Yale University
Yale University, a private Ivy League research institution located in New Haven, Connecticut, is the third-oldest higher education institution in the United States, founded in 1701. Originally established as the Collegiate School by Congregationalist clergy of the Connecticut Colony, it was initially dedicated to training ministers in theology and sacred languages.
Over time, the curriculum broadened to include the humanities and sciences, especially by the time of the American Revolution. Yale evolved significantly in the 19th century, introducing graduate and professional programs, awarding the first PhD in the U.S. in 1861, and formally becoming a university in 1887.
Today, Yale comprises 14 schools, including Yale College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and its renowned professional schools, such as Yale Law School. Each school independently manages its curriculum and degree programs under the governance of the Yale Corporation.
The university’s facilities span a central campus in downtown New Haven, athletic complexes in western New Haven, a campus in West Haven, and extensive forests and nature preserves across New England.
The Yale University Library, with over 15 million volumes, ranks as the third-largest academic library in the United States. In athletics, Yale’s teams compete in NCAA Division I as part of the Ivy League conference.
- Location: New Haven, Connecticut
- Alumni Nickname: Yalies, Old Blues
- Mascot: Handsome Dan - the Bulldog
2025 Rankings
by U.S. News & World Report
by QS World University Rankings
by Times Higher Education
Undergraduate Admissions Process Summary
Application Deadlines
Early Decision: November 1
Regular Decision: January 2
Application Portal
Common Application, Coalition Application and QuestBridge Application
Standardized Tests
SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB)
Recommendation Letters
Counselor Recommendation: 1 Letter
Teacher Recommendation: 2 Letters
On Campus Residence for Freshmen
Required
International Students
English Proficiency - TOEFL:
minimum score 100
IELTS: minimum score 7.0
Duolingo: minimum score 120.
Interview
Optional
University Specific Requests
None
Application Fee
$80
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Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 12%
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Political Science and Government 8.1%
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Computer and Information Sciences 6.1%
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History 5.5%
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Cell/cellular and Molecular Biology 5.2%
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Experimental Psychology 4.8%
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Multi-/interdisciplinary Studies 4%
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English Language and Literature 3.3%
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Statistics 3.3%
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International Relations and Affairs 3.3%
Popular
Majors
Acceptance Rate
52,250 applications to the undergraduate Class of 2028
Total Students
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African American: 7.2%
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Asian: 16.7%
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Hispanic: 12%
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International (Non-Citizen): 23.6%
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Multiracial: 5.5%
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Native American: 0.3%
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Pacific Islander: 0.1%
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Unknown: 1.5%
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White: 33%
Campus
Yale’s central campus in downtown New Haven spans 260 acres and includes both its historic main campus and a medical campus adjacent to Yale–New Haven Hospital. To the west, the university owns 500 acres of athletic facilities, including the Yale Golf Course. In 2008, Yale acquired the 136-acre, 17-building former Bayer HealthCare complex in West Haven, Connecticut, now repurposed for laboratory and research use.
The university also owns seven forests in Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire, with the largest being the 7,840-acre Yale-Myers Forest in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, as well as nature preserves like Horse Island.
Yale is renowned for its predominantly Collegiate Gothic architecture, alongside several notable modern buildings often featured in architectural history courses, including Louis Kahn’s Yale Art Gallery and Center for British Art, Eero Saarinen’s Ingalls Rink and Ezra Stiles and Morse Colleges, and Paul Rudolph’s Art & Architecture Building.
Additionally, Yale owns and has restored many significant 19th-century mansions along Hillhouse Avenue, which was praised by Charles Dickens as the most beautiful street in America during his 1840s visit.
In 2011, Travel + Leisure ranked the Yale campus as one of the most beautiful in the United States.
Cost of Attendance
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Tuition and Fees $67,250
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Housing $11,300
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Food $8,600
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Total 87,150
At Yale, 20% of undergraduates qualified for the Pell Grant
Notable Affiliations
Yale University has an impressive roster of distinguished alumni across various fields in both the public and private sectors. Yale alumni have achieved significant honors, including 263 Rhodes Scholarships, 123 Marshall Scholarships, 67 Truman Scholarships, 21 Churchill Scholarships, and 9 Mitchell Scholarships. The university ranks as the second-largest producer of Fulbright Scholars, with a total of 1,244 in its history, and has also produced 89 MacArthur Fellows. During the 2023–2024 academic year, Yale ranked fifth among research institutions for producing Fulbright Scholars, according to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Notably, 31 living billionaires are among Yale’s alumni.
Yale has educated several U.S. presidents, including William Howard Taft, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Yale’s alumni include numerous world leaders, such as Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, German President Karl Carstens, Philippine President José Paciano Laurel, Latvian President Valdis Zatlers, Taiwanese Premier Jiang Yi-huah, and Malawian President Peter Mutharika. Additionally, notable royals who attended Yale include Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Olympia Bonaparte, Princess Napoléon.
Numerous influential business leaders and entrepreneurs include William Boeing (Boeing, United Airlines), Briton Hadden and Henry Luce (Time Magazine), Stephen A. Schwarzman (Blackstone Group), Frederick W. Smith (FedEx), Juan Trippe (Pan Am), Harold Stanley (Morgan Stanley), Bing Gordon (Electronic Arts), Ben Silbermann (Pinterest) and former PepsiCo chairperson and CEO Indra Nooyi.
Celebrated authors and influential writers include Nobel Prize in Literature recipient Sinclair Lewis and Pulitzer Prize winners Stephen Vincent Benét, Thornton Wilder, Doug Wright, and David McCullough. The university has also produced numerous Academy Award-winning actors, actresses, and directors, such as Jodie Foster, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Elia Kazan, George Roy Hill, Lupita Nyong’o, Oliver Stone, and Frances McDormand.
No, Yale does not have strict high school course requirements for applicants. However, the university strongly recommends a challenging and balanced curriculum to prepare for its rigorous academics.
Yale University’s campus culture is vibrant, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating, blending rich traditions with a dynamic, modern spirit.
Residential college system fosters a strong sense of community, as students are assigned to one of 14 residential colleges, creating smaller, tight-knit communities within the larger university.
Cultural traditions like the Yale Symphony Orchestra’s Halloween Show, the Spring Fling music festival, and the famous Harvard-Yale football game contribute to the university’s vibrant social life.
Yes, Yale is well-known for its secret societies, which are exclusive student organizations with a long history of tradition and secrecy. These societies, such as Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and Wolf’s Head, are some of the most famous. They primarily consist of senior students who are selected based on their leadership, achievements, or campus involvement.
Secret societies at Yale are known for their elaborate rituals, exclusive membership, and often private meeting spaces called “tombs.” While their activities are shrouded in mystery, these societies are generally considered a unique part of campus culture, emphasizing camaraderie and lifelong networking opportunities among their members.
No, Yale does not offer merit-based scholarships. Instead, the university provides need-based financial aid to admitted students. Yale is committed to meeting 100% of each student’s demonstrated financial need, without relying on loans. This means that Yale offers a combination of grants and work-study opportunities to ensure that students can attend regardless of their financial situation.