Yale University is a prestigious, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701, it is the third-oldest university in the United States. Yale University offers some of the most respected academic programs worldwide. Professors and other faculty members at Yale often receive international recognition for their research and publications. In fact, multiple U.S. Presidents and Supreme Court Justices have attended Yale.
The nation’s premier divinity and theater schools are located at Yale University. Some of the best drama students apply to Yale’s graduate theater program every year. Yale also has a renowned graduate arts program. In 1861, Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences became the first U.S. institution of higher learning to award Ph.D. degrees.
Currently, Yale employs over 1,100 faculty and professors, has 5,300 undergraduate students, and approximately 6,100 graduate and professional students. With nearly a $20 billion endowment—the second-largest of any college or university in the U.S.—the school is one of the best funded of any higher education institution.
Over the years Yale has produced many successful and notable graduates, including 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, five U.S. Presidents, several heads-of-state, and Nobel prize winners. Yale Law school (often referred to as Yale Law or YLS) is one of the most prestigious and selective law schools in the United States.
Yale University is very selective, with certain academic programs being more difficult than others to be admitted into. For example, few students are admitted into Yale’s MFA in Acting, considered by many to be the nation’s finest acting program.
All students applying to Yale, as well as to specific academic programs, must have high grade point averages, submit excellent letters of recommendation, and receive high scores on entrance exams. Admissions for Yale are quite competitive.
Students that cannot afford tuition and other fees can apply for financial aid once accepted to the school. Yale also provides work-study programs and departmental scholarships, as well as Pell grants and student loans.
Paid graduate student teaching and research positions are available at Yale. Most students utilize multiple funding sources to finance their education.
Yale Online Degree Programs
Unfortunately, Yale does not offer students the opportunity to earn an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree online. As far as we know, all Yale degree-oriented programs must be completed on campus in a traditional classroom setting.
Through its new Yale Open Courses program—oyc.yale.edu—the university provides lectures, courses and other educational materials free to the public via the Internet. The online courses cover an array of liberal arts disciplines, including social sciences, humanities, and biological and physical sciences. These online courses have been designed to appeal to lifelong learners, educators, high school students and college students. However, no course credit, degree or certificate is awarded for taking OYC online courses.
Each online course comes with a complete set of classroom lectures delivered via high-quality video, a course syllabi, reading assignments, and useful problem sets to help you learn the subject material.
University Rankings
In 2012 U.S. News & World Report ranked Yale third among all universities in the United States, surpassed only by Princeton and Harvard. It has also been ranked in the top ten universities nationwide by almost every reputable ranking organization, including QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings and Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities. It has also been ranked fifth in the world as the best arts and humanities university, and has placed in the top 100 for: Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Computer Sciences, Engineering/Technology, Life and Agriculture Sciences, Social Sciences, and Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy.
Student Organizations at Yale
There are a large variety of student organizations on Yale campus which include journals, newspapers, magazines and political groups. The largest of these, The Yale Political Union (YPU), is also the oldest student political organization in the United States. It is often advised by Yale alumni and prominent political leaders such as George Pataki and John Kerry. The YPU is primarily a debate society, modeled after the Oxford Union and Cambridge Union Society, the latter being Britain’s second oldest University Union. Weekly debates are held and conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, the most widely used parliamentary authority in the United States.
The Yale Daily News, first published in 1878, is the oldest college publication of its kind in the United States. The publication is completely independent from Yale University other than it is run by Yale students. It runs Monday through Friday, five days a week during the academic year. The newspaper editorial and business staff operate out of Briton Hadden Memorial Building in New Haven, but the paper itself is printed in Waterbury, Connecticut. Reporters for the paper are typically freshmen and sophomores. Each day they scour the university, the city of New Haven, and sometimes even the state of Connecticut itself, in search of news to report and stories that need to be told. The paper includes an expanded sports section, which is published on Mondays, an Opinion Forum published on Fridays, and an arts and living section (called “WEEKEND”) also published on Fridays.
The same publishing company that produces the Yale Daily News also produces the Yale Daily News Magazine, Yale’s Class Day and Commencement, special issues of the newspaper for incoming freshmen and The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges.
Other popular student organizations include several fraternities and sororities, 18 cappella groups (The Whiffenpoofs being the most popular), various secret societies such as Skull and Bones, and many other musical, cultural, political, and special interest groups.
