The University of Pennsylvania is one of the hardest colleges to get into in the region based on local college acceptance rates, according to an analysis by Philadelphia Business Journal.

But the second hardest is a college in Delaware County, writes Joanne Drilling and Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Swarthmore College ranked as the 15^th most selective school in the nation, with a 6.9 percent acceptance rate, according to U.S. Department of Education data.

Back in 2015, the school was accepting 17 percent. 

Haverford College, with a 14.2 percent acceptance rate, is the third most difficult school to get into in the region. Back in 2016, it was accepting 25 percent of applicants.

Villanova University comes out ahead in the nation for having the largest cuts in admission rates over the last decade.

In 2015, it was accepting half of its applicants. These days, that number is 23 percent. Its NCAA basketball success is part of the reason for its selectiveness.

Tighter acceptance rates at these schools won’t affect a majority of students.

“Most students do not aspire to attend highly selective institutions,” said Jody Jessup-Anger, department chair of education at Marquette University.

See how other colleges and universities rate in the region in the Philadelphia Business Journal.