The average acceptance rate at CIA over the past 10 years is 95.18%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 91.15%. The acceptance rate at CIA is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 3 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 38.38%, and the 2025 yield is 30.99%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 17.77% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of CIA applicants increased by 4.53% (98 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 57.86% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 91.15%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that CIA maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 30.99%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at CIA. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, CIA received approximately 2,259 applications, admitted 2,059 students, and enrolled 638 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that CIA is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
CIA 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at CIA over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 3 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 95.18%, while the most recent rate stands at 91.15%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 91.15%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 93.80% and for women is 96.21%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at CIA have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 92.17% | 87.90% | 95.14% |
| 2016-17 | 94.26% 2.09% |
93.38% 5.47% |
94.97% -0.17% |
| 2017-18 | 97.18% 2.92% |
96.82% 3.44% |
97.42% 2.45% |
| 2018-19 | 97.97% 0.79% |
97.84% 1.02% |
98.06% 0.64% |
| 2019-20 | 97.72% -0.25% |
97.18% -0.66% |
98.09% 0.03% |
| 2020-21 | 96.68% -1.04% |
95.47% -1.71% |
97.56% -0.53% |
| 2021-22 | 98.01% 1.33% |
97.94% 2.47% |
97.97% 0.40% |
| 2022-23 | 94.86% -3.15% |
94.59% -3.36% |
95.05% -2.92% |
| 2023-24 | 91.76% -3.10% |
88.61% -5.98% |
94.27% -0.78% |
| 2024-25 | 91.15% -0.62% |
88.24% -0.37% |
93.59% -0.68% |
| Average | 95.18% | 93.80% | 96.21% |
CIA has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 37.68% in 2015 to 30.99% in 2025, representing a 17.77% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 38.38%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at CIA from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 17.77% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 37.68% | 43.22% | 34.12% |
| 2016-17 | 51.98% 14.30% |
55.61% 12.39% |
49.09% 14.97% |
| 2017-18 | 38.08% -13.90% |
42.54% -13.06% |
35.10% -13.99% |
| 2018-19 | 46.55% 8.47% |
53.07% 10.53% |
42.17% 7.08% |
| 2019-20 | 37.40% -9.15% |
44.73% -8.34% |
32.48% -9.70% |
| 2020-21 | 33.18% -4.22% |
39.89% -4.84% |
28.37% -4.11% |
| 2021-22 | 35.98% 2.80% |
41.08% 1.19% |
32.99% 4.62% |
| 2022-23 | 37.65% 1.67% |
42.23% 1.16% |
34.47% 1.48% |
| 2023-24 | 34.29% -3.36% |
41.04% -1.20% |
29.25% -5.22% |
| 2024-25 | 30.99% -3.31% |
35.97% -5.06% |
26.76% -2.50% |
| Average | 38.38% | 43.94% | 34.48% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 1,649, the average number of admitted is 1,565, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 581.
The number of CIA applicants increased by 4.53% (98 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 57.86% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Culinary Institute of America from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 1,431 | 1,319 | 497 |
| 2016-17 | 1,045 -26.97% |
985 -25.32% |
512 3.02% |
| 2017-18 | 1,170 11.96% |
1,137 15.43% |
433 -15.43% |
| 2018-19 | 1,035 -11.54% |
1,014 -10.82% |
472 9.01% |
| 2019-20 | 1,669 61.26% |
1,631 60.85% |
610 29.24% |
| 2020-21 | 1,777 6.47% |
1,718 5.33% |
570 -6.56% |
| 2021-22 | 2,056 15.70% |
2,015 17.29% |
725 27.19% |
| 2022-23 | 1,887 -8.22% |
1,790 -11.17% |
674 -7.03% |
| 2023-24 | 2,161 14.52% |
1,983 10.78% |
680 0.89% |
| 2024-25 | 2,259 4.53% |
2,059 3.83% |
638 -6.18% |
| Average | 1,649 | 1,565 | 581 |
The following table compares Culinary Institute of America' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Institute of America | 91.76% | 91.15% | -0.66% |
| New York University | 9.23% | 9.41% | -1.91% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | 3.99% | 4.23% | -5.67% |
| Cornell University | 8.76% | 8.16% | 7.35% |
| Syracuse University | 45.92% | 41.69% | 10.15% |
| St. John's University-New York | 83.43% | 79.67% | 4.72% |
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