Fraternities and Sororities
Yale was one of the first universities in the United States to establish a well developed system of fraternities. The first chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a student society at the time, was established in 1780. Later other secret and academic societies began to spring up. In 1832 Phi Beta Kappa evolved from a secret academic society to a public society. As different societies took hold and proliferated, students began developing fraternities, which were an interrelated system of students, usually young junior and sophomore men who were considered socially or academically elite among their peers. Other types of fraternities followed soon after. Sororities at Yale were established in 1985 with the formation of Kappa Alpha Theta, Yale’s first female sorority.
The following is a list of fraternities and sororities that have chapters at Yale University.
- Alpha Delta Phi fraternity
- Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity
- Alpha Phi Alpha
- Alpha Rho Lambda sorority/Alianza de Raices Latinas
- Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity
- Kappa Alpha Theta sorority
- Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority
- Pi Beta Phi sorority
- Psi Upsilon fraternity
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity
- Sigma Chi fraternity
- Sigma Nu fraternity
- Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity
- Sigma Psi Zeta sorority
- Zeta Psi fraternity
Academics and Admissions
Yale University offers one of the largest selections of undergraduate and graduate degrees and academic programs of any university in the nation.
A few of Yale’s premier academic programs include:
- Architecture
- Classics
- Archaeology
- Linguistics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Film
- Nursing
- Law
- Medicine
Students admitted to Yale’s medical school can specialize in the following fields:
- Surgery
- Psychiatry
- Obstetrics
- Neurosurgery
As previously mentioned, Yale University admissions are very competitive. For the class of 2016, Yale’s admission rate was a staggering 6.8%, the lowest it’s ever been. From a pool of nearly 29,000 applicants only 1,975 students were accepted.
Unlike many private universities, Yale is a need blind school. That is, Yale does not consider the financial status of an applicant when determining admission. This policy typically leads to an increased number of students requiring financial assistance. Luckily, Yale has the backing of a substantial financial endowment. Yale has committed to helping meet the financial need of all applicants. Most student financial aid comes in the form of grants and scholarships that students are not required to pay back. Of the 1,975 students admitted to Yale nearly 30% are expected to receive no financial support from their parents. In 2012 the average student scholarship was $35,400.
General Information
|
Admission Office Box 208234 New Haven, CT 06520-8234 (203) 432-9300 Fax: (203) 432-9392 [email protected] Contact: Margit Dahl Director of Undergraduate Admissions |
Main Address New Haven, CT 06520 (203) 432-4771 www.yale.edu |
|
Size Total undergrads: 5,277 First-time degree-seeking freshmen: 1,318 Degree-seeking undergrads: 5,256 Graduate enrollment: 4,915 Setting | Degrees offered: |
Tuition & Fees
| Estimated Annual Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| Tuition and fees | $34,530 | $35,300 | $36,500 | $38,300 | +4.93% |
| Books and Supplies | $2,950 | $3,000 | $3,050 | $3,100 | +1.64% |
| Living Arrangement – On Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $10,470 | $10,700 | $11,000 | $11,500 | +4.55% |
| Other | $2,400 | $2,400 | $2,400 | $2,400 | 0.00% |
| Living Arrangement – Off Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Other | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Total Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| In-state On Campus | $50,350 | $51,400 | $52,950 | $55,300 | +4.44% |
| In-state Off Campus | $37,480 | $38,300 | $39,550 | $41,400 | +4.68% |
| In-state with Family | $37,480 | $38,300 | $39,550 | $41,400 | +4.68% |
| Average Graduate Student Tuition & Fees | |
| Tuition for In-state Students | $33,500 |
| In-state Student Fees | $0 |
| Tuition for Out-of-state Students | $33,500 |
| Out-of-state Fees | $0 |
Financial Aid
| Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
| All students financial aid | 829 | 63% | ||
| Grant or scholarship aid | 772 | 59% | $26,026,877 | $33,714 |
| • Federal grants | 268 | 20% | $1,390,958 | $5,190 |
| • Pell grants | 162 | 12% | $610,208 | $3,767 |
| • Other federal grants | 242 | 18% | $780,750 | $3,226 |
| State/local government grant or scholarships | 16 | 1% | $70,038 | $4,377 |
| Institutional grants or scholarships | 744 | 56% | $24,565,881 | $33,019 |
| Student loan aid | 88 | 7% | $782,054 | $8,887 |
| • Federal student loans | 69 | 5% | $304,047 | $4,406 |
| • Other student loans | 29 | 2% | $478,007 | $16,483 |
All Degrees and Programs
| BA/BS | MA/MS | PhD | AA/AS | CERT | |
