Admissions Factors
What Yale University Looks For
Yale University rates 8 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
How Yale University rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Considered
Not considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
4.7%
2,387 of 50,264 applicants
Early decision admit rate
No early decision
Admitted from the waitlist
4.3%
32 of 738 who stayed on it
97% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Yale University look for in applicants?
Yale University rates 8 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
Does Yale University consider legacy status?
Yale University rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Yale University track demonstrated interest?
Yale University rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is Yale University's waitlist acceptance rate?
738 students stayed on the waitlist and 32 were admitted, a rate of 4.3%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
Source: Yale 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.
