What Are The Public Ivies?
Public Ivies combine the resources of large research universities, extensive major catalogs, cutting-edge labs, robust honors programs, and deep internship networks, with strong outcomes reporting and external validation through rankings and alumni success. For ambitious students, these institutions offer both breadth of opportunity and proven track records of graduate school placement and career outcomes.
The Nine Public Ivies
This article covers nine widely recognized Public Ivies:
University of Michigan
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of California, Berkeley
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Virginia
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of Texas at Austin
University of Florida
College of William & Mary
Detailed Admissions Statistics by School
University of Michigan
Overall Acceptance Rate: ~15.6%
Based on Fall 2024: 98,310 applicants, 15,373 admitted, 7,278 enrolled
SAT Range (Enrolled Students): 1360–1530 (25th–75th percentile)
ACT Range (Enrolled Students): 31–34
Test Submission Rates:
51% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores
18% submitted ACT scores
Early Action/Early Decision:
Michigan offers Early Action for Fall 2024
Early Decision was added for the 2025–26 admissions cycle
EA acceptance rate and share of class: Not publicly reported
ACT Policy:
Superscores: Yes
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading, Science (all four standard ACT sections)
Subsections NOT Required: Writing
Michigan combines your highest score in each of the four sections across all test dates to create your best possible composite
In-State vs Out-of-State: Not publicly broken out in available data
UCLA
Overall Acceptance Rate: ~9.4%
Based on Fall 2025: 145,070 applicants, 13,660 admitted
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance (Fall 2025):
California Resident: ~9.6% (8,575 admitted / 89,324 applicants)
Domestic Nonresident: ~11.2% (3,530 admitted / 31,534 applicants)
International: ~6.4% (1,555 admitted / 24,200 applicants)
Early Action/Early Decision:
UCLA does not use EA/ED-style binding or nonbinding early plans
Uses UC system's single application window
SAT/ACT Policy:
Test-Blind for Admissions: UCLA does not accept or consider SAT/ACT scores for admissions decisions
SAT/ACT ranges and superscoring policies are not applicable
Percent of Class from EA: Not applicable (no EA program)
UC Berkeley
Overall Acceptance Rate: ~11.4%
Based on Fall 2025: 126,796 applicants, 14,451 admitted
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance (Fall 2025):
California Resident: ~13.6% (9,874 admitted / 72,646 applicants)
Domestic Nonresident: ~10.3% (3,114 admitted / 30,130 applicants)
International: ~6.1% (1,463 admitted / 24,020 applicants)
Early Action/Early Decision:
Berkeley does not operate EA/ED programs
Participates in UC admissions process with single application window
SAT/ACT Policy:
Test-Blind for Admissions: Berkeley does not consider standardized tests for admission decisions
SAT/ACT ranges and superscoring policies are not applicable
Percent of Class from EA: Not applicable (no EA program)
Georgia Institute of Technology
Overall Acceptance Rate: ~12.7%
Based on 2025 first-year profile: 66,895 applicants, 8,520 admitted
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance:
Georgia Resident: 16%
Non-Georgia: 9%
SAT Range (Admitted Students): 1370–1530
ACT Range (Admitted Students): 30–34
Early Action:
Georgia Tech offers Early Action rounds (EA1 and EA2)
EA2 acceptance rate: 8%
EA2 represented ~55% of applications in the referenced cycle
Binding Early Decision rate: Not provided
ACT Policy:
Superscores: Yes
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading (3 sections only)
Subsections NOT Considered: Science and Writing are explicitly excluded from review
Georgia Tech creates your composite using only your highest English, Math, and Reading scores across all test dates, Science and Writing scores are completely ignored
Percent of Class from EA: Not publicly reported
University of Virginia
Overall Acceptance Rate: ~17%
Based on Class Profile 2024–2025: 58,966 applications, 9,924 offered admission, 4,000 enrolled
Acceptance Rates by Entry Program:
Early Action: 18% offer rate
Early Decision: 28% offer rate
Regular Decision: 12% offer rate
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance:
Overall In-State: 26%
Overall Out-of-State: 13%
EA In-State: 29%
EA Out-of-State: 14%
ED In-State: 31%
ED Out-of-State: 23%
SAT Range (Fall 2025):
Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: 700–760
Math: 710–780
ACT Range: 32–35 (composite)
ACT Policy:
Superscores: Yes
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading, Science (all four standard ACT sections)
Subsections NOT Considered: Writing is not used in review