| Total of All Education Programs | 1446 | 1435 | 739 | – | 426 |
| Architecture and Related Services | 22 | 74 | – | – | – |
| Architecture | 22 | 70 | – | – | – |
| Environmental Design/Architecture | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| Area, Gender, Cultural, Ethnic, and Group Studies | 84 | 41 | 10 | – | 14 |
| African Studies | 3 | 4 | – | – | – |
| African-American/Black Studies | 7 | 6 | 4 | – | 4 |
| American/United States Studies/Civilization | 25 | 9 | 6 | – | 10 |
| Area Studies, Other | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Chinese Studies | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| East Asian Studies | – | 13 | – | – | – |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 11 | – | – | – | – |
| European Studies/Civilization | – | 9 | – | – | – |
| German Studies | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Japanese Studies | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Latin American Studies | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| Near and Middle Eastern Studies | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Russian Studies | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| South Asian Studies | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Women’s Studies | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Biology and Biomedical Sciences | 109 | 31 | 85 | – | 62 |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 25 | 4 | 17 | – | 13 |
| Biology and Biological Sciences, General | 84 | – | – | – | – |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other | – | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology | – | 9 | 10 | – | – |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | – | – | 6 | – | 7 |
| Evolutionary Biology | – | 7 | 5 | – | – |
| Genetics | – | – | 17 | – | 8 |
| Immunology | – | 6 | 5 | – | 8 |
| Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology | – | – | 3 | – | 7 |
| Neurobiology and Anatomy | – | – | 1 | – | 2 |
| Neuroscience | – | 1 | 7 | – | 8 |
| Pathology/Experimental Pathology | – | – | – | – | 5 |
| Pharmacology | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 |
| Physiology | – | – | 5 | – | 2 |
| Business, Administration, Management, Marketing, etc. | – | 218 | 8 | – | 2 |
| Business Administration and Management | – | 218 | 8 | – | 2 |
| Computing and Information Sciences | 19 | 9 | 11 | – | 7 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, Other | – | – | – | – | – |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 19 | 9 | 11 | – | 7 |
| Education | – | 5 | – | – | – |
| Urban Education and Leadership | – | 5 | – | – | – |
| Engineering | 64 | 47 | 22 | – | 29 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 23 | 9 | 4 | – | 9 |
| Chemical Engineering | 5 | 9 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 6 | 11 | 6 | – | 10 |
| Engineering Physics/Applied Physics | 2 | 6 | 2 | – | 2 |
| Engineering Science | 21 | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 4 | 5 | 6 | – | 2 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 3 | 7 | 3 | – | 4 |
| English Language, Composition and Literature/Letters | 111 | 11 | 12 | – | 11 |
| English Language and Literature | 82 | 11 | 12 | – | 11 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 29 | – | – | – | – |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 37 | 30 | 24 | – | 22 |
| Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Chinese Language and Literature | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | 4 |
| Comparative Literature | – | 6 | 6 | – | 4 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | 5 | 1 | – | 3 |
| French Language and Literature | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | 5 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| Italian Language and Literature | 4 | 4 | 1 | – | 4 |
| Japanese Language and Literature | – | – | – | – | – |
| Latin Language and Literature | 7 | – | – | – | – |
| Linguistics | 8 | 2 | 4 | – | – |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Portuguese Language and Literature | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Russian Language and Literature | – | – | – | – | – |
| Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 3 | 5 | 3 | – | – |
| Health Services and Allied Health Sciences | – | 285 | 132 | – | 92 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Medical Scientist | – | 29 | 1 | – | – |
| Medicine | – | – | 109 | – | – |
| Nursing Administration | – | 108 | – | – | 81 |
| Nursing Science | – | – | 5 | – | – |
| Physician Assistant | – | 34 | – | – | – |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Public Health | – | 114 | 15 | – | 11 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | – | – | 2 | – | – |
| History | 168 | 39 | 23 | – | 30 |
| History | 168 | 39 | 23 | – | 30 |
| Legal and Law Studies | – | 24 | 210 | – | – |
| Advanced Legal Research/Studies | – | 24 | 3 | – | – |
