Emory: the complete school report for parents
Emory rates 6 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and test scores. This is a genuinely holistic review. It does not consider demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. With a 10.3% admit rate and 77% of enrolled students at a 3.75 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Transfer applicants are admitted at 22.7% against 10.3% for first-years, so the transfer route is materially wider.
Emory is officially Emory 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 2026-09-20.
Is Emory a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Emory against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Emory actually weigh in admissions?
Emory rates 6 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, test scores, extracurricular activities, personal qualities, talent. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Emory's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Emory rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Very Important |
| the essay | Important |
| extracurricular activities | Very Important |
| recommendations | Important |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Very Important |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Important |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Emory 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 Emory consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Emory consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. A score at or above the middle-50 range is close to expected here.
Does Emory consider the application essay?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Emory consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Emory consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Emory consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Emory consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Emory consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Emory consider demonstrated interest?
No. Emory does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Emory consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Emory consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does Emory consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Emory consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Emory consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Emory consider volunteer work?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Emory consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Emory consider religious affiliation?
No. Emory does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
77% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.8 on a 4 scale, reported for 95% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 14% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 63% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 21% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 2% |
| 3.00–3.24 | Not reported |
| 2.50–2.99 | Not reported |
| 2.00–2.49 | Not reported |
What is the Emory waitlist really like?
Emory offered a place on its waiting list to 7,608 applicants and 6,422 accepted one. 274 were ultimately admitted. That is 4.3% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Emory admitted 22.7% of 2,399 transfer applicants, against 10.3% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately. The minimum college GPA considered is 3.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 22.2% of ED applicants were admitted against 10.3% overall, a gap of 12 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.
| Regular application deadline | January 1 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | April 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 1 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 1 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $75 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Emory sets no fixed course requirements, but recommends 22 academic units. A college-preparatory program is recommended.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | Not stated | 4 years |
| Mathematics | Not stated | 4 years |
| Science | Not stated | 4 years |
| Foreign language | Not stated | 4 years |
What will Emory actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $22,585 a year at Emory after grants and scholarships. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 93 merit awards averaging $24,314 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
24% of Emory graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $19,914 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $193 a month in repayment. Emory’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Emory pay off?
Graduates earn a median $80,137 ten years after entering, and $74,980 at six years. 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 80% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$166,603 to $53,363, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Emory:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $166,603 | 82 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $127,583 | 358 |
| Economics | $104,633 | 178 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $89,034 | 297 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $81,404 | 90 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $73,608 | 41 |
| Anthropology | $69,305 | 52 |
| Psychology, General | $67,538 | 153 |
| Biology, General | $67,087 | 203 |
| History | $60,217 | 38 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $55,567 | 28 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $53,363 | 51 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
95% of first-years return for a second year. 91% within six (2019 cohort).
How big are the classes?
63% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 2% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1, and 76% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
What is life at Emory like?
7,320 undergraduates, 84% of first-years from out of state. 98% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 58% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 22% of men join a fraternity and 22% of women a sorority. 16% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $80,509.
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. Emory recommends 22 academic units.
- 77% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.8. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Early Decision is worth 12 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 274 of 6,422 who waited were admitted, about 4%.
- If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
- Its highest-earning major returns $166,603 five years out against $53,363 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 Emory
What GPA do you need for Emory?
77% of enrolled students at Emory had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.8, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Emory waitlist move?
6,422 students accepted a place on the Emory waiting list and 274 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Emory graduates earn?
Emory graduates earn a median $80,137 ten years after entering, and 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Emory
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Emory’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.