Financial Aid

Yale University Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Yale University's Common Data Set lists no merit aid for first-year students without financial need. That line covers the college's own scholarships and leaves out athletic awards and outside scholarships.

Merit aid

Scholarships Yale University gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

None given

Freshmen who got one

of 1,633 in the class

Share of those without need

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$73,273

Average percent of need met

100%

Freshmen with need

54%

885 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $74,353.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me Yale University's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Yale University give merit scholarships?

Does Yale University meet full financial need?

Yale University reports meeting 100% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid.

What share of Yale University freshmen have financial need?

885 of 1,633 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 54%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Yale University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.