Yale: the complete school report for parents
Yale rates 8 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and the essay. This is a genuinely holistic review. It does not consider demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. Yale admits fewer than 1 in 20 applicants, and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Computer and Information Sciences, General graduates earn a median $271,466 against $62,925 for English Language and Literature, General.
Yale is officially Yale University. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-10-21.
Is Yale a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Yale against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Yale actually weigh in admissions?
Yale rates 8 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, talent, class rank. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Yale's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Yale rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Very Important |
| recommendations | Very Important |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Very Important |
| class rank | Very Important |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Yale consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Yale consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Yale consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Yale consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does Yale consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Yale consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Yale consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Yale consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Yale consider class rank?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Yale consider demonstrated interest?
No. Yale does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Yale consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Yale consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does Yale consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Yale consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Yale consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Yale consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Yale consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Yale consider religious affiliation?
No. Yale does not consider it.
What is the Yale waitlist really like?
Yale offered a place on its waiting list to 944 applicants and 738 accepted one. 32 were ultimately admitted. That is 4.3% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Yale admitted 2.6% of 1,747 transfer applicants, against 4.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Yale reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | January 2 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | April 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | Yes (Restrictive) |
| Early Action deadline | November 1 |
| Application fee | $80 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Yale actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $23,777 a year at Yale after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $72,500. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average.
13% of Yale graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $22,185 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $138 a month in repayment. Yale’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Yale pay off?
Graduates earn a median $100,533 ten years after entering, and $81,765 at six years. 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 86% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$271,466 to $62,925, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Yale:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $271,466 | 121 |
| Economics | $131,171 | 204 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $130,467 | 68 |
| Political Science and Government | $123,834 | 137 |
| Area Studies | $81,531 | 42 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $62,925 | 56 |
College Scorecard, by field of study.
Will my child actually graduate?
99% of first-years return for a second year. 53% graduate within four years and 96% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 94.5% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 96.7% of everyone else, a gap of 2.2 points.
How big are the classes?
73% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 4% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 5:1, and 75% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at Yale like?
6,667 undergraduates, 91% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 77% across all undergraduates. 25% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $75,345.
How is Yale ranked?
Yale is ranked #4 in National Universities by U.S. News & World Report (Best Colleges 2027).
| Program list | Position |
|---|---|
| Best Undergraduate Engineering ProgramsAt schools whose highest degree is a doctorate | #36 (tie) |
| Computer Science | #17 (tie) |
| Psychology Programs | #4 (tie) |
| Economics | #5 (tie) |
| Development Economics | #4 |
| Econometrics | #2 (tie) |
| Industrial Organization | #4 (tie) |
| International Economics | #3 |
| Labor Economics | #5 |
| Macroeconomics | #8 (tie) |
| Microeconomics | #7 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027. Only lists that rank Yale are shown; a program missing here may simply not be ranked by U.S. News, which says nothing about its quality.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 32 of 738 who waited were admitted, about 4%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $271,466 five years out against $62,925 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Yale
Does the Yale waitlist move?
738 students accepted a place on the Yale waiting list and 32 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Yale graduates earn?
Yale graduates earn a median $100,533 ten years after entering, and 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Yale
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Yale’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-10-21. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.