Admissions Factors
What Syracuse University Looks For
Syracuse University rates 7 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
How Syracuse University rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Not considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
48.8%
22,756 of 46,645 applicants
Early decision admit rate
55.7%
Early decision admits equal 37% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
31.2%
2,039 of 6,530 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.71. 36.1% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Syracuse University look for in applicants?
Syracuse University rates 7 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
Does Syracuse University consider legacy status?
Syracuse University rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Syracuse University track demonstrated interest?
Syracuse University rates the level of an applicant's interest as "important".
What is Syracuse University's waitlist acceptance rate?
6,530 students stayed on the waitlist and 2,039 were admitted, a rate of 31.2%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Syracuse University's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 1,478 of 2,654 applicants were admitted (55.7%), against 48.8% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Syracuse University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
