Applicants, Acceptance Rate, Yield Trends at Wilkes

The average acceptance rate at Wilkes over the past 10 years is 84.94%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 90.64%. The acceptance rate at Wilkes 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 16.21%, and the 2025 yield is 9.32%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 58.74% from 2015 to 2025.

The number of Wilkes applicants increased by 19.43% (1,246 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 142.10% overall.

Trends by Subject

Key Takeaways: Wilkes Admission Metrics

Acceptance Rate Overview

The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 90.64%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that Wilkes is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.

Yield Rate & Enrollment Patterns

The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 9.32%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Wilkes. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.

Application Volume & Admission Trends

For the 2025 admission cycle, Wilkes received approximately 7,660 applications, admitted 6,943 students, and enrolled 647 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Wilkes 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.

Acceptance Rate Changes

Wilkes 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Wilkes 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 84.94%, while the most recent rate stands at 90.64%. 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 90.64%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 84.13% and for women is 85.83%.

The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Wilkes have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 81.73% 83.18% 80.45%
2016-17 75.92%
-5.81%
75.92%
-7.26%
75.93%
-4.52%
2017-18 75.31%
-0.61%
74.54%
-1.38%
76.14%
0.21%
2018-19 74.82%
-0.49%
73.37%
-1.16%
76.12%
-0.02%
2019-20 78.62%
3.80%
77.47%
4.10%
79.77%
3.64%
2020-21 91.77%
13.15%
90.50%
13.03%
93.06%
13.29%
2021-22 95.00%
3.23%
93.98%
3.48%
96.00%
2.94%
2022-23 94.14%
-0.86%
92.74%
-1.25%
95.60%
-0.40%
2023-24 91.46%
-2.69%
89.32%
-3.42%
94.23%
-1.37%
2024-25 90.64%
-0.82%
90.28%
0.96%
91.01%
-3.21%
Average 84.94% 84.13% 85.83%
Wilkes University Acceptance Rate Trends Over Time - Historical Admission Rate Data Visualization Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

Wilkes has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 22.58% in 2015 to 9.32% in 2025, representing a 58.74% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 16.21%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Wilkes from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 58.74% over this period.

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 22.58% 24.11% 21.19%
2016-17 20.60%
-1.98%
21.95%
-2.16%
19.31%
-1.88%
2017-18 19.82%
-0.78%
22.22%
0.27%
17.30%
-2.01%
2018-19 22.09%
2.28%
25.37%
3.14%
19.26%
1.96%
2019-20 18.63%
-3.47%
17.85%
-7.52%
19.37%
0.11%
2020-21 14.76%
-3.87%
14.78%
-3.07%
14.74%
-4.64%
2021-22 15.01%
0.25%
13.98%
-0.80%
15.01%
0.27%
2022-23 10.58%
-4.43%
10.84%
-3.14%
10.32%
-4.68%
2023-24 8.75%
-1.84%
8.46%
-2.38%
9.09%
-1.23%
2024-25 9.32%
0.57%
9.30%
0.83%
9.36%
0.27%
Average 16.21% 16.89% 15.50%
Wilkes University enrollment rate trends chart showing historical yield changes from 2015 to 2025

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 4,569, the average number of admitted is 3,925, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 576.

The number of Wilkes applicants increased by 19.43% (1,246 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 142.10% overall.

The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Wilkes University from 2015 to 2025.

YearApplicantsAdmittedEnrolled
2015-16 3,164 2,586 584
2016-17 4,245
34.17%
3,223
24.63%
664
13.70%
2017-18 4,067
-4.19%
3,063
-4.96%
607
-8.58%
2018-19 3,932
-3.32%
2,942
-3.95%
650
7.08%
2019-20 3,756
-4.48%
2,953
0.37%
550
-15.38%
2020-21 3,633
-3.27%
3,334
12.90%
492
-10.55%
2021-22 4,019
10.62%
3,818
14.52%
573
16.46%
2022-23 4,798
19.38%
4,517
18.31%
478
-16.58%
2023-24 6,414
33.68%
5,866
29.86%
513
7.32%
2024-25 7,660
19.43%
6,943
18.36%
647
26.12%
Average 4,569 3,925 576
Wilkes University - 10 Year Applicants, Admissions, and Enrollment Trends Chart

Compare Acceptance Rate Change to Similar Colleges

The following table compares Wilkes University' acceptance rate to similar schools.

20242025Change %
Wilkes University91.46%90.64% -0.90%
University of Pennsylvania5.40%5.87% -8.01%
Drexel University79.44%77.53% 2.46%
Carnegie Mellon University11.66%11.40% 2.28%
Villanova University26.98%25.12% 7.40%
Eastern University90.77%93.62% -3.04%

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