2011's Most Stressful Colleges

As college acceptance gets tougher, more applicants are put on waitlists or offered deferred admissions, which only prolongs the waiting game. And only a lucky few ever get in, writes Kristina Dell.

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---columbia-university_htkhhe — Total cost: $53,874

Tuition rank: 2nd
Acceptance rate rank: 7th
Competitiveness rank: 4th
Engineering rank: 14th
Crime rank: 7th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/campus-food---stanford-university_isj6u1 — Total cost: $52,048

Tuition rank: 16th
Acceptance rate rank: 1st
Competitiveness rank: 5th
Engineering rank: 2nd
Crime rank: 8th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/dangerous-colleges---harvard_gbjuf6 — Total cost: $50,723

Tuition rank: 24th
Acceptance rate rank: 1st
Competitiveness rank: 1st
Engineering rank: 16th
Crime rank: 2nd
Joe Raedle / Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/dangerous-colleges---upenn_skuzrd — Total cost: $51,944

Tuition rank: 17th
Acceptance rate rank: 10th
Competitiveness rank: 6th
Engineering rank: 20th
Crime rank: 5th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---washington-university-st-louis_dth2yd — Total cost: $53,310

Tuition rank: 4th
Acceptance rate rank: 17th
Competitiveness rank: 14th
Engineering rank: 36th
Crime rank: 3rd

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-chicago_a6ws1i — Total cost: $54,194

Tuition rank: 1st
Acceptance rate rank: 14th
Competitiveness rank: 11th
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 13th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---massachusetts-institute-of-technology_kaywef — Total cost: $50,446

Tuition rank: 25th
Acceptance rate rank: 7th
Competitiveness rank: 8th
Engineering rank: 1st
Crime rank: 4th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/hottest-schools---vanderbilt-university_ryebro — Total cost: $52,988

Tuition rank: 6th
Acceptance rate rank: 12th
Competitiveness rank: 18th
Engineering rank: 28th
Crime rank: 15th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---northwestern_pfliwr — Total cost: $52,463

Tuition rank: 12th
Acceptance rate rank: 23rd
Competitiveness rank: 12th
Engineering rank: 18th
Crime rank: 16th
Tim Boyle / Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---yale_qkyvm5 — Total cost: $49,800

Tuition rank: 28th
Acceptance rate rank: 3rd
Competitiveness rank: 3rd
Engineering rank: 27th
Crime rank: 11th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---johns-hopkins_rjhjp0 — Total cost: $53,190

Tuition rank: 5th
Acceptance rate rank: 20th
Competitiveness rank: 13th
Engineering rank: 22nd
Crime rank: 46th
Andre Jenny / Newscom

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---princeton_jyvypm — Total cost: $48,580

Tuition rank: 31st
Acceptance rate rank: 5th
Competitiveness rank: 2nd
Engineering rank: 17th
Crime rank: 14th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---dartmouth-college_lc8x8i — Total cost: $52,275

Tuition rank: 14th
Acceptance rate rank: 9th
Competitiveness rank: 9th
Engineering rank: 37th
Crime rank: 34th
Cheryl Senter, Bloomberg News / Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---duke-university_jptnh6 — Total cost: $51,865

Tuition rank: 19th
Acceptance rate rank: 14th
Competitiveness rank: 10th
Engineering rank: 24th
Crime rank: 26th
Jim R. Bounds, Bloomberg News / Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---california-institute-of-technology_qvdrmo — Total cost: $47,679

Tuition rank: 32nd
Acceptance rate rank: 9th
Competitiveness rank: 7th
Engineering rank: 7th
Crime rank: N/A
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---cornell_oteyd0 — Total cost: $52,316

Tuition rank: 13th
Acceptance rate rank: 12th
Competitiveness rank: 16th
Engineering rank: 10th
Crime rank: 43rd
Heather Ainsworth / AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/dangerous-colleges---brown_b4jcgw — Total cost: $51,360

Tuition rank: 21st
Acceptance rate rank: 5th
Competitiveness rank: 15th
Engineering rank: 34th
Crime rank: 6th
Newscom

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/hottest-schools---university-of-southern-california_fmmgo8 — Total cost: $52,602

Tuition rank: 11th
Acceptance rate rank: 22nd
Competitiveness rank: 24th
Engineering rank: 11th
Crime rank: 19th
Reed Saxon / AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---carnegie-mellon_fiixxt — Total cost: $52,886

Tuition rank: 8th
Acceptance rate rank: 30th
Competitiveness rank: 23rd
Engineering rank: 6th
Crime rank: 35th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/hottest-schools---tufts-university_ulevzz — Total cost: $52,866

Tuition rank: 9th
Acceptance rate rank: 22nd
Competitiveness rank: 28th
Engineering rank: 40th
Crime rank: 1st

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---georgetown_pzdypl — Total cost: $52,961

Tuition rank: 7th
Acceptance rate rank: 15th
Competitiveness rank: 21st
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 47th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/smartest-college-towns---berkeley_uynfxm — Total cost: $26,257

Tuition rank: 35th
Acceptance rate rank: 20th
Competitiveness rank: 22nd
Engineering rank: 3rd
Crime rank: 12th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---nyu_yxwy6m — Total cost: $53,592

Tuition rank: 3rd
Acceptance rate rank: 34th
Competitiveness rank: 33rd
Engineering rank: 39th
Crime rank: 38th
Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---rice-university_kmhhri — Total cost: $45,521

Tuition rank: 33rd
Acceptance rate rank: 17th
Competitiveness rank: 17th
Engineering rank: 26th
Crime rank: N/A
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---notre-dame_oczcb3 — Total cost: $50,789