UVA's system automatically combines your highest section scores across test dates, you should report scores exactly as they appear on your official score report without recalculating
Percent of Class from EA: Not directly computable from available sources
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Overall Acceptance Rate: ~15.3%
Based on Fall 2024: 66,535 applicants, 10,209 admitted, 4,632 enrolled
SAT Range (Enrolled Students): 1400–1520
ACT Range (Enrolled Students): 29–34
Early Action:
EA closing date: October 15
EA notification date: January 31
No Early Decision plan
North Carolina Resident EA Admit Rate (separate cycle): ~39.5% (14,931 NC-resident EA applications, 5,903 admits)
Overall EA admit rate: Not publicly reported
ACT Policy:
Superscores: Yes
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading (3 sections only)
Subsections NOT Required: Science section is optional to report but NOT used in calculating your composite score
UNC calculates your composite score using only English, Math, and Reading. If you choose to report Science, UNC will review it, but it does not factor into your composite or superscore
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance:
Not published in current data
Historical Reference (Fall 2022): 34.3% in-state vs 8.2% out-of-state, illustrating significant residency gap
Percent of Class from EA: Not publicly reported
The University of Texas at Austin
Overall Acceptance Rate: 26.64%
Based on College Board profile: 72,885 applicants, 19,417 admitted, 9,210 enrolled
Note: UT Austin reported record application volumes for Fall 2025 (90,690 freshman applications), so recent admit rates may differ from the profile year shown above.
SAT Range: 1230–1480
ACT Range: 29–34
Early Action:
EA deadline: October 15
EA is a timeline guarantee; January notification can be an admit or deferral to February decision
EA acceptance rate: Not publicly reported
ACT Policy:
Superscores: No, UT Austin does NOT superscore
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading, Science (from your best single test sitting)
Subsections NOT Required: Writing and Science sections are not required
UT uses your highest composite score from a single test date. There is no benefit to taking the ACT multiple times to combine section scores, focus on achieving your best performance in one sitting
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance: Not published in available sources
Percent of Class from EA: Not publicly reported
University of Florida
Overall Acceptance Rate: 24.2%
Based on College Board profile: 73,557 applicants, 17,804 admitted, 7,513 enrolled
SAT Range (Enrolled Students): 1330–1470
ACT Range (Enrolled Students): 29–33
Test Submission Rates:
80% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores
40% submitted ACT scores
Early Action:
Application deadline: November 1
EA is nonbinding
Notification: January 23
EA acceptance rate: Not publicly reported
ACT Policy:
Superscores: Yes, UF superscores SAT, ACT, and CLT
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading (3 sections only)
Subsections NOT Considered: Science section is explicitly excluded from admissions evaluation and superscoring
UF combines your highest English, Math, and Reading scores across test dates. The Science section will NOT factor into your superscore, there is no benefit to retaking the ACT to improve your Science score
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance: Not published in available sources
Percent of Class from EA: Not publicly reported
College of William & Mary
Overall Acceptance Rate: 37%
Based on Class of 2029: 16,897 total applications
In-State vs Out-of-State Acceptance:
In-State: 37%
Out-of-State: 37%
(No residency gap in published headline metric for this class)
SAT Range (Enrolled Students): 1390–1520
ACT Range (Enrolled Students): 32–34
Test-Optional:
40% of Class of 2029 applied test-optional
W&M is test-optional
Early Decision:
1,478 Early Decision applicants for Class of 2029
W&M emphasizes Early Decision rather than Early Action
ED acceptance rate and enrolled share: Not directly computable from available data
ACT Policy:
Superscores: Yes, for both SAT and ACT if taken multiple times
Subsections Considered: English, Math, Reading, Science (all four standard ACT sections)
Subsections NOT Required: Writing
If you submit both SAT and ACT scores, W&M will use whichever exam result is more advantageous for your application
Key Takeaways: Interpreting the Data
EA/ED Acceptance Rates Are Not Interchangeable
Early Action and Early Decision acceptance rates differ significantly from overall acceptance rates because the applicant pools are self-selected. UVA's data illustrates this clearly: ED has a 28% offer rate compared to just 12% in Regular Decision. However, this doesn't mean ED is "easier"—it reflects recruited athletes, legacy applicants, and highly prepared students who've identified UVA as their first choice.
