What SAT score do you need for Yale? (Middle 50%: 1480–1560)
First-year students at Yale who sent an SAT scored 1480–1560, with a median of 1530 (Common Data Set 2024–25). Yale admits 3.9% of applicants and requires the SAT or ACT.
Where your score lands at Yale
First-year students who sent an SAT: 1480–1560, median 1530
Middle 50% of admitted students Median
Enter your SAT or ACT to see which tier Yale is for you and whether to send your score.
Yale by the numbers
- Admit rate
- 3.9%
- Middle 50% SAT
- 1480–1560
- Median SAT
- 1530
- About on the ACT
- 33–35
- Sent an SAT
- 61%
Test required · checked Nov 9, 2026 · Yale admissions · SAT range from the Common Data Set, 2024–25; admit rate from it or IPEDS
Yale admit rate over 10 years
Applications rose 90%, from 30,236 in 2015 to 57,517 in 2024, and Yale's admit rate went from 6.7% to 3.9%.
- 6.7%
- 3.9%
Show the numbers
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 57,517 | 2,227 | 3.9% |
| 2023 | 51,803 | 2,332 | 4.5% |
| 2022 | 50,060 | 2,289 | 4.6% |
| 2021 | 47,240 | 2,509 | 5.3% |
| 2020 | 35,220 | 2,299 | 6.5% |
| 2019 | 36,844 | 2,241 | 6.1% |
| 2018 | 35,301 | 2,240 | 6.3% |
| 2017 | 32,879 | 2,277 | 6.9% |
| 2016 | 31,445 | 1,988 | 6.3% |
| 2015 | 30,236 | 2,034 | 6.7% |
In fall 2024, 1,554 of the 2,227 admitted students enrolled. Applicants and admits from IPEDS, the federal college survey, by fall of entry.
What each SAT score means at Yale
Which tier your score puts them in, and whether it's worth sending.
- Under 1560Far reachRequired
- 1560 and upReachRequired
Tiers here use only your SAT and their admit rate. Essays, activities and recommendations still decide most admissions at selective colleges.
Yale SAT sections, ACT and class rank
Scores of enrolled first-year students who sent one, by percentile.
| Test | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 740 | 780 | 790 |
| SAT Reading and Writing | 730 | 760 | 780 |
| SAT total | 1480 | 1530 | 1560 |
| ACT composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Of enrolled first-year students, 61% sent an SAT and 25% sent an ACT. Common Data Set 2024–25.
- Top 10% of their class
- 96%
- of new students who reported a rank
Yale waitlist
Waitlist
773 applicants were offered a spot, 565 took it, and 23 were admitted from it.
4.1%of students who stayed on the waitlist got in
Common Data Set 2024–25.
Yale cost and outcomes
What students pay after grants, how many finish, and what they earn.
- Average net price
- $23,777
- per year, after grants
- Graduate in 6 years
- 96%
- Median earnings
- $100,533
- 10 years after starting
- Undergraduates
- 8,432
College Scorecard, 2022–23, from the US Department of Education. Net price averages federal-aid students across family incomes.
Colleges like Yale
Similar SAT ranges and admit rates.
- PrincetonPrinceton, NJ · 4.6% admitted1490–1560, median 1530
- VanderbiltNashville, TN · 5.9% admitted1510–1560, median 1530
- UChicagoChicago, IL · 4.5% admitted1500–1560, median 1540
- BrownProvidence, RI · 5.4% admitted1510–1560, median 1540
- DartmouthHanover, NH · 5.4% admitted1440–1550, median 1520
- ColumbiaNew York, NY · 4.0% admitted1460–1530, median 1510
More colleges in Connecticut
Sources
- Yale Common Data Set 2024–25
SAT and ACT ranges, early decision, waitlist, GPA and class rank, as the college reported them.
- College Navigator (IPEDS)
Applications, admissions and enrollment by year, from the federal college survey.
- College Scorecard
Net price, graduation rate and earnings, from the US Department of Education.
- Yale admissions
Test policy for 2026–27, checked Nov 9, 2026.
- Yale website
Yale University
Updated Nov 9, 2026. Spot a number that's off? Email support@tryashore.com and we'll check it against the source.
Questions
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