What is the Yale acceptance rate?
The Yale acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was 4.4%. Yale’s Class Profile for fall 2026 reports “54,956 first-year applicants” and a “4.4% rate of admission,” and 1,652 enrolled first-years. The profile does not give the number admitted.
In March, before any admissions from the waiting list, Yale College “offered admission to 2,328 of the 54,919 students who applied,” 4.2% by our calculation (Yale News, March 26, 2026). The 2,328 include 779 students admitted through Single-Choice Early Action in December and 118 admitted through the QuestBridge National College Match, so 1,431 students, by our calculation, were admitted in the spring round, a figure that would include deferred early applicants. Yale also said 37 students admitted in an earlier cycle would join the class.
Yale College welcomed 1,652 first-year students in fall 2026, from 52 U.S. states and territories and 67 countries (Yale News, September 2, 2026). Yale reports that 96% of those whose schools report rank graduated in the top 10% of their class, 23% are eligible for a federal Pell Grant and 19% will be the first in their families to graduate from a four-year college.
How has the Yale acceptance rate changed?
The Common Data Set is the standard source for comparing years. Yale’s 2026-2027 Common Data Set, which will cover the Class of 2030, had not been published as of October 26, 2026, so the table shows the Class of 2030 from Yale’s class profile.
| Entering class | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 (Class of 2030) | 54,956 | Not published | 4.4% (Yale) | 1,652 | Class profile |
| Fall 2025 (Class of 2029) | 50,264 | 2,387 | 4.7% | 1,633 | CDS 2025-2026 |
| Fall 2024 (Class of 2028) | 57,517 | 2,227 | 3.9% | 1,554 | CDS 2024-2025 |
| Fall 2023 (Class of 2027) | 51,803 | 2,332 | 4.5% | 1,641 | CDS 2023-2024 |
| Fall 2022 (Class of 2026) | 50,060 | 2,289 | 4.6% | 1,554 | CDS 2022-2023 |
Comparing like with like, Yale’s class profiles show the rate falling from 4.8% for the Class of 2029 (50,266 applicants) to 4.4% for the Class of 2030 (Class of 2029 profile), and its March announcements show 4.6% (2,308 of 50,228, Yale News, March 27, 2025) and then 4.2%, by our calculation. Applications rose 9.3% by either measure. The Common Data Set figures differ slightly from the profiles; we use them for earlier years because they follow the same definitions at every college. Yale admitted between 2,227 and 2,387 students in each Common Data Set year, so the rate has moved mainly with the number of applications. Our analysis of the Class of 2029 acceptance rate looks at that year in detail.
How does Yale compare with Harvard, Stanford and Penn?
For students who entered in fall 2025, the Common Data Set gives the closest like-for-like comparison, because it uses shared definitions, although each university’s own class profile can differ slightly.
| University | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | 60,646 | 2,302 | 3.8% | 1,839 |
| Harvard | 47,893 | 2,003 | 4.2% | 1,675 |
| Yale | 50,264 | 2,387 | 4.7% | 1,633 |
| Penn | 72,544 | 3,570 | 4.9% | 2,420 |
For the Class of 2030, Yale has published its applicant count and rate, Penn has published its applicant count but not its admit count, and Harvard and Stanford had published neither as of October 26, 2026. Our guide to Ivy League acceptance rates covers every Ivy.
What is the Yale early action acceptance rate?
Yale admitted 779 of 7,140 Single-Choice Early Action applicants for the Class of 2030, 10.9% by our calculation. Of all early applicants, “18% were deferred for reconsideration in the spring,” “70% were denied admission, and 1% were withdrawn or incomplete” (Yale News, December 17, 2025). Yale also admitted 118 students through QuestBridge that month.
Single-Choice Early Action is nonbinding: “Yale’s Single-Choice Early Action Program (also called Restrictive Early Action) is non-binding.” Early applicants may not apply early action or early decision to other colleges, with exceptions that include nonbinding rolling admission, nonbinding early programs at public universities, early programs that notify after January 1, and colleges outside the United States (Yale admissions). In our view, the early rate is higher partly because the early pool is self-selected and includes recruited athletes, so it overstates how much applying early helps a typical applicant. Our Yale early action guide covers the early round in detail.
When are the Yale application deadlines for fall 2027?
| Application round | Application due | Decision released | Binding? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Choice Early Action | November 1, 2026 | Mid-December 2026 | No |
| QuestBridge National College Match | November 1, 2026 | Early December 2026 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 2, 2027 | Late March 2027 | No |
What SAT scores and grades do Yale students have?
