The average acceptance rate at NAU over the past 10 years is 82.35%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 89.61%. The acceptance rate at NAU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 17.95%, and the 2025 yield is 15.82%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 31.07% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of NAU applicants decreased by 7.16% (2,705 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 18.65% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 89.61%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that NAU 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 15.82%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at NAU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, NAU received approximately 35,100 applications, admitted 31,453 students, and enrolled 4,975 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that NAU 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.
NAU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at NAU over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 82.35%, while the most recent rate stands at 89.61%. 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 89.61%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 79.96% and for women is 83.81%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at NAU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 76.87% | 73.03% | 79.43% |
| 2016-17 | 78.05% 1.18% |
73.70% 0.67% |
80.90% 1.47% |
| 2017-18 | 80.85% 2.80% |
77.55% 3.85% |
82.86% 1.95% |
| 2018-19 | 82.62% 1.77% |
80.33% 2.79% |
83.92% 1.06% |
| 2019-20 | 84.89% 2.27% |
82.41% 2.08% |
86.25% 2.33% |
| 2020-21 | 81.64% -3.25% |
78.95% -3.46% |
83.08% -3.17% |
| 2021-22 | 78.00% -3.64% |
77.00% -1.95% |
79.00% -4.08% |
| 2022-23 | 79.99% 1.99% |
78.51% 1.51% |
80.77% 1.78% |
| 2023-24 | 90.95% 10.96% |
89.61% 11.10% |
91.68% 10.91% |
| 2024-25 | 89.61% -1.34% |
88.55% -1.06% |
90.21% -1.47% |
| Average | 82.35% | 79.96% | 83.81% |
NAU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 22.95% in 2015 to 15.82% in 2025, representing a 31.07% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 17.95%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at NAU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 31.07% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 22.95% | 23.35% | 22.70% |
| 2016-17 | 19.68% -3.27% |
20.78% -2.57% |
19.02% -3.69% |
| 2017-18 | 19.79% 0.11% |
20.57% -0.21% |
19.35% 0.33% |
| 2018-19 | 19.29% -0.50% |
20.45% -0.12% |
18.65% -0.70% |
| 2019-20 | 17.46% -1.83% |
19.15% -1.30% |
16.57% -2.09% |
| 2020-21 | 17.09% -0.37% |
17.87% -1.29% |
16.70% 0.13% |
| 2021-22 | 16.00% -1.09% |
18.00% 0.13% |
15.00% -1.70% |
| 2022-23 | 15.54% -0.46% |
17.30% -0.70% |
14.64% -0.36% |
| 2023-24 | 15.92% 0.38% |
17.01% -0.29% |
15.33% 0.69% |
| 2024-25 | 15.82% -0.10% |
16.67% -0.35% |
15.35% 0.02% |
| Average | 17.95% | 19.11% | 17.33% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 37,463, the average number of admitted is 30,840, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 5,464.
The number of NAU applicants decreased by 7.16% (2,705 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 18.65% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Northern Arizona University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 29,583 | 22,739 | 5,218 |
| 2016-17 | 36,511 23.42% |
28,495 25.31% |
5,607 7.45% |
| 2017-18 | 36,875 1.00% |
29,812 4.62% |
5,900 5.23% |
| 2018-19 | 36,831 -0.12% |
30,428 2.07% |
5,869 -0.53% |
| 2019-20 | 36,810 -0.06% |
31,248 2.69% |
5,455 -7.05% |
| 2020-21 | 37,386 1.56% |
30,523 -2.32% |
5,217 -4.36% |
| 2021-22 | 42,872 14.67% |
33,440 9.56% |
5,350 2.55% |
| 2022-23 | 44,855 4.63% |
35,881 7.30% |
5,575 4.21% |
| 2023-24 | 37,805 -15.72% |
34,383 -4.17% |
5,473 -1.83% |
| 2024-25 | 35,100 -7.16% |
31,453 -8.52% |
4,975 -9.10% |
| Average | 37,463 | 30,840 | 5,464 |
The following table compares Northern Arizona University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Arizona University | 90.95% | 89.61% | -1.47% |
| Idaho State University | - | - | - |
| Montana State University | 82.14% | 86.83% | -5.40% |
| Weber State University | - | - | - |
| Southern Utah University | 81.79% | 80.47% | 1.64% |
| University of Idaho | 75.53% | 79.09% | -4.50% |
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