About Yale University
One of the oldest of the eight Ivy League universities, Yale is a highly regarded, medium-sized, private liberal arts university based in New Haven, Connecticut. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate study with most undergraduate students living on campus. The university is coed and the setting is small city/urban.
A brief history
Founded in 1701, the university was not named Yale until 1718, when merchant Elihu Yale donated 417 books, cloth goods that sold for 562 pounds, and a portrait of King George to the New Haven college.
General information
With a campus spanning 260 acres, Yale is organised into 14 schools: the original undergraduate college, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and 12 professional schools.
4.6% 1460 - 1570 32 - 35 3.7 - 4.0
Acceptance Rate Average SAT Score Average ACT Score GPA Aim (top of class)
Quick facts about Yale
- Undergrad degree: 4 year liberal arts
- Public or Private: Private
- Setting: Urban
- Residential Status: Primarily on campus
- Number of Undergraduates: 6,092 (approx)
- Number of Freshman: 1,550 (approx)
- Acceptance Rate: 4.6%
Yale By The Numbers
What is Yale's QS World University Ranking? #17
What is Yale's US News Ranking? #3
How many undergraduate fields of study does Yale have? 79
What is Yale's Student-Faculty Ratio? 6:1
What percentage of Yale students are international students? 20%
What percentage of Yale students live on campus? 99%
What is the median starting salary of Yale graduates? $68,472 USD
How many varsity sports teams are there at Yale? 35
How hard is it to get into Yale? Very! Yale’s acceptance rate for the most recent Class of 2024 was only 6.5%.
The 6 most popular majors
24% Social Sciences
Yale Social Science majors research human cognition, behaviour, values, health, and policy to provide insights into the social challenges that exist within and across communities around the globe.
11% Biology
Yale offers 4 different biological science majors: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and Neuroscience.
8% History
Yale's History majors explore centuries of human experimentation and ingenuity. They learn to be effective storytellers and analysts who can craft arguments that speak to broad audiences.
7% Computer and Information Sciences
Yale's Computer Science Department has close ties to mathematics and engineering, but also collaborates with other disciplines including psychology, economics, medicine, statistics, music and more.
7% Engineering
Engineering majors learn the expertise of designing technological systems that benefit society. Students grow in the understanding of how new products impact politics, the economy, society and more.
7% Mathematics
Yale's course offerings reflect the multiple facets of mathematics, from it's role as a scientific language, to it's culturally rich history and it's ability to act as a model of abstract reasoning.
Notable alumni
Yale has more than 130,000 living alumni, many of them — due to the university’s increased enrolment rate in recent years — having graduated post 1980. The university has produced over 25 Nobel Laureates, over 55 Pulitzer Prize winners and 404 Olympic athletes.
Jodie Foster
Academy Award Winning Actress and Director
Jodie Foster was a member of Yale’s Class of 1985. A major in English Literature - she graduated magna cum laude. The actress and director has received many awards in recognition for her talents and contribution to her industry including two Academy Awards and three British Academy Film Awards. In 2018, the celebrated actress was presented with the fourth annual Yale Undergraduates’ Lifetime Achievement Award.