| Law | – | – | 207 | – | – |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other | – | – | – | – | – |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 22 | – | – | – | – |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 22 | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics and Statistics | 29 | 31 | 3 | – | 10 |
| Applied Mathematics | 8 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Mathematics | 21 | 8 | 2 | – | 9 |
| Statistics | – | 23 | 1 | – | – |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies | 119 | – | 4 | – | 1 |
| Cognitive Science | 18 | – | – | – | – |
| International/Global Studies | 43 | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | – | – | 3 | – | 1 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 56 | – | 1 | – | – |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | 13 | 143 | 14 | – | 10 |
| Environmental Science | – | 42 | – | – | – |
| Environmental Studies | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Forestry | – | 22 | 14 | – | 10 |
| Natural Resources Management and Policy | – | 79 | – | – | – |
| Physical Sciences | 40 | 38 | 62 | – | 28 |
| Astronomy | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 4 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| Chemistry | 17 | 20 | 36 | – | – |
| Geology and Earth Science | 2 | 2 | 4 | – | 8 |
| Physics | 13 | 15 | 20 | – | 16 |
| Psychology | 108 | 12 | 8 | – | 15 |
| Psychology | 108 | 12 | 8 | – | 15 |
| Social Sciences | 396 | 98 | 39 | – | 42 |
| Anthropology | 16 | – | 8 | – | 8 |
| Archaeology | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| Development Economics and International Development | – | 24 | – | – | – |
| Economics | 148 | 23 | 16 | – | 18 |
| International Relations and Affairs | – | 26 | – | – | – |
| Political Science and Government | 213 | 13 | 8 | – | 12 |
| Sociology | 19 | 9 | 7 | – | 4 |
| Theology and Religious Vocations | – | 84 | 52 | – | – |
| Divinity/Ministry | – | – | 52 | – | – |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | – | 13 | – | – | – |
| Theology/Theological Studies | – | 71 | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 105 | 215 | 20 | – | 51 |
| Acting | – | 15 | – | – | – |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 31 | 14 | 10 | – | 12 |
| Art/Art Studies | 25 | – | – | – | – |
| Directing and Theatrical Production | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts | 20 | – | 1 | – | 7 |
| Film/Cinema/Video Studies | 15 | – | – | – | – |
| Fine/Studio Arts | – | 54 | – | – | – |
| Music Performance | – | – | – | – | 28 |
| Music | 14 | 4 | 3 | – | 4 |
| Music, Other | – | 85 | 6 | – | – |
| Playwriting and Screenwriting | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| Technical Theater/Theater Design and Technology | – | 22 | – | – | – |
| Theater Literature, History and Criticism | – | 6 | – | – | – |
| Theater/Theater Arts Management | – | 11 | – | – | – |
Admissions Information
|
Application Fee College has an application fee: Yes Regular application fee: $75 Online application fee: $75 |
Enrollment Rates Percent applicants admitted: 8% Percent students who return sophomore year: 99% |
|
Admissions Considerations Secondary school GPA: Recommended Secondary school rank: Recommended Secondary school record: Required Recommendations: Required Demonstration of competencies: Recommended Admission test scores (SAT/ACT): Required TOEFL: Required Undergraduate Admissions Fall 2011 |
Test Scores: Fall 2011 SAT Critical Reading
SAT Math
SAT Writing
ACT Composite
|
Enrollment Statistics
Undergraduate Attendance Status |
Undergraduate Student Gender |
Undergraduate Student Age |
Undergraduate Student Residence |
Graduate Attendance Status
Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity
Retention and Graduation Rates
Retention Rates for First-Time Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees |
Overall Graduation and Transfer-Out Rates for Students |
Graduation Rates for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
6-Year Graduation Rate by Gender for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
6-Year Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
Undergraduate Majors
Architecture & Related Programs Architecture B Area, Ethnic, Cultural, & Gender Studies African Studies B Arts, Visual & Performing Art – General B Biological & Biomedical Sciences Biochemistry B Computer & Information Sciences Computer/Information Sciences – General B Engineering Biomedical Engineering B English Language & Literature English Language & Literature – General B Foreign Language & Literature Ancient Near Eastern/Biblical Languages B Chinese B History History – General B Liberal Arts & Sciences Humanities B Mathematics Applied Mathematics B Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Ancient Studies/Civilization B Natural Resources & Conservation Environmental Studies B Philosophy & Religion Jewish/Judaic Studies B Physical Sciences Astronomy B Psychology Psychology – General B Social Sciences Anthropology B |
Degree levels for each major are designated by the following letters:
B = Bachelor’s degree C = Certificate or diploma |
*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.
