College admissions are more competitive than ever. The number of students applying to college was up 5% in 2025-26, compared with the prior school year, according to the Common App’s End-of-Season Report, and students are submitting more applications on average. However, the number of international applications declined steeply, down 9% from the previous school year.
Applications to public and private institutions grew at similar rates in 2025-26 (6% and 5% respectively). This differs from the prior year, when public universities saw five times as many applications as private colleges.
How did these trends play out in Arlington? The application data below was self-reported by students from Wakefield High School, Washington-Liberty High School, Yorktown High School and H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, as well as the Arlington Career Center (ACC), whose full-time programs include Arlington Tech, the Academic Academy, the Program for Employment Preparedness (PEP) and the English Language Institute. The tuition and enrollment numbers below were drawn from U.S. News and World Report’s annual Best Colleges rankings. Note: Given that the acceptance data below was self-reported by APS students, Arlington school officials stress that they cannot verify its accuracy.
20. Indiana University—Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
APS Students Applied: 126
APS Students Accepted: 103
Tuition & Fees: $42,295
Undergrad Enrollment: 38,093
19. Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 122
APS Students Accepted: 101
Tuition & Fees: $17,219
Undergrad Enrollment: 4,369
18. Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
APS Students Applied: 129
APS Students Accepted: 66
Tuition & Fees: $69,289
Undergrad Enrollment: 17,432
17. Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 130
APS Students Accepted: 115
Tuition & Fees: $42,186
Undergrad Enrollment: 2,503
16. University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
APS Students Applied: 134
APS Students Accepted: 108
Tuition & Fees: $44,748
Undergrad Enrollment: 33,384
15. George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
APS Students Applied: 134
APS Students Accepted: 59
Tuition & Fees: $70,170
Undergrad Enrollment: 11,677
14. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
APS Students Applied: 126
APS Students Accepted: 37
Tuition & Fees: $66,203
Undergrad Enrollment: 34,454
13. Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
APS Students Applied: 137
APS Students Accepted: 83
Tuition & Fees: $40,866
Undergrad Enrollment: 23,401
12. University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
APS Students Applied: 142
APS Students Accepted: 115
Tuition & Fees: $43,220
Undergrad Enrollment: 19,287
11. University of South Carolina—Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
APS Students Applied: 149
APS Students Accepted: 91
Tuition & Fees: $37,376
Undergrad Enrollment: 30,187
10. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 192
APS Students Accepted: 177
Tuition & Fees: $13,320
Undergrad Enrollment: 17,746
9. William and Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 248
APS Students Accepted: 102
Tuition & Fees: $26,456
Undergrad Enrollment: 7,063
8. University of Pittsburgh—Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
APS Students Applied: 276
APS Students Accepted: 239
Tuition & Fees: $43,432
Undergrad Enrollment: 20,418
7. Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 288
APS Students Accepted: 286
Tuition & Fees: $5,565
Undergrad Enrollment: 58,873
6. Pennsylvania State University—Main Campus
University Park, Pennsylvania
APS Students Applied: 363
APS Students Accepted: 316
Tuition & Fees: $43,490
Undergrad Enrollment: 42,619
5. Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 402
APS Students Accepted: 364
Tuition & Fees: $17,240
Undergrad Enrollment: 21,210
4.George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 479
APS Students Accepted: 425
Tuition & Fees: $14,316
Undergrad Enrollment: 28,331
3. James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 628
APS Students Accepted: 477
Tuition & Fees: $14,250
Undergrad Enrollment: 21,112
2. University of Virginia—Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 639
APS Students Accepted: 168
Tuition & Fees: $23,897
Undergrad Enrollment: 17,901
1. Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
APS Students Applied: 643
APS Students Accepted: 346
Tuition & Fees: $16,450
Undergrad Enrollment: 31,035