Tuition rank: 23rd
Acceptance rate rank: 24th
Competitiveness rank: 19th
Engineering rank: 38th
Crime rank: 37th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/campus-food---boston-college_mxx3an — Total cost: $52,624

Tuition rank: 10th
Acceptance rate rank: 26th
Competitiveness rank: 31st
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 28th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---emory_ci0ing — Total cost: $50,356

Tuition rank: 26th
Acceptance rate rank: 25th
Competitiveness rank: 20th
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 21st
Robin Nelson / Newscom

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---wake-forest-university_rmnhsc — Total cost: $50,980

Tuition rank: 22nd
Acceptance rate rank: 38th
Competitiveness rank: 27th
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 10th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---ucla_fykli7 — Total cost: $24,524

Tuition rank: 37th
Acceptance rate rank: 20th
Competitiveness rank: 25th
Engineering rank: 12th
Crime rank: 24th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-rochester_ygsajb — Total cost: $51,922

Tuition rank: 18th
Acceptance rate rank: 34th
Competitiveness rank: 38th
Engineering rank: 32nd
Crime rank: 20th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---rensselaer-polytechnic-institute_rqikcd — Total cost: $52,145

Tuition rank: 15th
Acceptance rate rank: 38th
Competitiveness rank: 42nd
Engineering rank: 29th
Crime rank: 36th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---brandeis-university_iztyxl — Total cost: $51,503

Tuition rank: 20th
Acceptance rate rank: 38th
Competitiveness rank: 34th
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: N/A
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-michigan-ann-arbor_ufvdzi — Total cost: $21,029

Tuition rank: 43rd
Acceptance rate rank: 43rd
Competitiveness rank: 29th
Engineering rank: 9th
Crime rank: 9th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---lehigh-university_zrms8b — Total cost: $50,300

Tuition rank: 27th
Acceptance rate rank: 34th
Competitiveness rank: 37th
Engineering rank: 33rd
Crime rank: 31st

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-california-san-diego_w5lvtc — Total cost: $22,840

Tuition rank: 40th
Acceptance rate rank: 31st
Competitiveness rank: 36th
Engineering rank: 13th
Crime rank: 23rd
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/safe-colleges---university-of-virginia_aapn6v — Total cost: $19,418

Tuition rank: 46th
Acceptance rate rank: 30th
Competitiveness rank: 26th
Engineering rank: 30th
Crime rank: 30th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---case-western-reserve_j3e1xl — Total cost: $49,048

Tuition rank: 29th
Acceptance rate rank: 49th
Competitiveness rank: 41st
Engineering rank: 35th
Crime rank: 18th
Tony Dejak / AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-california-santa-barbara_prwic0 — Total cost: $24,799

Tuition rank: 36th
Acceptance rate rank: 42nd
Competitiveness rank: 40th
Engineering rank: 19th
Crime rank: 27th
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-california-davis_kwtchr — Total cost: $24,456

Tuition rank: 38th
Acceptance rate rank: 41st
Competitiveness rank: 39th
Engineering rank: 25th
Crime rank: 25th
AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---georgia-tech_rctppc — Total cost: $17,462

Tuition rank: 48th
Acceptance rate rank: 46th
Competitiveness rank: 35th
Engineering rank: 4th
Crime rank: 22nd
Getty Images

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-miami_nukc0q — Total cost: $48,898

Tuition rank: 30th
Acceptance rate rank: 35th
Competitiveness rank: 49th
Engineering rank: 42nd
Crime rank: 17th
Cindy Karp / AP Photo

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/campus-food---william-and-mary_afbtwl — Total cost: $20,872

Tuition rank: 44th
Acceptance rate rank: 28th
Competitiveness rank: 32nd
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 45th
Stephen Salpukas

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-nc-chapel-hill_ghhhcs — Total cost: $15,971

Tuition rank: 50th
Acceptance rate rank: 28th
Competitiveness rank: 30th
Engineering rank: 41st
Crime rank: 44th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/smartest-college-towns---champaign-urbana_qabhc0 — Total cost: $22,810

Tuition rank: 41st
Acceptance rate rank: 49th
Competitiveness rank: 48th
Engineering rank: 5th
Crime rank: 33rd

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-texas-austin_w44w1b — Total cost: $19,530

Tuition rank: 45th
Acceptance rate rank: 41st
Competitiveness rank: 45th
Engineering rank: 8th
Crime rank: 39th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-california-irvine_clqopn — Total cost: $22,632

Tuition rank: 42nd
Acceptance rate rank: 39th
Competitiveness rank: 43rd
Engineering rank: 31st
Crime rank: 40th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/dangerous-colleges---penn-state_jotpts — Total cost: $24,304

Tuition rank: 39th
Acceptance rate rank: 44th
Competitiveness rank: 47th
Engineering rank: 21st
Crime rank: 42nd

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-washington_pc0cf5 — Total cost: $18,100

Tuition rank: 47th
Acceptance rate rank: 45th
Competitiveness rank: 44th
Engineering rank: 23rd
Crime rank: 32nd

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---university-of-wisconsin-madison_bro9mj — Total cost: $16,418

Tuition rank: 49th
Acceptance rate rank: 49th
Competitiveness rank: 46th
Engineering rank: 15th
Crime rank: 29th

galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges/stress-schools---yeshiva-university_kljvb7 — Total cost: $43,955

Tuition rank: 34th
Acceptance rate rank: 50th
Competitiveness rank: 50th
Engineering rank: 50th
Crime rank: 41st
Jason DeCrow / AP Photo

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