How to Choose the Right Safety Schools

Key Takeaway: A safety school is a college or university where you are likely to be accepted because your grades and test scores are higher than the average student. Applying to two or three safety schools that offer your major, fit your budget, and meet your personal preferences can ensure you have good options if you don’t get into your top choice.

Have you started thinking about college? More specifically, where you want to go to college? Maybe you’ve always had a dream school in mind, or perhaps you are just getting started on your college search. Either way—you’ll want to ensure your college list includes a few safety schools.

You may have heard the term “safety school,” but what does it really mean? To put it simply, a safety school is one that you have a really good chance of being accepted to. This way, if things don’t work out with your dream school, you’ll still have strong options. In this guide, we’ll cover what a safety school is, why it’s important, how many you should apply to, some great options, and tips to help you choose the right one.

What are Safety Schools?

When you start searching for colleges, you’ll generally want to have a mix of “safety schools”, “match schools” and “reach schools.”

A safety school is one that you apply to in case you don’t get into your first choice school. These are schools you are almost guaranteed to get into. This means your grades, test scores, and other credentials are above the average student’s. For a school to be considered a safety, it typically has the following characteristics:

• High Acceptance Rate: An acceptance rate of 50% or higher is considered a high admission rate. This means that the majority of students who apply will get in. On the other hand, schools with very low rates, like 10% or less, are highly selective and shouldn’t be considered safety schools, regardless of how strong your credentials are.
• High Chance of Admission: When comparing your test scores and GPA to the student body’s average, you should be in the 75th percentile or above.

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Why Do I Need a Safety School?

There’s always a chance you might not get into your dream school. Or you do get in, but finances or family matters keep you from being able to attend. In this case, you have your safety schools. While these are your safer options, they should still be places you could see yourself attending!

When they say, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” this is why. If you only apply to one school and don’t get in, you’ll have to wait until applications reopen and that can put off graduation. Your safety schools give you options and ultimately, that’s better than no options at all.

How Many Should I Have?

We say safety schools—emphasis on the pluralization—because you should have more than one. Aim to apply for two to three safety schools. More than three could distract you from the time you need to spend on applications for your match and reach schools.

How to Choose a Good Safety School

Before applying just anywhere, know that a good safety school should have the following:

• An average GPA of around 3.5 and test scores below or equal to your own.
• Offer your intended major and other activities that make you excited to be involved.
• Tuition and fees that fit within your family’s budget.
• Meet your preferences for location, size, and social scene.

As you are looking for safety schools, keep in mind that even if the stats align, you should still research each college’s values, offerings, and campus life. It may not be your “dream” school, but you should still see yourself thriving there. You can start your research by using a College Match tool.

20 Good Safety Schools

Now that you know you need a few safety schools, here are 20 to start your search, complete with acceptance rates, average GPA, test scores, and tuition. It is important to note that there are thousands of colleges and universities in the United States, and we’ve just selected 20 as starting points for your safety school search. Know that what may be a safety school for one person, may be a reach or match school for someone else. As you go through this list, consider your own academic goals and personal preferences!

1. University of Vermont

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  University of Vermont. Photograph via UVM on Facebook.

  Ranking: #39/586 in Public

• Location: Vermont
• Acceptance Rate: 60%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 11,898
• Average GPA: 3.73
• Average SAT: 1280-1430
• Average ACT: 27-32
• Tuition: (In-State): $16,280; (Out-of-State): $42,724

2. Pennsylvania State University

• Ranking: #31/586 in Public
• Location: Pennsylvania
• Acceptance Rate: 54%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 41,745
• Average GPA: 3.75
• Average SAT: 1230-1410
• Average ACT: 26-31
• Tuition: (In-State): $20,644; (Out-of-State): $41,790

3. University of Massachusetts-Amherst

• Ranking: #26/586 in Public
• Location: Massachusetts
• Acceptance Rate: 58%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 24,391
• Average GPA: 3.73
• Average SAT: 1310 – 1480
• Average ACT: 28-34
• Tuition: (In-State): $17,772; (Out-of-State): $40,449

4.    James Madison University

• Ranking: #26/586 in Public
• Location: Virginia
• Acceptance Rate: 76%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 20,346
• Average GPA: 3.68
• Average SAT: 1180-1330
• Average ACT: 24-29
• Tuition: (In-State): $14,242; (Out-of-State): $31,588

5. University of Delaware

• Ranking: #27/586 in Public
• Location: Delaware
• Acceptance Rate: 65%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 19,482
• Average GPA: 3.7
• Average SAT: 1210-1370
• Average ACT: 25-30
• Tuition: (In-State): $36,446; (Out-of-State): 61,036

