Our 2026 college list includes more than 170 colleges and universities in 33 states and the District of Columbia. From more than 900 applications, our students have reached a 91% acceptance rate with 4% deferred and 4% not accepted so far. (Revised 2/19/26)

Many factors help our students define their college lists: location and geography, the student’s college fit preferences, family expectations, and academic program information. For a few students, their area of study has to be a primary consideration. If they would like to major in something few schools offer, then the college list is first shaped by the student’s area of interest. Extracurricular interests like sports or music might also narrow the list. At times, family legacy is a primary influence on the list. 

For the majority of our students, we start with a broad list of schools, and we advise our students to tour a smaller school (less than 5,000 students), a mid-sized school (5,000 to 12,000 students), a large school (12,000 to 25,000 students), and an extra-large school (more than 25,000 students). Our lists will often include urban, suburban, and rural options, and we talk about the importance of visiting the community as much as visiting the college. 

With all applications submitted, our students take time to evaluate and compare their schools again through a more personal lens. From February through April, our seniors will compare programs of study for requirements and electives, including reading the course descriptions of classes they are likely to take in their freshman year. We encourage in-person or virtual visits to talk with professors and students. Using their top expectations for college, they rank schools on their college list for opportunities including study abroad programs, honors programs, housing options, internships and co-ops, undergraduate research opportunities and grants, and extracurriculars. 

At Class 101, we also examine colleges’ post-graduate outcome statistics, and we review and revise the factors that each individual student deems important to his or her decision. It is not uncommon for students’ preferences to change during senior year, which is why a well-researched list of colleges is so important. 

For the Class of 2027 and beyond, connecting with colleges should start now. Spring is the perfect time to brainstorm a big college list and start demonstrating interest through subscribing to admissions emails (and reading them!), scheduling visits, attending events and pre-college programs, and following social media accounts. 

If you are wondering where to start with your student’s college list, here’s where Class 101-Dayton OH South students in the Class of 2026 applied: 

Abilene Christian University
American University
Appalachian State University
Arizona State University
Auburn University
Ball State University
Baylor University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowling Green State University
Brown University
Butler University
Capital University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Cedarville University
Central Michigan University
Centre College
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Cincinnati State
Clemson University
Cleveland Institute of Art
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Columbia University
Columbus College of Art and Design
Cornell University
Creighton University
CUNY City College
Denison University
DePaul University
Drexel University
Duke University
Eastern Kentucky University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Emory University
Ferris State University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Fordham University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia State University
Greensboro College
Hampton University
Hanover College
Harvard University
Heidelberg University
High Point University
Howard University
Illinois State University
Indiana University-Bloomington
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Iona University
Jacksonville University
James Madison University
John Carroll University
Johns Hopkins University
Kent State University
Kettering College
Liberty University
Lipscomb University
Louisiana State University
Loyola University Chicago
Marist University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Miami University
Michigan State University
Mount Saint Joseph University
Muskingum University
New York University
North Carolina A & T State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Northern Illinois University
Northern Kentucky University
Northwestern University
Nova Southeastern University
Ohio Northern University
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Ottawa University
Otterbein University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Pratt Institute
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rhode Island School of Design
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rollins College
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Saint Louis University
Saint Mary’s College
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of Visual Arts
Spelman College
St. Mary’s University
Stanford University
Stetson University
Stony Brook University
Thomas More University
Tiffin University
Trine University
Trinity University
Tulane University
United States Air Force Academy
United States Naval Academy
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Dayton
University of Dubuque
University of Findlay
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Houston
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Indianapolis
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
University of Michigan
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Nebraska
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of North Dakota
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Tampa
University of Tennessee
University of Toledo
University of Utah
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
Walsh University
Washington University in St Louis
West Virginia University
Western Michigan University
Westminster College
William & Mary
Wilmington College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Wright State University
Xavier University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Yale University
Youngstown State University