A Guide to College Yield Rates
When it comes to college admissions, one of the most significant figures on everyone’s mind is college acceptance rates. The difficulty of getting admitted to a school is one of the biggest factors students consider when creating their school lists. However, the college yield rate is not as often discussed. Knowing more about the admissions process helps students make the right decisions for their academic future. To help students stay informed and strategize their college admissions, here is InGenius Prep’s guide to college yield rates.
Want an expert’s opinion on your college applications? Book a free strategy call and begin your admissions journey today!
What is a College Yield Rate?
A college yield rate is the percentage of students who enroll in a particular college after being offered admission. For example, if a college offers admission to 1,000 students and only 800 decide to enroll, the yield rate is 80%. Yield rate is a key metric in the admissions process that indicates a school’s desirability among prospective students.
Understanding the Difference: Acceptance Rates vs. Yield Rates
An acceptance rate is the percentage of students accepted out of the total number who applied. For instance, if 10,000 students apply and 1,000 are accepted, the acceptance rate is 10%. Yield rates are derived from acceptance rates—it’s the percentage of accepted students who chose to enroll.
For example, in the 2023-2024 cycle, Virginia Tech had an acceptance rate of 57%. Over 25,000 applicants were accepted, but only 7,100 enrolled, resulting in a 26.7% yield rate. Despite the high number of applicants, Virginia Tech had one of its lowest yield rates that year.
Why College Yield Rates Matter
Top US colleges can be very selective, with some having admissions rates below 5%. [1] But it’s not just schools that are selective—students also have the power to choose where they want to go. At InGenius Prep, we recommend students create a list of between 3 and 9 schools to apply to.
Since students can enroll in only one school at a time, more applications are submitted each admissions cycle than there are students to fill them. Once schools have made their final decisions, they end up competing with each other for top applicants, and this competition is reflected in their yield rates.
Understanding yield rates helps students gauge a school’s popularity and desirability. Schools with a high yield rate often indicate strong academic programs, an exciting campus life, and high student satisfaction. On the other hand, schools with low yield rates may attract fewer students, often because of high tuition, less attractive programs, or location.
Notable Yield Rate Examples at Top US Colleges
URI Acceptance Rate and Yield Rate
- In 2022, the University of Rhode Island (URI) acceptance rate was 76%, though it had a yield rate of 17.6%.
- 25,000 people applied, but only 3,300 enrolled for that admissions cycle.
Smith College Acceptance Rate and Yield Rate
- Smith had an acceptance rate of 22.9% and an overall yield of 37.2%.
- Of the 7,200 people who applied, 1,600 were enrolled.
Harvard Acceptance Rate and Yield Rate
- In 2024, the Harvard yield rate was 83%, with an acceptance rate of 3.2%.
- Of the 61,000 applicants who sent their college applications to Harvard, less than 2,000 were admitted, with 1,600 ultimately enrolled.
UCSD vs. UCLA
- The University of California-Los Angeles and the University of California-San Diego are two schools that are often compared with interesting statistics between them.
- According to University Stats, UCLA is the more affordable institution. Yet, it also has a more selective admissions process.
- UCLA’s acceptance rate is around 9%, while UCSD is 25%. For enrollments, 22% is the yield rate for UCSD vs UCLA’s yield rate of 50%.
Yield Rates at the Top US Colleges
| School | Yield Rate |
|---|---|
| Princeton University | 69% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 85% |
| Harvard University | 83% |
| Stanford University | 83% |
| Yale University | 68% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 68% |
| California Institute of Technology | 65% |
| Duke University | 56% |
| Brown University | 67% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 48% |
| Northwestern University | 55% |
| Cornell University | 68% |
| University of Chicago | 85% |
| University of California-Berkeley | 45% |
| University of California-Los Angeles | 50% |
| Rice University | 44% |
| Dartmouth College | 62% |
| Vanderbilt University | 52% |
| University of Notre Dame | 60% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 47% |
| Georgetown University | 48% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 46% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 44% |
| Emory University | 40% |
Strategize Your College Admissions with InGenius Prep
The more students know about schools, their statistics, and the college admissions process, the more confidence and power they will have when crafting their college applications. [2] Yield rates are an essential metric when looking for schools. Knowing how desirable a school is indicates the quality of its programs, administrators, and campus, among other factors. By analyzing acceptance and yield rates, students can stay informed and select schools that align with their academic goals.
For more information on the college admissions process—with helpful insights from academic experts and Former Admissions Officers—see InGenius Prep’s counseling programs, designed to help students ace every aspect of their college applications. [3]
Schedule a free strategy call with an advisor today and learn how your student can maximize their chances of admission into the top US schools!