What makes Yale different
- Residential colleges. Each of the 14 colleges has its own dining hall, courtyard, traditions and faculty leaders, and you stay in yours for four years.
- Breadth first. Distributional requirements across the humanities, sciences and social sciences come with plenty of choice, and students settle on a major after exploring.
- The arts in daily life. Theater, music and visual arts are woven into campus life alongside Yale's professional arts schools.
What the admissions office says (as of October 2026)
- Testing: Yale requires the SAT or ACT starting with 2026–27 applicants; AP and IB no longer satisfy the requirement.
- What they look for: Yale says two questions guide its process: "Who is likely to make the most of Yale's resources?" and "Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?" Its admissions site adds that "the single most important document in your application is your high school transcript."
- Takeaway: Yale's podcast, Inside the Yale Admissions Office, explains in detail how applications are read.
See all eight side by side: Ivy League testing policies · What Ivy admissions officers look for.
What Yale students study
The most common bachelor's degrees (class of 2024): economics (165), computer science (139), political science (114), history (111), interdisciplinary studies (111) and molecular, cellular and developmental biology (83). Source: IPEDS Completions, first majors only.
You may thrive at Yale if…
- A built-in community within a larger university appeals to you.
- You want to explore broadly before choosing a field.
- You'd enjoy a small city with campus at its center.
Worth asking about
- How are students assigned to residential colleges, and how much does that shape social life?
- How do students balance breadth requirements with a demanding major?
How Yale compares with the other Ivies
Yale's residential college system is the most central to student life of any Ivy; Harvard's Houses are similar. See how the 8 Ivy League schools differ.
FAQ
What is Yale known for? Its residential college system and its breadth across the humanities, sciences and arts.
What is Yale's acceptance rate? 4.7% for fall 2025: 2,387 of 50,264 first-year applicants were admitted, according to its Common Data Set 2025–26. Source For fall 2024 it was 3.9%.
How much does Yale cost? Published tuition and fees are $67,250 a year and the total cost of attendance is $88,300, before any aid.
How much is Yale tuition per semester? About $33,625 a semester, half the published $67,250 a year, before aid.
Is Yale an R1 university? Yes. In the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, Yale University is an R1 university, the group with the highest research spending and doctoral degrees. What R1 means →
How many students go to Yale? About 6,800 undergraduates (fall 2024).
Thinking about community and fit?
Lens's assessments show what kind of campus community fits you. Start with Lens →