Yale: What the Numbers Actually Say
Yale files the most distinctive admissions weights of any elite school in our data. Alumni ties, interviews, first-generation status, even how interested you seem — Yale rates every one of them higher than nearly all of its peers, on its own official form. It is the closest thing the Ivy League has to an admissions office that admits relationships as well as records, and the numbers below say so in the school’s own words.
Yale admitted 4.8% of 50,264 applicants. The average net price after aid is $23,777, a family earning $75,000–$110,000 typically pays $12,558, and 99.4% of first-years return — the highest retention figure among the schools on this site.
At a glance
| Yale University | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | New Haven, CT | |
| Undergraduates | 6,667 | |
| Acceptance rate | 4.8% | |
| Applicants / admits | 50,264 / 2,387 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1470–1570 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 33–35 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 8.8:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $23,777 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $100,533 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $12,975 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Admissions: the most unusual filing in the Ivy League
Yale drew 50,264 applications, admitted 2,387, and enrolled 68.4% of those admits. Its early round is restrictive Early Action — non-binding, but limiting where else you apply early.
| Application factor | Yale University says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Very important | only 17% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 18% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Very important | 26% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 14% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Important | only 3% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Important | only 7% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Important | only 11% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Important | only 10% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 362 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
Look at how much of that table is bold. Yale rates alumni relation important — a weight only 3% of schools declare. It rates first-generation status important (7% of schools), demonstrated interest important (10%), and the interview important (11%). No other school on this site puts so much weight on the relational parts of an application. Practical reading: at Yale, and almost nowhere else at this level, engagement is worth your time — take the interview, show up thoughtfully, and if a parent went there, it genuinely counts.
The admitted middle 50% runs 730–780 on SAT reading and 740–790 on maths, with 67% of enrolled first-years having submitted an SAT score. Those shares describe the class, not the current submission rules — check those directly.
Cost
The sticker is about $95,100; the average net price after grants is $23,777. Yale meets 100% of demonstrated need, the average first-year grant is $73,273, and only 12% of students borrow at all — the median graduate leaves owing $12,975.
| Family income | Yale University | US median |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $17,633 / year | $15,238 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $15,626 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $17,943 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $12,558 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $45,951 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
99.4% of first-years return — no school on this site retains more — and 96.3% graduate within six years. Students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $123,400 a decade after they started, among the strongest mobility figures in the country.
The classroom: an 8.8:1 student–faculty ratio with 73.1% of course sections under 20 students.
How Yale University compares
Frequently asked questions
What is Yale’s acceptance rate?
4.8%. Yale received 50,264 applications and admitted 2,387 students in its 2025–26 Common Data Set filing; 68.4% of those admitted enrolled.
How much does Yale actually cost?
An average $23,777 a year after grants. Families earning under $30,000 pay about $17,633; from $75,000 to $110,000, about $12,558. Yale meets 100% of demonstrated need, and the median graduate owes just $12,975.
Does demonstrated interest matter at Yale?
Yes — unusually so. Yale rates an applicant’s level of interest important in its own filing, a weight only one school in ten declares, alongside important ratings for interviews and alumni relation. Engagement genuinely counts at Yale in a way it does not at most peers.
What SAT scores do you need for Yale?
The admitted middle 50% scored 730–780 on reading and 740–790 on maths. A quarter of admitted students scored below those ranges; tests are one very important factor among several.
Is Yale hard to stay in?
The opposite: 99.4% of first-years return and 96.3% graduate within six years — retention no school on this site beats. Getting in is the filter; once enrolled, essentially everyone finishes.
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