Yale University
New Haven, CT 06520
About Yale University
Yale University (Yale) is a highly selective private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, serving roughly 6,758 students. Admission is highly selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 3.87% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $100,533 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Yale University charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($67,250).
- Versus the Connecticut median, sticker tuition is about 3.2×.
- Yale University admits about 3.87% of applicants (extremely selective).
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 95.74%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $100,533.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at Yale University is about 65% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $67,250; average net price is $23,777 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Yale University is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 957% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Yale University awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 119 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | $67,250 | $23,777 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Connecticut (state median) | $21,044 | $16,798 | 33 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 65% below published tuition at Yale University
Key findings
- Yale University's average net price ($23,777) is 65% below published tuition ($67,250).
- Yale University charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($67,250).
- Versus the Connecticut median, sticker tuition is about 3.2×.
Yale University tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $67,250
Finding Yale University charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $67,250. That is about 2.3× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Connecticut median ($21,044), sticker tuition is about 3.2×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 5.7×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Yale University versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Yale University versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Yale University is $23,777.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $23,777 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $6,979 above the Connecticut median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $5,729 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Yale University’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 65% lower after grants and scholarships.
Yale University: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Yale University—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$67,250
Avg. net price
$23,777
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $17,633 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $15,626 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $17,943 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $12,558 |
| $110,001+ | $45,951 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $269,000. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Yale University is known for
Top program completions
- Business Administration and Management, General370
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics295
- Computer and Information Sciences, General248
- History, General217
- Law215
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Extremely selective — fewer than 1 in 10 applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 70% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1534
- Midpoint ACT: 34
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Yale University a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Yale University is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 65% lower in this extract).
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Yale University.
Campus
Location
New Haven, CT
City / state
- ZIP
- 06520
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 32% above the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
- Carnegie
- Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Size
Enrollment
6,758
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 8,432
- Graduate
- 8,750
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$12,975
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 20.39%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Yale University.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Yale University was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Yale University in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $44,000 | $44,000 | $16,743 |
| 2014 | $45,800 | $45,800 | $20,168 |
| 2015 | $47,600 | $47,600 | $20,910 |
| 2016 | $49,480 | $49,480 | $19,507 |
| 2017 | $51,400 | $51,400 | $18,627 |
| 2018 | $53,430 | $53,430 | $18,770 |
| 2019 | $55,500 | $55,500 | $17,549 |
| 2020 | $57,700 | $57,700 | $15,296 |
| 2021 | $59,950 | $59,950 | $16,341 |
| 2022 | $62,250 | $62,250 | $18,535 |
| 2023 | $64,700 | $64,700 | $27,818 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is extremely selective, accepting fewer than 1 in 10 applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1534 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 34 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 4.00
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Yale University reported total enrollment of about 6,758 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 49% male and 51% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (31.2%), Asian (21.9%), and Hispanic or Latino (16.6%). About 20.39% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 25.0% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
99.9% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Yale University in 2024 is 6,758 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 8,432 students. Graduate enrollment is about 8,750 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
98.8%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
57.51% 100% Completion Time
95.74% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 57.51% of students graduating from Yale University completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business Administration and Management, General: 58% male / 42% female
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics: 60% male / 40% female
- Computer and Information Sciences, General: 75% male / 25% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Yale University graduates earn a median of $100,533 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Yale University.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $100,533. Median federal loan debt: $12,975. Average net price used in cost models: $23,777.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Yale University graduates report median earnings of $100,533 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Yale University.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (119 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Yale University.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Yale University graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Yale University—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$40.75B
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Connecticut median 716× the median ($56.9M)
- New England median 949× the median ($42.9M)
- U.S. median 1,544× the median ($26.4M)
- Connecticut median 99× the median ($23,500)
- New England median 99× the median ($23,268)
- U.S. median 191× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 75.0%
- Connecticut median 7.0 pp above median (68.0%)
- New England median 21.7 pp above median (53.3%)
- U.S. median 17.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $22,590
- Connecticut median 2.0× the median ($11,112)
- New England median 2.4× the median ($9,262)
- U.S. median 3.0× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $80,541
- Connecticut median 11× the median ($7,608)
- New England median 7.9× the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median 11× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Yale University at a glance
Yale University
Yale University is a private non-profit institution in New Haven, CT, classified as Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business Administration and Management, GeneralEconometrics and Quantitative EconomicsComputer and Information Sciences, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian31.2%Asian21.9%Hispanic or Latino16.6%
Schools near Yale University
Other campuses in New Haven, CT when available, plus nearby institutions in Connecticut.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within Connecticut, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Yale located?
Yale University is located in New Haven, CT. The institution is also known as Yale.
What is Yale's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Yale University (Yale) is 3.9% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 51,803 applicants and 2,332 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Yale's tuition?
Yale University tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $67,250 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $23,777 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Yale cost?
Reported tuition is $67,250 and average net price is $23,777 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $19,900 annually.
Why is Yale's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Yale University, published tuition is $67,250 while average net price is $23,777—about 65% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Yale's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($23,777), completion (95.7% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($100,533). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
Why is Yale's acceptance rate so low?
The acceptance rate at Yale University (Yale) is 3.9% among first-time degree-seeking applicants reporting admissions data. Very low rates usually reflect extraordinary applicant volume relative to class size—not a single test-score cutoff. When IPEDS reports applicants and admits, those counts show how selective the funnel is. Acceptance rate describes competition for seats; it does not measure outcomes for enrolled students. Yield (share of admits who enroll) further clarifies demand among those offered admission when available.
What is the student body demographics at Yale?
Yale University reports undergraduate enrollment of about 8,432 students, White (31.2%), Asian (21.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Yale?
About 25.0% of students at Yale University are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Yale University?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Yale University reports midpoint SAT about 1534 and midpoint ACT about 34.
What do graduates of Yale University earn?
Median earnings are $81,765 six years after entry and $100,533 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Yale University?
The 150%-time completion rate is 95.7% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.