The average acceptance rate at EKU over the past 10 years is 84.14%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 77.61%. The acceptance rate at EKU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 29.42%, and the 2025 yield is 19.94%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 48.50% from 2015 to 2025.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 77.61%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that EKU 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 19.94%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at EKU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, EKU received approximately 17,024 applications, admitted 13,212 students, and enrolled 2,635 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that EKU 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.
EKU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at EKU over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 84.14%, while the most recent rate stands at 77.61%. 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 77.61%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 83.39% and for women is 84.72%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at EKU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 70.63% | 67.77% | 72.61% |
| 2016-17 | 86.33% 15.70% |
85.66% 17.90% |
86.76% 14.14% |
| 2017-18 | 87.37% 1.04% |
86.94% 1.28% |
87.67% 0.92% |
| 2018-19 | 87.29% -0.09% |
86.69% -0.25% |
87.65% -0.03% |
| 2019-20 | 93.83% 6.54% |
92.82% 6.13% |
94.46% 6.81% |
| 2020-21 | 97.95% 4.12% |
97.18% 4.36% |
98.36% 3.90% |
| 2021-22 | 98.00% 0.05% |
97.99% 0.81% |
98.99% 0.63% |
| 2022-23 | 64.31% -33.69% |
64.86% -33.13% |
63.99% -35.01% |
| 2023-24 | 78.09% 13.79% |
76.54% 11.68% |
79.01% 15.03% |
| 2024-25 | 77.61% -0.49% |
77.44% 0.90% |
77.71% -1.31% |
| Average | 84.14% | 83.39% | 84.72% |
EKU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 38.72% in 2015 to 19.94% in 2025, representing a 48.50% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 29.42%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at EKU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 48.50% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 38.72% | 41.81% | 36.73% |
| 2016-17 | 37.15% -1.57% |
41.06% -0.75% |
34.69% -2.05% |
| 2017-18 | 32.07% -5.08% |
34.12% -6.94% |
30.66% -4.03% |
| 2018-19 | 30.49% -1.58% |
32.99% -1.13% |
29.00% -1.67% |
| 2019-20 | 27.89% -2.59% |
30.75% -2.23% |
26.14% -2.86% |
| 2020-21 | 25.19% -2.71% |
27.75% -3.00% |
23.82% -2.32% |
| 2021-22 | 35.00% 9.81% |
38.01% 10.25% |
33.00% 9.18% |
| 2022-23 | 26.90% -8.10% |
28.51% -9.50% |
25.96% -7.04% |
| 2023-24 | 20.85% -6.05% |
22.18% -6.33% |
20.09% -5.86% |
| 2024-25 | 19.94% -0.91% |
23.26% 1.08% |
18.00% -2.10% |
| Average | 29.42% | 32.04% | 27.81% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 11,197, the average number of admitted is 9,146, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 2,565.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Eastern Kentucky University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 10,215 | 7,215 | 2,794 |
| 2016-17 | 8,091 -20.79% |
6,985 -3.19% |
2,595 -7.12% |
| 2017-18 | 9,187 13.55% |
8,027 14.92% |
2,574 -0.81% |
| 2018-19 | 9,117 -0.76% |
7,958 -0.86% |
2,426 -5.75% |
| 2019-20 | 8,975 -1.56% |
8,421 5.82% |
2,349 -3.17% |
| 2020-21 | 9,206 2.57% |
9,017 7.08% |
2,271 -3.32% |
| 2021-22 | 7,251 -21.24% |
7,106 -21.19% |
2,487 9.51% |
| 2022-23 | 15,821 118.19% |
10,174 43.17% |
2,737 10.05% |
| 2023-24 | 17,082 7.97% |
13,340 31.12% |
2,782 1.64% |
| 2024-25 | 17,024 -0.34% |
13,212 -0.96% |
2,635 -5.28% |
| Average | 11,197 | 9,146 | 2,565 |
The following table compares Eastern Kentucky University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky University | 78.09% | 77.61% | -0.61% |
| Tennessee Technological University | 76.13% | 83.16% | -8.45% |
| Murray State University | 85.68% | 86.17% | -0.57% |
| Belmont University | 95.28% | 96.36% | -1.12% |
| Jacksonville State University | 77.69% | 76.22% | 1.93% |
| Austin Peay State University | 96.41% | 95.95% | 0.48% |
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