Yale University SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
At Yale, test-optional does not mean scores are irrelevant: 61% of applicants submitted SAT scores, and the middle range starts at 1480. Your clearest testing target is the upper end, around a 1560 SAT or 35 ACT, so your score strengthens an already strong application.
⬡ LangSmith1a50e263-a8c7-4489-a163-d3b5f692d13dData on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Yale University facts and stats
Yale University enrolls 6,814 undergraduate students in an urban campus setting. Yale has a 99% freshman retention rate, well above the national average of roughly 70%. Its 6-year graduation rate is 96%, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 5:1.
⬡ LangSmithda855fd3-8305-4251-83fa-3275ad11050eNew Haven, CT
How do your scores compare at Yale?
Key Yale University application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
January 2
Early Action
November 1
Early Decision
Not offered
Priority Deadline
—
Coming soon
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you choose to submit scores to test-optional Yale, take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year, then use the summer and fall for retakes or superscoring opportunities. For the November 1 Early Action deadline, an October retake is generally the last fall test date likely to arrive in time.
⬡ LangSmithc5523327-9eae-4062-a5b5-4e99d5bef0b2Want to improve your scores and unlock scholarships at Yale University?
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What you'll actually pay
Yale is a private not-for-profit, so the same rate applies to all students, with tuition and fees at $67,375. About 54% of students receive aid, and the average merit award is $27,333.
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Yale’s listed tuition and fees plus room and board total $87,275. About 54% of students receive aid, with an average aid package of $75,093, which can substantially reduce what families pay. The average merit award is $27,333. Graduates leave with an average debt of $7,265.
⬡ LangSmithecf3fa31-2ad6-484a-b71f-0bc2ad9893b8Student life at Yale University
75% of undergrads live on campus
Freshman housing: Guaranteed
Fraternities and sororities are active on campus.
Similar schools
Columbia University
New York, NYAcceptance rate: 3.9%
SAT: 1510–1560
ACT: 34–36
Princeton University
Princeton, NJAcceptance rate: 4.6%
SAT: 1500–1560
ACT: 34–35
Harvard University
Cambridge, MAAcceptance rate: 3.6%
SAT: 1510–1580
ACT: 34–36
Brown University
Providence, RIAcceptance rate: 5.4%
SAT: 1510–1560
ACT: 34–35

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