Applicants, Acceptance Rate, Yield Trends at ODU

58.78%

Applicants - since 2015

7.25%

Acceptance Rate

The average acceptance rate at ODU over the past 10 years is 89.72%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 90.36%. The acceptance rate at ODU 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 25.80%, and the 2025 yield is 19.94%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 46.68% from 2015 to 2025.

Key Takeaways: ODU Admission Metrics

Acceptance Rate Overview

The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 90.36%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that ODU 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 19.94%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at ODU. 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, ODU received approximately 15,100 applications, admitted 13,645 students, and enrolled 2,721 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that ODU 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

ODU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at ODU 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 89.72%, while the most recent rate stands at 90.36%. 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 90.36%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 88.93% and for women is 90.36%.

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

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 83.11% 84.42% 81.98%
2016-17 84.64%
1.52%
85.34%
0.91%
84.05%
2.06%
2017-18 85.72%
1.09%
84.66%
-0.68%
86.61%
2.56%
2018-19 86.99%
1.26%
85.19%
0.53%
88.42%
1.80%
2019-20 89.33%
2.34%
87.50%
2.31%
90.77%
2.35%
2020-21 95.41%
6.07%
94.48%
6.98%
96.14%
5.37%
2021-22 96.00%
0.60%
94.99%
0.51%
96.99%
0.85%
2022-23 95.14%
-0.86%
94.56%
-0.43%
95.61%
-1.38%
2023-24 90.52%
-4.63%
89.27%
-5.29%
91.53%
-4.09%
2024-25 90.36%
-0.15%
88.91%
-0.36%
91.49%
-0.03%
Average 89.72% 88.93% 90.36%
Old Dominion University Acceptance Rate Trends Over Time - Historical Admission Rate Data Visualization Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

ODU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 37.40% in 2015 to 19.94% in 2025, representing a 46.68% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 25.80%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at ODU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 46.68% over this period.

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 37.40% 38.49% 36.44%
2016-17 28.68%
-8.71%
30.26%
-8.22%
27.34%
-9.09%
2017-18 30.71%
2.03%
31.81%
1.55%
29.81%
2.47%
2018-19 27.38%
-3.33%
29.51%
-2.30%
25.75%
-4.07%
2019-20 25.58%
-1.80%
27.13%
-2.38%
24.41%
-1.34%
2020-21 24.16%
-1.42%
25.49%
-1.65%
23.13%
-1.28%
2021-22 22.00%
-2.17%
23.00%
-2.48%
21.00%
-2.13%
2022-23 22.46%
0.46%
24.03%
1.03%
21.20%
0.21%
2023-24 19.73%
-2.73%
20.62%
-3.41%
19.01%
-2.19%
2024-25 19.94%
0.21%
21.02%
0.40%
19.07%
0.05%
Average 25.80% 27.14% 24.72%
Old Dominion 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 13,111, the average number of admitted is 11,819, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 2,951.

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

YearApplicantsAdmittedEnrolled
2015-16 9,510 7,904 2,956
2016-17 11,352
19.37%
9,608
21.56%
2,756
-6.77%
2017-18 11,159
-1.70%
9,566
-0.44%
2,938
6.60%
2018-19 13,335
19.50%
11,600
21.26%
3,176
8.10%
2019-20 13,761
3.19%
12,293
5.97%
3,145
-0.98%
2020-21 13,651
-0.80%
13,024
5.95%
3,147
0.06%
2021-22 13,586
-0.48%
13,043
0.15%
2,869
-8.83%
2022-23 14,435
6.25%
13,734
5.30%
3,084
7.49%
2023-24 15,216
5.41%
13,773
0.28%
2,717
-11.90%
2024-25 15,100
-0.76%
13,645
-0.93%
2,721
0.15%
Average 13,111 11,819 2,951
Old Dominion University - 10 Year Applicants, Admissions, and Enrollment Trends Chart

Compare Acceptance Rate Change to Similar Colleges

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

20242025Change %
Old Dominion University90.52%90.36%-0.18%
University of Southern Mississippi99.12%99.38%-0.26%
University of North Carolina at Charlotte79.60%80.21%-0.76%
Rice University8.00%7.88%1.52%
Florida International University54.66%58.84%-7.10%
Middle Tennessee State University69.09%68.00%1.60%

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