Residency Gaps Vary by Institution
Some Public Ivies offer substantial resident advantages (Georgia Tech, UVA, UNC Chapel Hill), while others show minimal or no published gap (William & Mary). The UC system presents a more nuanced picture: at Berkeley, California residents actually have a higher admit rate than domestic nonresidents, while at UCLA the pattern reverses slightly. International applicants typically face the lowest admit rates across UC campuses.
ACT Policies Are More Specific Than You Think
Gone are the days when all schools treated the ACT the same way. The ACT has four standard sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, plus an optional Writing section. Public Ivies now have highly specific policies about which sections they use:
Schools that use ALL FOUR ACT sections (English, Math, Reading, Science):
Michigan - Superscores all four sections
UVA - Superscores all four sections
William & Mary - Superscores all four sections
Schools that use ONLY THREE ACT sections (English, Math, Reading):
Georgia Tech - Superscores English, Math, Reading; completely ignores Science and Writing
UNC - Superscores English, Math, Reading; Science is optional to report but not used in composite
UF - Superscores English, Math, Reading; Science explicitly excluded from evaluation
Schools with NO SUPERSCORING:
UT Austin - Uses best single-sitting composite from all four sections
Schools that DON'T USE ACT:
UCLA - Test-blind for admissions
Berkeley - Test-blind for admissions
CRITICAL IMPLICATION: If you're applying to Georgia Tech or UF, there is literally zero benefit to retaking the ACT to improve your Science score, they don't look at it. If you're targeting UNC, your Science score is optional and doesn't factor into your composite. But if you're applying to Michigan, UVA, or William & Mary, all four sections matter.
NO SCHOOL REQUIRES ACT WRITING: Every Public Ivy either doesn't require the Writing section or doesn't use it in admissions evaluation. Don't waste time or money on ACT Writing unless it's required for scholarship purposes at your state university.
Strategic Implications for Applicants
For In-State Applicants: If you're a resident of Virginia, Georgia, or North Carolina, your Public Ivy represents a statistically significant admissions advantage compared to out-of-state peers. Leverage this advantage, but don't assume admission, these schools remain highly selective even for residents.
For Out-of-State Applicants: Understand that at some Public Ivies, you're facing admit rates that rival or exceed those of the Ivies themselves. Georgia Tech's 9% out-of-state rate is more selective than Cornell or Dartmouth. Plan your application strategy accordingly.
For Test Strategy: Your testing approach must be campus-specific because ACT policies vary dramatically:
If applying to schools that use all four ACT sections (Michigan, UVA, William & Mary): Prepare for and retake to improve any weak section, all four matter equally.
If applying to schools that exclude Science (Georgia Tech, UF, UNC): Don't waste time prepping for or retaking to improve Science scores. Focus your energy on English, Math, and Reading only.
If applying to UT Austin: Superscoring doesn't apply, so focus on achieving your peak performance across all sections in a single sitting. One stellar test day matters more than multiple attempts.
If applying to UC schools (UCLA, Berkeley): Don't take the ACT for admissions purposes, they won't see your scores. Redirect that prep time to other parts of your application.
The strategic takeaway: Before you register for another ACT, know exactly which sections each target school uses. Georgia Tech applicants can ignore Science entirely. UT Austin applicants should focus on one perfect sitting. UC applicants shouldn't take the test at all.
For Early Action/Decision Strategy: Where data is available (particularly UVA), we see meaningful differences in offer rates across admission programs. However, these differences reflect both applicant pool composition and institutional priorities. Early Decision should only be used when you've identified a clear first-choice school and are willing to commit if admitted.
Conclusion
The Public Ivies represent some of the strongest value propositions in American higher education, particularly for in-state residents who can combine elite academic opportunities with affordable tuition. However, "Public Ivy" is not a synonym for "easy to get into." Most of these institutions now have overall acceptance rates below 20%, with out-of-state and international applicants facing even steeper odds.
Success at the Public Ivy level requires the same level of preparation, academic achievement, and strategic planning as applications to the private Ivies: a spike-driven profile, substantive research or leadership experience, compelling essays, and carefully considered test strategies that align with each school's specific policies.
At Cosmic College Consulting, we specialize in helping academically driven students navigate the complex landscape of elite university admissions, including identifying which Public Ivies offer the best strategic fit based on your profile, residency, and academic interests. If you're targeting these institutions, schedule a free consultation with an admissions expert today.