6.    Michigan State University

• Ranking: #27/586 in Public
• Location: Michigan
• Acceptance Rate: 84%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 39,201
• Average GPA: 3.75
• Average SAT: 1170-1360
• Average ACT: 24-30
• Tuition: (In-State): $16,526; (Out-of-State): $43,910

7. University of Iowa

• Ranking: #56/586 in Public
• Location: Iowa
• Acceptance Rate: 85%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 21,973
• Average GPA: 3.74
• Average SAT: 1120-1320
• Average ACT: 22-28
• Tuition: (In-State): $11,283; (Out-of-State): $33,371

8. Westmont College

• Ranking: #149/1,019 in Private
• Location: California
• Acceptance Rate: 80%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,284
• Average GPA: 3.6
• Average SAT: 1270-1450
• Average ACT: 27-33
• Tuition: $52,320

9.    Temple University

• Ranking: #104/586 in Public
• Location: Pennsylvania
• Acceptance Rate: 83%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 24,106
• Average GPA: 3.5
• Average SAT: 1030-1240
• Average ACT: 20-26
• Tuition: (In-State): $18,864; (Out-of-State): $33,912

10. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• Ranking: #100/586 in Public
• Location: North Carolina
• Acceptance Rate: 80%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 23,461
• Average GPA: 3.55
• Average SAT: 1100-1300
• Average ACT: 22-28
• Tuition: (In-State) $3,812; (Out-of-State) $19,066

11. Mississippi State University

• Ranking: #131/586 in Public
• Location: Mississippi
• Acceptance Rate: 76%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 18,305
• Average GPA: 3.54
• Average SAT: 1090-1350
• Average ACT: 21-29
• Tuition: (In-State): $10,202; (Out-of-State): $27,637

12. Oklahoma State University

• Ranking: #113/586 in Public
• Location: Oklahoma
• Acceptance Rate: 71%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 20,786
• Average GPA: 3.24
• Average SAT: 1040-1270
• Average ACT: 20-27
• Tuition: (In-State): $13,920; (Out-of-State): $29,440

13. University of Arizona

• Ranking: #78/586 in Public
• Location: Arizona
• Acceptance Rate: 86%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 38,751
• Average GPA: 3.5
• Average SAT: 1110-1390
• Average ACT: 22-31
• Tuition: (In-State): $13,900; (Out-of-State): $42,300

14. University of Kansas

• Ranking: #83/586 in Public
• Location: Kansas
• Acceptance Rate: 88%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 19,241
• Average GPA: 3.7
• Average SAT: 1080-1290
• Average ACT: 21-27
• Tuition: (In-State): $10,294; (Out-of-State): $27,500

15. University of Kentucky

• Ranking: #82/586 in Public
• Location: Kentucky
• Acceptance Rate: 92%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 22,735
• Average GPA: 3.6
• Average SAT: 1080-1310
• Average ACT: 21-28
• Tuition: (In-State): $13,502; (Out-of-State): $34,140

16. University of North Carolina Wilmington

• Ranking: #86/586 in Public
• Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
• Acceptance Rate: 74%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 14,294
• Average GPA: 3.8
• Average SAT: 1200-1330
• Average ACT: 25-29
• Tuition: (In-State) $20,083; (Out-of-State) $33,517

17. University of Wyoming

• Ranking: #290/586 in Public
• Location: Wyoming
• Acceptance Rate: 96%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,518
• Average GPA: 3.5
• Average SAT: 1070-1290
• Average ACT: 21-27
• Tuition: (In-State) $6,277; (Out-of-State) $20,827

18. University of Utah

1. Ranking: #117/586 in Public
2. Location: Utah
3. Acceptance Rate: 87%
4. Undergraduate Enrollment: 26,355
5. Average GPA: 3.68
6. Average SAT: 1130-1360
7. Average ACT: 23-30
8. Tuition: (In-State) $10,287; (Out-of-State) $33,045

19. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Ranking: #33/586 in Public
• Location: Virginia
• Acceptance Rate: 57%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 30,434
• Average GPA: 3.7
• Average SAT: 1220-1420
• Average ACT: 26-32
• Tuition: (In-State) $15,478; (Out-of-State) $36,090

20. University of San Francisco

• Ranking: #173/1,019 in Private
• Location: California
• Acceptance Rate: 76%
• Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,018
• Average GPA: 3.65
• Average SAT: 1220-1400
• Average ACT: 25-31
• Tuition: (Private): $58,222

Applying to safety schools is an important part of the application process. These secure options increase your chances of admission, so even if you don’t get into your first choice, you’ll still have an option for a school that you’d be content going to. Remember, even though you have a high chance of getting into a safety school, you should still put maximum effort into these applications! Good luck on your college journey!