The average acceptance rate at Yale over the past 10 years is 5.69%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 3.87%. Yale maintains an extremely selective admissions process, making it very difficult for applicants to be admitted.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 4 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 67.86%, and the 2025 yield is 69.78%. Overall, the yield has increased by 4.06% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Yale applicants increased by 11.03% (5,714 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 90.23% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 3.87%, representing an increasingly selective admissions process. This indicates that Yale has become more competitive over the past decade, as the institution receives a growing number of applications while maintaining or reducing the number of admitted students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 69.78%. This rising yield trend demonstrates that Yale is increasingly successful at converting admitted students into enrolled students. An increasing yield rate suggests stronger student preference for Yale and indicates that the institution's admitted class quality and perceived value continue to improve.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Yale received approximately 57,517 applications, admitted 2,227 students, and enrolled 1,554 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Yale 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.
Yale 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Yale over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 4 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 5.69%, while the most recent rate stands at 3.87%. 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 3.87%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 6.33% and for women is 5.25%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Yale have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 6.73% | 7.28% | 6.22% |
| 2016-17 | 6.32% -0.40% |
6.81% -0.47% |
5.90% -0.32% |
| 2017-18 | 6.93% 0.60% |
7.32% 0.51% |
6.59% 0.69% |
| 2018-19 | 6.35% -0.58% |
7.05% -0.26% |
5.75% -0.85% |
| 2019-20 | 6.08% -0.26% |
6.61% -0.45% |
5.63% -0.12% |
| 2020-21 | 6.53% 0.45% |
7.22% 0.62% |
5.92% 0.29% |
| 2021-22 | 5.00% -1.53% |
6.00% -1.22% |
5.00% -0.92% |
| 2022-23 | 4.57% -0.43% |
5.30% -0.70% |
4.04% -0.96% |
| 2023-24 | 4.50% -0.07% |
5.12% -0.17% |
4.04% 0.00% |
| 2024-25 | 3.87% -0.63% |
4.55% -0.57% |
3.35% -0.69% |
| Average | 5.69% | 6.33% | 5.25% |
Yale has demonstrated an improvement in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has increased from 67.06% in 2015 to 69.78% in 2025, representing a 4.06% increase. The 10-year average yield stands at 67.86%, reflecting strengthening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Yale from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has increased by 4.06% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 67.06% | 66.44% | 67.71% |
| 2016-17 | 68.76% 1.70% |
68.35% 1.91% |
69.17% 1.46% |
| 2017-18 | 69.35% 0.58% |
68.87% 0.52% |
69.80% 0.63% |
| 2018-19 | 70.22% 0.88% |
68.45% -0.42% |
72.07% 2.27% |
| 2019-20 | 69.17% -1.06% |
68.35% -0.10% |
69.99% -2.07% |
| 2020-21 | 54.98% -14.19% |
55.36% -12.99% |
54.58% -15.41% |
| 2021-22 | 71.00% 16.02% |
68.03% 12.67% |
74.03% 19.45% |
| 2022-23 | 67.89% -3.11% |
67.89% -0.14% |
67.89% -6.14% |
| 2023-24 | 70.37% 2.48% |
69.92% 2.03% |
70.79% 2.90% |
| 2024-25 | 69.78% -0.59% |
68.84% -1.08% |
70.76% -0.03% |
| Average | 67.86% | 67.05% | 68.68% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 40,855, the average number of admitted is 2,229, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 1,512.
The number of Yale applicants increased by 11.03% (5,714 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 90.23% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Yale University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 30,236 | 2,034 | 1,364 |
| 2016-17 | 31,445 4.00% |
1,988 -2.26% |
1,367 0.22% |
| 2017-18 | 32,879 4.56% |
2,277 14.54% |
1,579 15.51% |
| 2018-19 | 35,301 7.37% |
2,240 -1.62% |
1,573 -0.38% |
| 2019-20 | 36,844 4.37% |
2,241 0.04% |
1,550 -1.46% |
| 2020-21 | 35,220 -4.41% |
2,299 2.59% |
1,264 -18.45% |
| 2021-22 | 47,240 34.13% |
2,362 2.74% |
1,677 32.67% |
| 2022-23 | 50,060 5.97% |
2,289 -3.09% |
1,554 -7.33% |
| 2023-24 | 51,803 3.48% |
2,332 1.88% |
1,641 5.60% |
| 2024-25 | 57,517 11.03% |
2,227 -4.50% |
1,554 -5.30% |
| Average | 40,855 | 2,229 | 1,512 |
The following table compares Yale University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | 4.50% | 3.87% | -14.00% |
| Princeton University | 4.62% | 4.50% | 2.67% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5.40% | 5.87% | -8.01% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | 3.99% | 4.23% | -5.67% |
| Harvard University | 3.65% | 3.45% | 5.80% |
| Dartmouth College | 5.40% | 6.23% | -13.32% |
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