Recently, Forbes released the "Top 10 Super Safety Schools," a list encompassing the best public and private universities in the U.S. with acceptance rates of 60% or above. Some focus on humanities, some on STEM, and the rankings take into account factors such as high salaries, low debt, student satisfaction, location, size, religious affiliation, academic atmosphere, etc.
How you choose your schools, to some extent, determines whether you can get into your dream school. It is now widely accepted that applying to 10 to 15 schools is appropriate, and they should be divided into three tiers: Reach, Match, and Safety.
Reach
These are schools where the applicant’s qualifications are slightly below the admission requirements, or where there are some deficiencies in a certain aspect (academic performance or extracurricular activities), but there is still a slim chance of admission, around 10%-30%. These are the schools you need to summon courage to apply to.
Match
These are schools where the applicant’s qualifications generally match the admission requirements, with a 40%-60% chance of success. The probability of receiving an offer from these schools is high.
Safety
These are schools where the applicant’s qualifications exceed the admission requirements. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the applicant is almost certain to be admitted, with an 80%-90% probability. Therefore, it is recommended to include such schools to ensure that you are definitely admitted to at least one U.S. university, thus avoiding the awkward situation of having no school to attend.
Top 10 Safety Schools
1. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Forbes Ranking: 56
USNews Ranking: 52
Acceptance Rate: 62%
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), founded in 1867 and located in the quiet twin cities of Urbana and Champaign, Illinois, is a world-renowned top research university. It is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), and is recognized as a "Public Ivy," often mentioned alongside the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor as one of the "Big Three" public universities in the U.S.
For a long time, UIUC has been one of the country's most prestigious institutions for science and engineering. The university has not only produced brilliant achievements in science and industry but also nurtured numerous scientific giants and politicians. As the flagship university of Illinois, UIUC manages over 80 laboratories and research centers. The university has 16 colleges offering undergraduates more than 150 majors.
However, the admission difficulty at UIUC has been increasing in recent years. If you plan to apply to popular majors at UIUC, you still need to try to enhance your application profile.
2. DePauw University (Liberal Arts College)
Forbes Ranking: 98
USNews Ranking: 53
Acceptance Rate: 67%
As a liberal arts college consistently ranked around 50th in the liberal arts rankings, DePauw University has a very accessible acceptance rate. Beyond the College of Liberal Arts, it also has an independent School of Music, offering more than 50 majors. The university has over 100 student organizations, and one-fifth of the students identify as minority.
Moreover, DePauw’s tuition is relatively affordable. The annual cost of $48,860 is still lower than most liberal arts colleges. According to Money magazine, 99% of students receive some form of scholarship, bringing the average net tuition down to just $33,100, making it a great value.
3. Yeshiva University
Forbes Ranking: 99
USNews Ranking: 94
Acceptance Rate: 63%
Yeshiva University is a comprehensive university located in the heart of New York City, with a campus in Israel as well. It is a Jewish university and one of the oldest and most comprehensive in the U.S. Students can study Jewish studies and other liberal arts disciplines here, and if they wish, they can spend a year on an exchange program in Israel.
For a century, Yeshiva University has been dedicated to the advancement of human knowledge and ethical standards. The university comprises 18 undergraduate and graduate schools distributed across four New York campuses. The Master’s in Quantitative Economics program is held in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, near Wall Street, the renowned financial center of the U.S., which hosts the headquarters of most Fortune 500 companies, creating an excellent financial atmosphere.
Moreover, Manhattan is also the cultural center of the U.S. Its prime campus location provides students with rich and convenient living conditions. In their spare time, students can visit skyscrapers, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, and more.
4. Texas A&M University
Forbes Ranking: 108
USNews Ranking: 69
Acceptance Rate: 71%
Texas A&M University, located in College Station, Texas, was founded in 1876 and is a public research university. It is the first institution of higher education in Texas and the sixth-largest university in the U.S. With support from NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Navy Research Department, Texas A&M has become a research institution with significant achievements in sea, land, and air. Given its ample funding and accomplishments in fields such as animal cloning and petroleum engineering, it is ranked among the top 20 public research institutions in the U.S.
As one of the flagship public universities in Texas, Texas A&M boasts outstanding educational quality. It offers undergraduates more than 100 majors and hosts over 1,000 student organizations on campus.
5. Virginia Tech
Forbes Ranking: 110
USNews Ranking: 69
Acceptance Rate: 70%
As a school with a strong engineering focus, Virginia Tech has a very powerful engineering program. Its College of Engineering is ranked No. 9 by U.S. News. Industrial manufacturing, biological engineering, agricultural engineering, and civil engineering are all ranked among the top 10 in the U.S. Additionally, the university’s supercomputer System X was once the seventh most powerful in the world and the top-ranked university system globally.
