What is a “Safety School” in College Admissions?

Last Updated on August 13, 2024 by Jill Schwitzgebel

Sometimes, a significant part of my job, and honestly, often a frustrating part, is to clear up misconceptions about college admissions. And there are frequently misunderstandings about “safety” or “likely” colleges.  So today, I’ll answer the question “What is a safety school?” in the hope of clearing those up.

These days, I think most of us working in the admissions field have come to really dislike the term “safety school.”  At least part of the reason for that is that admissions outcomes have overall become less predictable making it hard to be certain a college is a safety.  And I think everyone in my field knows at least one student that got a rejection from a college which shocked us.  So, I advocate for likely (safety) schools, even for students who are legitimate contenders for the most selective colleges in the country.

Keep in mind that a “safety” for one student may not be for another.  And, it’s also not a term that can be universally applied to every applicant, with one exception (see “A True Safety,” below).

What IS a Safety School?

Test scores and GPA must be in the top 25%…

of all admitted students, for a school to be considered a safety for an applicant. Families need to review the admitted student data from the previous year, which the college will release.  The Common Data Set is a good way to check.

The college must be affordable.

I can’t emphasize this enough – at least one safety school on a student’s list must be within the family budget.  It could be that it’s an affordable in-state option, or it could be that there are guaranteed scholarships based on a student’s academic achievement that bring the cost down to an affordable level.

The acceptance rate must be over 50%…

and preferably, above that.  In fact, I’d even suggest an admission rate closer to 70% as a minimum for most students looking for a safety school. Yes, I’ve written previously about how students can’t tell whether they’ll be admitted based on the college’s acceptance rate, but this is using that information in a different way.  Some important considerations about acceptance rate:

• Some students have the credentials to apply to Ivy league and other colleges that have admission rates below 10% or even 5%.  The financial aid packages offered by those colleges might make them affordable options.  Unfortunately, with admission rates that low, these colleges can’t be considered “likely” for anyone.
• Consider the admission rate for the intended major.  For example, computer science is a popular major, and the admission rate into that major is almost always lower than the admission rate at the college itself.  If a college is well-known for a particular subject area major, that one may have a lower admission rate, too.
• Consider in-state vs. out-of-state and geography, in general.  At a public university, the admission rate from within the state is always going to be higher than for students outside of the state.  At a private college, being from a “unique” state can help an applicant and may raise chances for admission.  For instance, it could be that a college in the northeast would love to have representation from New Mexico.
• Consider any admissions trends.  Colleges sometimes become almost mysteriously popular overnight. A college that had a 70% admission rate two or three years ago, that now has a 50% admission rate, may only have a 35% admission rate next year.

The college must “make sense.”

Would the student be happy to attend the safety school?  No, it does not need to be their first choice, but does it at least share some characteristics of the other colleges on the student’s list?  Does it offer the student’s desired major?

A True Safety School

Having said all of that, the only college that can be considered to be a guaranteed safety school is one that admits 100% of those who want to attend.  These are often community colleges and technical colleges.  Many of those colleges are now four years and even have dormitories.  And most work hard to make education affordable for students.

Recommendations

I now recommend that most students have two “likely” schools on their application list.  This will certainly vary according to a student’s academic profile and educational goals.

And I strongly recommend that families don’t view admission rates as proxies for the quality of an education a student will receive at any given school.  When you first begin the admissions search, when planning college visits, etc., try hard not to equate low selectivity with higher desirability.  Sometimes, a college just has a “big name” due to their football team or location or dorms and happens to be a popular choice right now, which means lots of students are applying, not that it’s better quality.

Finally, do not make this category of colleges just an afterthought – look for these schools at the same time students are compiling their overall list. That will help safeguard against students latching on to a “reach-y” dream school and seeing any other college as less desirable.