Yale acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Yale University · Private nonprofit · New Haven, CT · 6,818 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Yale admitted 4.5% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 7.1% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $69,900 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7.1% | 28,977 | 2,043 |
| 2014 | 6.3% | 30,932 | 1,950 |
| 2015 | 6.7% | 30,236 | 2,034 |
| 2016 | 6.3% | 31,445 | 1,988 |
| 2017 | 6.9% | 32,879 | 2,277 |
| 2018 | 6.3% | 35,301 | 2,240 |
| 2019 | 6.1% | 36,844 | 2,241 |
| 2020 | 6.5% | 35,220 | 2,299 |
| 2021 | 5.3% | 47,240 | 2,509 |
| 2022 | 4.6% | 50,060 | 2,289 |
| 2023 | 4.5% | 51,803 | 2,332 |
Applications went from 28,977 in fall 2013 to 51,803 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $1,256 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $867 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $854 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $7,828 |
| Over $110,000 | $47,749 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $69,900 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $91,950 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $11,340 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 56% submitted the SAT, 26% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Wesleyan University CT | 17.1% | $73,128 same for all |
| Fairfield University CT | 45.0% | $60,810 same for all |
| Sacred Heart University CT | 67.7% | $52,410 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Yale admitted 4.5% of its 51,803 applicants for fall 2023, which came to 2,332 students.1 In 2013 the figure was 7.1%, a fall of 2.6 percentage points over the decade.1 The rate declined in 7 of the 10 year-to-year changes in that period.1 Applications grew 79% while the number admitted grew only 14%, so demand for places rose far faster than the places themselves.1
The policy for fall 2023 was test-optional, and among enrolled students 56% submitted SAT scores and 26% submitted ACT scores.1 Middle 50% SAT reading and writing scores ran from 740 to 780, with math from 760 to 800, and the ACT composite ranged from 33 to 35.1
Tuition and fees are $69,900 for 2025-26 whether or not the student lives in Connecticut.2 Net price depends heavily on income: the 2024-25 average was $1,256 for families earning $0 to $30,000 and $854 for those earning $48,001 to $75,000, against $47,749 for families earning over $110,000.2
Of students who began in 2019, 96% finished within 6 years, and 99% of the fall 2023 entrants returned the following fall.2 The Connecticut median graduation rate across 26 bachelor's colleges is 59%.2 Median earnings reached $118,356 for former students in 2022-23, and borrowers who graduated carried a median debt of $11,982.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 51,803 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 2,332 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,641 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 6,818 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 780 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 56% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 26% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $69,900 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $91,950 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $11,340 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $1,256 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $867 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $854 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $7,828 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $47,749 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 96% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 99% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 24% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $118,356 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $11,982 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Connecticut (N = 26) | 59% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Yale, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page