As a comprehensive university with an excellent academic and research atmosphere, Virginia Tech also stands out in business and architecture. Its School of Public and International Affairs is ranked 37th nationally; architecture is ranked 4th; interior design is 9th; and landscape architecture is 10th.
Notably, Virginia Tech’s food is also top-notch. For instance, in the latest 2019 Princeton Review ranking of the best college dining halls, Virginia Tech placed third. And in the 2019 Niche rankings, Virginia Tech took the top spot.
6. Wheaton College (Illinois) (Liberal Arts College)
Forbes Ranking: 112
USNews Ranking: 63
Acceptance Rate: 85%
Wheaton College is a coeducational liberal arts college located in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. It is regarded as one of the best Christian Protestant colleges and enjoys high academic repute. The college describes itself this way: "We exist because we take on our responsibilities and obligations to society and the church. This responsibility guides us forward. 'For Christ and His Kingdom' is our motto." The college is often called the "Harvard of Protestantism."
The college offers over 40 undergraduate majors. The most popular are business, applied health sciences, and biology. Its Conservatory of Music also provides additional scholarships and offers six majors, including performance and composition.
7. Furman University
Forbes Ranking: 113
USNews Ranking: 53
Acceptance Rate: 61%
Furman University is one of the best undergraduate liberal arts colleges, and it requires all students to live on campus. The university offers more than 40 fields of study and over 150 student organizations. A distinctive feature of the university is its emphasis on service: according to statistics, two-thirds of students participate in community service operations.
The American Society of Landscape Architects has called Furman’s campus one of the most beautiful places in the country. Lush and tree-lined, it features an Asian-themed fountain, a replica of Thoreau's cabin, a bell tower, a spring-fed lake, and Georgian-style buildings. Visitors and students can choose from 13 miles of trails for hiking or biking, or play a round of golf on the verdant course.
8. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Forbes Ranking: 116
USNews Ranking: NA
Acceptance Rate: 61%
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology may not be as well-known as Caltech, MIT, or even Carnegie Mellon, but it was the first private university to award a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. In U.S. News's Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs rankings, it is tied for first place—truly outstanding.
This institute continues to innovate. If you can handle the heavily skewed gender ratio and a limited number of majors (all in engineering and sciences), Rose-Hulman can offer you an excellent technical background and bright job prospects. The students are very bright, proactive, and highly competitive, and they enjoy working and playing with computers.
This private college specializes in science, engineering, and mathematics. Three-quarters of the students are engineering majors. The campus hosts Rose-Hulman Ventures, an in-house product design and development company that also provides students with internship and job opportunities.
9. University of Colorado Boulder
Forbes Ranking: 131
USNews Ranking: 90
Acceptance Rate: 80%
The University of Colorado Boulder is a well-known public university in the north-central United States and one of the 34 public universities in the Association of American Universities. It is an institution with outstanding scholarship and cutting-edge research.
Its campus is located in the scenic city of Boulder, Colorado. The university emphasizes cultural exchange and international collaboration, and was founded in 1876. The University of Colorado system includes four campuses: Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. CU Boulder is the largest public university in Colorado and a major higher education institution in the region.
10. Indiana University Bloomington
Forbes Ranking: 132
USNews Ranking: 90
Acceptance Rate: 76%
Indiana University Bloomington, founded in 1820, is a long-established and prestigious research university in the Midwest. It joined the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) as early as 1909, an association founded in 1900 and made up of 62 leading public and private universities in the U.S. and Canada.
Although Bloomington's overall ranking is not high, it is home to the top-ten Kelley School of Business, which sends many elite graduates to Big Four firms and financial companies each year. It is one of the few top business schools that are accessible to undergraduates. However, in recent years, many students have hoped to apply to other majors at Bloomington and later transfer into the business school. But this is very difficult and highly competitive, so do your research before applying.
Although these are the top ten super safety schools, students must not be complacent, thinking they can casually pick one and get in. Each has its own strong programs, and admission to those programs can be as competitive as the top 30 schools. Therefore, if you are applying to a specific major at a safety school, it’s necessary to understand the competitiveness of that program in advance.
Additionally, when choosing safety schools, do not select schools that are far below your level. Because many universities, especially lesser-known ones or well-known universities that happen to be at certain threshold rankings, have suffered in recent years from what they considered very “fitting” and excellent applicants: they admitted many but only a few enrolled, resulting in low yield rates that forced them to admit large numbers from the waitlist at the last minute. Consequently, these schools have become more cautious in their admissions, sometimes becoming overly fearful and preferring to reject potentially strong applicants rather than repeat past mistakes.
Therefore, we remind everyone: when choosing safety schools, do not "settle for less" by selecting schools where your qualifications far exceed the average level—otherwise you might actually be rejected.
