100
Tuition: $61,750
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Top 20 Hidden Gem Colleges
Accessible colleges with strong academic profiles and outcomes worth a closer look.
How we ranked these schools
Schools must have an acceptance rate above 50% and published SAT data. They are ranked by SAT midpoint (average of 25th and 75th percentile scores) as a proxy for academic quality and student outcomes. Data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (the federal government's education data authority), Princeton Review, Niche, and My School List's own school database. All figures reflect the most recently available data and are updated periodically. Rankings are for informational purposes only.
2
Colorado School of Mines
CO · Acceptance Rate: 54%
SAT Midpoint: 1390
SAT Range: 1310–1470
Enrollment: 5,400
Tuition: $42,498
3
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
MA · Acceptance Rate: 52%
SAT Midpoint: 1385
SAT Range: 1300–1470
Enrollment: 4,900
Tuition: $58,160
4
Mount Holyoke College
MA · Acceptance Rate: 52%
SAT Midpoint: 1380
SAT Range: 1290–1470
Enrollment: 2,200
Tuition: $58,600
5
University of Minnesota
MN · Acceptance Rate: 75%
SAT Midpoint: 1370
SAT Range: 1280–1460
Enrollment: 51,000
Tuition: $35,286
6
Sarah Lawrence College
NY · Acceptance Rate: 55%
SAT Midpoint: 1365
SAT Range: 1280–1450
Enrollment: 1,400
Tuition: $62,070
7
Whitman College
WA · Acceptance Rate: 51%
SAT Midpoint: 1335
SAT Range: 1250–1420
Enrollment: 1,500
Tuition: $58,140
8
Rhodes College
TN · Acceptance Rate: 52%
SAT Midpoint: 1330
SAT Range: 1250–1410
Enrollment: 2,000
Tuition: $54,040
9
Ohio State University
OH · Acceptance Rate: 53%
SAT Midpoint: 1325
SAT Range: 1230–1420
Enrollment: 60,000
Tuition: $35,019
10
University of Connecticut
CT · Acceptance Rate: 56%
SAT Midpoint: 1315
SAT Range: 1230–1400
Enrollment: 19,000
Tuition: $40,754
11
Purdue University
IN · Acceptance Rate: 53%
SAT Midpoint: 1310
SAT Range: 1190–1430
Enrollment: 50,000
Tuition: $28,794
12
Rochester Institute of Technology
NY · Acceptance Rate: 65%
SAT Midpoint: 1310
SAT Range: 1220–1400
Enrollment: 13,000
Tuition: $54,018
13
Chapman University
CA · Acceptance Rate: 58%
SAT Midpoint: 1305
SAT Range: 1220–1390
Enrollment: 8,500
Tuition: $60,954
14
Virginia Tech
VA · Acceptance Rate: 57%
SAT Midpoint: 1305
SAT Range: 1210–1400
Enrollment: 28,000
Tuition: $35,724
15
St. Olaf College
MN · Acceptance Rate: 52%
SAT Midpoint: 1300
SAT Range: 1200–1400
Enrollment: 1,800
Tuition: $54,440
16
Lawrence University
WI · Acceptance Rate: 62%
SAT Midpoint: 1300
SAT Range: 1200–1400
Enrollment: 1,500
Tuition: $54,264
17
Furman University
SC · Acceptance Rate: 62%
SAT Midpoint: 1300
SAT Range: 1220–1380
Enrollment: 2,800
Tuition: $55,200
18
Drexel University
PA · Acceptance Rate: 78%
SAT Midpoint: 1295
SAT Range: 1200–1390
Enrollment: 13,500
Tuition: $57,036
19
University of Massachusetts Amherst
MA · Acceptance Rate: 58%
SAT Midpoint: 1295
SAT Range: 1200–1390
Enrollment: 30,000
Tuition: $37,405
20
Rutgers University
NJ · Acceptance Rate: 61%
SAT Midpoint: 1295
SAT Range: 1190–1400
Enrollment: 50,000
Tuition: $33,005
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