For students who enrolled in fall 2025, Yale’s Common Data Set 2025-2026 reports these ranges for students who submitted each score:
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1480 | 1540 | 1560 |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | 730 | 760 | 780 |
| SAT Math | 740 | 780 | 790 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Of students whose schools reported class rank, 31% of the class, 97% ranked in the top tenth and 99% in the top quarter. Yale does not report an average GPA in its Common Data Set. Our guides to Yale GPA requirements and Ivy League SAT score ranges put these figures in context.
Does Yale require the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Yale’s testing page states that “All first-year and transfer applicants must include scores from the ACT or SAT” (Yale admissions). Yale announced this change on May 27, 2026 (Yale News). The Classes of 2029 and 2030 applied under the test-flexible policy that Yale announced on February 22, 2024, which accepted ACT, AP, IB or SAT scores (Yale News). Yale accepts superscored SAT and ACT results. Including AP or IB scores is not required. Our list of colleges that require the SAT or ACT compares Yale with its peers.
What is the Yale transfer acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, Yale received 1,747 transfer applications, admitted 45 students and enrolled 35, an acceptance rate of 2.6% by our calculation (Yale Common Data Set 2025-2026, section D2). Yale News reported 28 new transfer students in fall 2026.
How does the Yale waitlist work?
| Entering class | Offered a place | Accepted a place | Admitted from the waitlist | Share of those who accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 (Class of 2029) | 944 | 738 | 32 | 4.3% |
| Fall 2024 (Class of 2028) | 773 | 565 | 23 | 4.1% |
In our view, a student offered a place should accept it and send any meaningful update, but plan on attending another college. Our Yale waitlist guide covers what to send and when.
How much does Yale cost for families?
For students entering in the 2026-2027 academic year and later, Yale states that families with typical assets and incomes below $100,000 receive a zero parent share offer, which covers tuition and fees, housing, food and travel, and families with incomes below $200,000 receive need-based scholarships that meet or exceed the cost of tuition (Yale News, January 27, 2026; Yale financial aid). Yale reports that more than 53% of new undergraduates in fall 2026 receive need-based aid from Yale and more than a third attend tuition free.
What does the Yale acceptance rate mean for applicants?
In the view of Oriel Admissions, the most useful number for planning is not the overall 4.4% but the profile behind it: almost all enrolled students with a reported rank were at the top of their class, and applicants for fall 2027 entry must submit the SAT or ACT. Strong grades and scores therefore make an applicant competitive without distinguishing them. Applicants who are certain Yale is their first choice and whose application is ready by November 1 should weigh Single-Choice Early Action, keeping in mind that it rules out most other early applications, with the exceptions above. Our guide to getting into Yale and our Brown vs Yale comparison cover strategy in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Yale Acceptance Rate
Yale reports a 4.4% rate of admission for the Class of 2030 from 54,956 first-year applicants. In March, before waitlist admissions, it had admitted 2,328 of 54,919 applicants, or 4.2%. For the Class of 2029, the Common Data Set shows 4.7%.
Yale admitted 779 of 7,140 Single-Choice Early Action applicants for the Class of 2030, 10.9% by our calculation. Yale deferred 18% of early applicants to the spring and denied 70%.
No. Admitted students have until May 1 to decide. Early applicants generally may not apply early action or early decision to other colleges, with exceptions such as nonbinding early programs at public universities.
Yale does not publish a minimum score. For students who enrolled in fall 2025, the middle 50% SAT range was 1480 to 1560, with a median of 1540, and the ACT range was 33 to 35, according to the Common Data Set.
Yes. Starting with students applying for fall 2027 entry, all first-year and transfer applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores. The Classes of 2029 and 2030 applied under a test-flexible policy that also accepted AP or IB results.
For fall 2025, Yale offered 944 students a place on its waiting list, 738 accepted and 32 were admitted, about 4.3% of those who accepted by our calculation. The list is not ranked.
Yale admitted 45 of 1,747 transfer applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 2.6% by our calculation, and 35 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026.
For students entering in 2026-2027 and later, families with typical assets and incomes below $200,000 receive scholarships that at least cover tuition, and families below $100,000 receive a zero parent share offer covering tuition, housing, food and travel. In the view of Oriel Admissions, families above these levels should still run the Yale net price estimator.
Sources: Yale Class Profile, fall 2026, Yale News, March 26, 2026, Yale Class of 2029 profile, Yale News, March 27, 2025, Yale News, December 17, 2025, Yale News, September 2, 2026, Yale Common Data Set 2025-2026, Yale Common Data Set 2024-2025, Yale Common Data Set 2023-2024, Yale Common Data Set 2022-2023, Yale application deadlines, Yale Single-Choice Early Action, Yale standardized testing, Yale News, May 27, 2026, Yale News, February 22, 2024, Yale News, January 27, 2026, Yale financial aid estimate, Harvard Common Data Set 2025-2026, Stanford Common Data Set 2025-2026, Penn Common Data Set 2025-2026. All read October 26, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
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