1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Yale University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Yale University CT · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #57 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/yale-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/yale-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/yale-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/yale-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/yale-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Yale University #57 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Yale University is a private nonprofit university in New Haven, Connecticut, where the degree mix is led by Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Computer & Information Sciences. Return is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that gain to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures. Affordability is above average, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is wide. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. An estimated share of graduates continues to graduate study, based on the program mix, and the four-year earnings figure counts only graduates who are not enrolled. ## Yale University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 3.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 95.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $112,971 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $17,943 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $12,975 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $29,769 ## Yale University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Yale University is a private nonprofit university in New Haven, Connecticut, with an undergraduate body of 6,758. The university sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (96th percentile). Yale University admits 3.9% of applicants, against a median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of students who start full time, 98.8% return for a second year, compared with a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time, full-time cohort is 95.7%, compared with a peer median of 68.8% for comparable institutions. With an estimated 1.5% of entrants arriving as transfers or part-time students, the graduation rate describes nearly the entire entering class. Return is the strongest of the four pillars (99th percentile) and affordability is the weakest (66th percentile). Access and mobility sit between them (86th and 81st percentiles). The four pillars are spread across the ranking, with a wide gap between the strongest and weakest. Azimuth evaluates Yale University across four pillars among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The return pillar is the strongest, in the 99th percentile, reflecting completers who earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students. The access pillar sits in the 86th percentile and the mobility pillar in the 81st percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar, in the 66th percentile, though it still clears the national median. 20.4% of undergraduates at Yale University receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Yale University #208 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar is shaped by the Pell share and the completion rate of those students. Azimuth ranks the university #282 for mobility. Graduates earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Yale University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #57 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 81 **Access & reach** National percentile: 86 **[Affordability](/school/yale-university/cost/)** National percentile: 66 **[Return on investment](/school/yale-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 99 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences**#2** 2. History**#2** 3. Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies**#3** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/yale-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Yale University briefing ## [Yale University cost & financial aid](/school/yale-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Yale University is $88,300. Tuition and fees are $67,250, and room and board are $19,900. Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. For the average aid recipient, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $23,777. That is $3,594 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid reduces the sticker price by $64,523 on average. Azimuth ranks the university #487 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 66th percentile. Yale University publishes a cost of attendance of $88,300. After accounting for financial aid, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for families earning under $30,000 is $17,633. For families in the $48,001–$75,000 income band, the average net price is $17,943, and for families earning over $110,000 it is $45,951. Azimuth ranks Yale #487 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average financial aid package at Yale offsets the sticker price by $64,523, bringing the average net price across all aid recipients to $23,777. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the median net price is $27,371, which places Yale's average net price below that peer figure by $3,594. Published tuition and fees are $67,250. The median federal student debt at completion is $12,975, with 44.9% of federal aid recipients borrowing federal loans. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the median federal debt is $24,199, so Yale's median debt sits below the peer median by $11,224. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $29,769. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $147 a month if repaid over ten years. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$17,943** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Yale University Borrowers who complete a degree at Yale University finish with a median federal debt of $12,975. That median sits below the $24,199 level for comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $11,224. For the separate parent-borrower population, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $29,769. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 13% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $22,185 per borrower. Of those borrowers, 11% held federal loans averaging $14,323 and 2% held private loans averaging $60,087. Those who complete a degree at Yale University earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, the median for completers working and not enrolled is $112,971, a level in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios tied to the program mix show a typical outcome of $112,971, with a downside of $55,812 and an upside of $151,400. The median federal student loan debt among completers who borrowed is $12,975, a balance below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $147. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $29,769. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $147. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $12,975 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $29,769 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $147/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $378/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=yale-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/yale-university/cost/) 02 / Yale University briefing ## [Yale University career outcomes & earnings](/school/yale-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Azimuth places Yale University in the 99th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students, a level in the 94th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,246. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $12,334. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,376. Four years after completion, the median earnings of the university's federally aided completers working and not enrolled reach $112,971, in the 98th percentile. That figure runs above the peer median of $68,250 by $44,721 among comparable institutions (same type and size). The median earnings of Yale University graduates four years after completion stand at $112,971, drawn from a cohort of 939 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That figure places the university in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that ranks in the 94th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix point to a typical outcome of $112,971, with a downside scenario of $55,812 and an upside scenario reaching $151,400. An estimated 41.0% of the university's graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the institution's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four years after completion, the median earnings of Yale University graduates stand at $112,971, in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is above the median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $44,721. Graduates earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 94th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,246. