The average acceptance rate at CU over the past 10 years is 58.70%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 67.33%.
The acceptance rate has increased each year for the past 4 years, indicating decreasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 45.02%, and the 2025 yield is 40.54%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 30.89% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of CU applicants decreased by 10.51% (293 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 258.99% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 67.33%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that CU is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 40.54%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at CU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, CU received approximately 2,495 applications, admitted 1,680 students, and enrolled 681 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that CU 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.
CU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at CU over the past decade show a pattern of decreasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate rising year-over-year for 4 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 58.70%, while the most recent rate stands at 67.33%. 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 67.33%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 58.75% and for women is 58.49%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at CU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 49.06% | 52.12% | 46.30% |
| 2016-17 | 48.91% -0.16% |
47.89% -4.23% |
49.81% 3.51% |
| 2017-18 | 54.08% 5.17% |
55.92% 8.03% |
52.72% 2.91% |
| 2018-19 | 61.66% 7.57% |
62.89% 6.96% |
60.71% 7.98% |
| 2019-20 | 61.03% -0.62% |
59.65% -3.24% |
62.11% 1.41% |
| 2020-21 | 53.76% -7.27% |
52.42% -7.22% |
54.69% -7.42% |
| 2021-22 | 57.99% 4.23% |
54.98% 2.56% |
58.98% 4.29% |
| 2022-23 | 66.21% 8.23% |
67.66% 12.68% |
65.08% 6.09% |
| 2023-24 | 67.00% 0.79% |
65.04% -2.61% |
68.38% 3.30% |
| 2024-25 | 67.33% 0.33% |
68.92% 3.88% |
66.15% -2.22% |
| Average | 58.70% | 58.75% | 58.49% |
CU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 58.65% in 2015 to 40.54% in 2025, representing a 30.89% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 45.02%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at CU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 30.89% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 58.65% | 61.05% | 56.21% |
| 2016-17 | 60.41% 1.75% |
64.71% 3.66% |
56.75% 0.54% |
| 2017-18 | 48.49% -11.92% |
52.75% -11.96% |
45.15% -11.60% |
| 2018-19 | 42.31% -6.19% |
44.46% -8.28% |
40.58% -4.56% |
| 2019-20 | 40.37% -1.93% |
43.40% -1.07% |
38.10% -2.49% |
| 2020-21 | 41.00% 0.63% |
41.82% -1.58% |
40.45% 2.36% |
| 2021-22 | 37.99% -3.01% |
43.03% 1.22% |
34.98% -5.47% |
| 2022-23 | 44.45% 6.46% |
46.71% 3.68% |
42.60% 7.62% |
| 2023-24 | 36.03% -8.42% |
43.85% -2.86% |
30.80% -11.80% |
| 2024-25 | 40.54% 4.51% |
42.51% -1.34% |
39.01% 8.20% |
| Average | 45.02% | 48.43% | 42.46% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 2,248, the average number of admitted is 1,346, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 572.
The number of CU applicants decreased by 10.51% (293 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 258.99% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Cumberland University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 695 | 341 | 200 |
| 2016-17 | 1,513 117.70% |
740 117.01% |
447 123.50% |
| 2017-18 | 2,143 41.64% |
1,159 56.62% |
562 25.73% |
| 2018-19 | 2,308 7.70% |
1,423 22.78% |
602 7.12% |
| 2019-20 | 2,833 22.75% |
1,729 21.50% |
698 15.95% |
| 2020-21 | 2,872 1.38% |
1,544 -10.70% |
633 -9.31% |
| 2021-22 | 2,692 -6.27% |
1,561 1.10% |
593 -6.32% |
| 2022-23 | 2,137 -20.62% |
1,415 -9.35% |
629 6.07% |
| 2023-24 | 2,788 30.46% |
1,868 32.01% |
673 7.00% |
| 2024-25 | 2,495 -10.51% |
1,680 -10.06% |
681 1.19% |
| Average | 2,248 | 1,346 | 572 |
The following table compares Cumberland University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland University | 67.00% | 67.33% | 0.49% |
| Vanderbilt University | 5.86% | 6.28% | -6.69% |
| Belmont University | 95.28% | 96.36% | -1.12% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 62.59% | 59.27% | 5.60% |
| Lipscomb University | 67.73% | 66.64% | 1.64% |
| Lee University | 70.52% | 72.19% | -2.31% |
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