Yield Rates for the Class of 2026
After many colleges reported all-time low acceptance rates, some students might be curious about their yield rates, or just how many of these admitted applicants have chosen to enroll. Yield is a priority for every college because it impacts their place on rankings lists and it can also influence their bond ratings.
As a result, many universities have aimed to improve their yield rates over recent years by utilizing strategies and techniques, like demonstrated interest, to ensure students are serious about applying to their school. Keep reading to learn more about the yield rates at various colleges for the class of 2026.
Learn What Yield Rates Look Like for the Class of 2026
When reviewing yield rates, it’s important to also pay attention to what we don’t see right away. Namely, many colleges take months to release their yield rates because they are still crunching the numbers and admitting students off of their waitlists to round out their freshmen class. Given all of the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to the admissions process, many schools also have longer waitlists than they did during previous years.
| School | Yield Rate | Admit Rate |
| Amherst College | ~45.08% | 7% |
| Babson College | 39.19% | 22% |
| Barnard College | 66.02% | 9% |
| Bates College | 46.1% | 13.7% |
| Boston College | 34.60% | 16.66% |
| Bowdoin College | 59.28% | 9.13% |
| Brown University | 67.15% | 5.05% |
| Bucknell University | 27.47% | 32.56% |
| Carleton College | 37.78% | 16.5% |
| Colgate University | 32.05% | 12.34% |
| College of William and Mary | 27.53% | 33.00% |
| Colorado College | 41.83% | 11.6% |
| Dartmouth College | 63.72% | 6.24% |
| Davidson College | 49.82% | 16.93% |
| Duke University | 56.40% | 6.17% |
| Emory University | 35.13% | 15.82% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 43.31% | 17.00% |
| Grinnell College | 41.1% | 9.2% |
| Hamilton College | 41.22% | 11.79% |
| Harvard University | 83% | 3.24% |
| Haverford College | 45.15% | 14.21% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 54.42% | 6.48% |
| Lehigh University | 27.24% | 36.32% |
| Middlebury College | 38.87% | 14.06% |
| MIT | 84.97% | 3.96% |
| Notre Dame | 60.17% | 12.87% |
| Pomona College | 55.14% | 7.02% |
| Rice University | 44.96% | 8.56% |
| Swarthmore College | 42.61% | 6.95% |
| Trinity College | 18.43% | 31.00% |
| Tufts University | 50.22% | 9.69% |
| Tulane University | 52% | 8.5% |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 50.31% | 8.57% |
| University of Chicago | 84.71% | 5.44% |
| University of Georgia | 37% | 42% |
| University of Richmond | 24.31% | 24.37% |
| University of Southern California | 41.72% | 11.88% |
| University of Virginia | 42.01% | 18.68% |
| Washington and Lee University | 38.89% | 17.00% |
| Washington University, St. Louis | 49.36% | 11.33% |
| Wellesley College | 50.78% | 13.24% |
| Wesleyan University | 35.91% | 14.44% |
| William & Mary | 27.10% | 33.5% |
| Yale University | 69.70% | 4.47% |
Yield is an important metric for students and families to consider because it can impact college admissions decisions. College admissions officers are likely to continue to assess demonstrated interest, which is why it is so important for applicants to do their research and clearly articulate why their best-fit college is truly the right choice for them.
For over a decade, yield rates have overall declined, particularly as students continue to apply to a greater number of colleges. During this last year, many top schools received more applications than ever before, meaning yield rates are likely to remain hard to predict. Waitlists for the class of 2026 were also longer, so some applicants may have only recently decided where they wanted to enroll.
If you’re getting ready to apply to college and looking for clarification and guidance throughout the process, our team of college admissions experts can support you throughout your entire journey.