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $12,334. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,376. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #6 for return on investment. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $55,812 and an upside of $151,400. The largest program, Economics, awarded 204 bachelor's degrees and shows median earnings of $142,936 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, with 121 degrees awarded and a median of $188,157, which is 2.04x the national median for the field. Political Science awarded 137 degrees and its completers earn a median of $90,764, while History graduates, with 94 degrees awarded, earn a median of $109,947, or 2.17x the national median for the field. The downside earnings scenario for Yale University graduates sits at $55,812 four years after completion, while the upside scenario reaches $151,400. The typical earnings scenario, anchored on the university's program mix, is $112,971. Among the largest programs, Economics shows median earnings of $142,936, and Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn a median of $188,157. Those who finish at Yale University earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who complete a degree finish with a median federal student debt of $12,975, a figure that sits below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $147. Average net price for aid recipients is $23,777, below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. For families in the lowest income band, the average net price is $17,633, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is $28,318. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,246 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$12,334 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$18,580 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/yale-university/outcomes/) 03 / Yale University briefing ## [Yale University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/yale-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Yale University admits 3.9% of applicants, the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 50,264 applicants, 2,387 admitted, and 1,633 enrolled. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 3.9% **25th percentile** 1470 **Median** 1530 **75th percentile** 1560 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/yale-university/admissions/) 04 / Yale University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Yale University?](/school/yale-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The largest programs at Yale University show a wide earnings spread four years after completion, from $90,764 in Political Science to $188,157 in Computer and Information Sciences. Economics awards the most degrees, at 204 a year, and its graduates earn a median of $142,936. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #8 nationally in its field. Computer and Information Sciences awarded 121 degrees and has a median of $188,157. Azimuth ranks it #3 in its field. History, a more moderate-earning field, awards 94 degrees and its graduates earn $109,947, with a national rank of #2. Yale University has 6 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, and the top-ranked ones are not always the largest. History is the highest-ranked, at #2 in its field, with 94 degrees awarded and median earnings of $109,947 four years after completion. The largest program is Economics, awarding 204 degrees a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #8 nationally, and its completers earn a median of $142,936. Computer and Information Sciences is the highest-earning program among the largest five, at $188,157. It awards 121 degrees and Azimuth ranks it #3 in its field. Political Science and History are also among the five largest programs, with earnings that range from $90,764 to $109,947. Social Sciences accounts for 25.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Biological Sciences next at 10.9% and Computer & Information Sciences at 7.7%. Yale University has 6 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 10 with published four-year earnings data. The largest programs by degrees awarded are Economics at 204, Political Science at 137, and Computer and Information Sciences at 121. History is the highest-ranked program, with 94 degrees awarded and median earnings of $109,947 four years after completion. It carries a benchmark ratio of 2.17x against the national median for its field. Computer and Information Sciences ranks #3 nationally within its field and #1 in Connecticut, with median earnings of $188,157. Economics, the largest program, ranks #8 nationally within its field and #1 in Connecticut, with median earnings of $142,936. Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies ranks #3 nationally within its field with 40 degrees awarded and median earnings of $65,213. The strongest programs are spread across the social sciences, humanities, and sciences, with high ranks in fields that do not always command the highest earnings. For fields where graduate study is common, four-year earnings may understate later trajectories. 36.5% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Economics 204 degrees awarded** $142,936 **Political Science and Government 137 degrees awarded** $90,764 **Computer and Information Sciences, General 121 degrees awarded** $188,157 **History 94 degrees awarded** $109,947 **Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences 89 degrees awarded** $92,646 **Research and Experimental Psychology 81 degrees awarded** $65,752 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/yale-university/majors/) 05 / Yale University briefing ## How does Yale University serve students from different backgrounds? The mobility pillar sits in the 81st percentile nationally. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 95.7%. Graduates earn about $18,580 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that lands in the 94th percentile. Azimuth places the access pillar of Yale University in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university admits 3.9% of applicants, well below the peer median of 71.2%, and enrolls 6,758 undergraduates in New Haven, Connecticut. Pell Grant recipients make up 20.4% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 1.5% enter as transfers or part-time students. 06 / Yale University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Yale University?](/school/yale-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/yale-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Yale University. Admissions peerWilliams College8.3% admitted+ Comparison with Yale University | Measure | Yale University | Williams College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $112,971 | $80,487\-$32,484 vs Yale University | | Average annual net price | $23,777 | $17,716\-$6,061 vs Yale University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 3.9% | 8.3% | [Explore Williams College →](/school/williams-college/) Higher-admission alternativeStevens Institute of Technology47.6% admitted+ Comparison with Yale University | Measure | Yale University | Stevens Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $112,971 | $112,538\-$433 vs Yale University | | Average annual net price | $23,777 | $41,346+$17,569 vs Yale University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 3.9% | 47.6% | [Explore Stevens Institute of Technology →](/school/stevens-institute-of-technology/) Nearby alternativeColumbia University in the City of New YorkNearby option · NY+ Comparison with Yale University | Measure | Yale University | Columbia University in the City of New York | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $112,971 | $115,519+$2,548 vs Yale University | | Average annual net price | $23,777 | $21,590\-$2,187 vs Yale University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 3.9% | 4.0% | [Explore Columbia University in the City of New York →](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/) Lower-cost alternativePrinceton University$6,128 average net price+ Comparison with Yale University | Measure | Yale University | Princeton University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $112,971 | $108,590\-$4,381 vs Yale University | | Average annual net price | $23,777 | $6,128\-$17,649 vs Yale University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | [Explore Princeton University →](/school/princeton-university/) Similar profilePrinceton UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Yale University | Measure | Yale University | Princeton University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $112,971 | $108,590\-$4,381 vs Yale University | | Average annual net price | $23,777 | $6,128\-$17,649 vs Yale University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | [Explore Princeton University →](/school/princeton-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/yale-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)