College admissions are shaped by intense competition at selective universities, even as applicant pools keep growing. Harvard’s 2028 intake reflects how acceptance rates can shift year to year, while national trends such as rising undergraduate applications provide more context for the challenge. This page also examines standardized-test ranges, enrollment “yield,” and how college participation varies across demographics and higher-ed access.
Key Takeaways
- Harvard University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 3.59%, down from 3.41% the previous year
- Stanford University's acceptance rate for fall 2023 was 3.91%, with 2,075 students admitted out of 52,937 applicants
- Yale University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 4.46%, admitting 2,308 students from 57,465 applicants
- Total undergraduate applications to U.S. colleges rose 5% to 19.3 million for fall 2023
- Common App reported 7.1 million applications for 2023-2024 cycle, up 6% from prior year
- Applications to selective colleges increased 10% YoY for Class of 2027, per CDS data
- 43% of White high school graduates enrolled in college in 2022 vs 37% Black
- Hispanic/Latino students made up 26% of college enrollees in fall 2022
- Women comprised 58% of total undergraduate enrollment in 2022
- Average SAT score for Harvard admits Class of 2027: 1520-1580
- Stanford middle 50% SAT for Class of 2027: 1500-1570, ACT 33-35
- Yale admits average SAT 1510-1580 for enrolled Class of 2026
- Yield rate for Harvard Class of 2027 was 82.3%
- Stanford yield for Class of 2027: 78.4%
- Yale yield rate Class of 2027: 71%, up from prior years
Elite acceptance rates stayed near 4%, while U.S. applications climbed and yields remained very high.
Related reading
01 · Category
Acceptance Rates30 stats
01
Harvard University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 3.59%, down from 3.41% the previous year
02
Stanford University's acceptance rate for fall 2023 was 3.91%, with 2,075 students admitted out of 52,937 applicants
03
Yale University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 4.46%, admitting 2,308 students from 57,465 applicants
04
Princeton University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 stood at 4.5%, with 1,782 admits from 39,644 applicants
05
MIT's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 4.8%, offering admission to 1,291 out of 26,914 applicants
06
Columbia University's early decision acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 11.3%, compared to overall 3.85%
07
University of Chicago's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 5.4%, admitting 2,273 from 42,000 applicants
08
Duke University's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 5.1%, with 2,766 admits from 54,000+ applicants
09
Caltech's acceptance rate for freshmen Class of 2028 was 2.7%, lowest in its history
10
University of Pennsylvania's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 5.8%, admitting ~3,400 from 58,000+ applicants
11
For the 2023-2024 cycle, UCLA's acceptance rate was 8.7% for California residents and 8.6% for non-residents
12
UC Berkeley's overall acceptance rate for fall 2023 was 11.6%, with 13,558 admits from 117,369 applicants
13
NYU's acceptance rate for Class of 2027 was 12.5%, dropping to around 8% for Class of 2028 estimates
14
USC's acceptance rate for fall 2023 was 9.8%, admitting 8,084 from 82,682 applicants
15
Georgetown University's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 12%, with 1,600 admits from 13,000+ early applicants alone
16
Vanderbilt University's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 4.7%, lowest ever recorded
17
Northwestern University's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 7%, admitting 3,574 from 51,000 applicants
18
Johns Hopkins University's acceptance rate for Class of 2029 was 6.2%
19
Dartmouth College's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 5.3%, with 1,685 admits
20
Brown University's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 5.2%, admitting 2,521 from 48,881 applicants
21
Cornell University's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 varied by college, overall ~7.5%
22
University of Michigan's in-state acceptance rate for fall 2023 was 17.7%, out-of-state 18.2%
23
University of Virginia's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 16.8% for in-state, 12.5% out-of-state
24
William & Mary's acceptance rate for 2023 was 33%
25
Amherst College's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 7.3%
26
Williams College's acceptance rate for recent cycles hovers at 8-9%
27
Swarthmore College's acceptance rate for Class of 2027 was 6.8%
28
Pomona College's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 6.9%
29
Bowdoin College's acceptance rate was 8.1% for recent class
30
Middlebury College's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 9.4%
Interpretation
Acceptance Rates Interpretation
Across these top schools, acceptance rates remain extremely low in the overall pool, hovering around 3.59% to 4.8% for classes like Harvard’s 3.59% and MIT’s 4.8%, while early decision can jump sharply such as Columbia’s 11.3% for Class of 2028.
02 · Category
Application Numbers26 stats
01
Total undergraduate applications to U.S. colleges rose 5% to 19.3 million for fall 2023
02
Common App reported 7.1 million applications for 2023-2024 cycle, up 6% from prior year
03
Applications to selective colleges increased 10% YoY for Class of 2027, per CDS data
04
Harvard received 54,008 applications for Class of 2028, up from 52,250 prior year
05
Stanford saw 52,937 applications for Class of 2028, a record high
06
Yale had 57,465 applications for Class of 2028, increase of 10% from 2027
07
Princeton applications dropped 4% to 39,644 for Class of 2028 post-test optional
08
MIT applications rose to 26,914 for Class of 2028, up 5%
09
Columbia received over 60,000 applications for Class of 2028
10
UChicago applications hit 42,000 for Class of 2028, steady rise
11
Duke applications exceeded 54,000 for Class of 2028, up 7%
12
Caltech applications increased to 15,500+ for Class of 2028
13
UPenn saw 65,230 applications for Class of 2028, record
14
UCLA received 117,369 freshman applications for fall 2023
15
UC Berkeley had 126,718 applications for fall 2023, down slightly
16
NYU applications reached 118,000 for Class of 2027
17
USC freshman applications totaled 82,682 for fall 2023, up 6%
18
Applications to HBCUs rose 12% in 2023, per UNCF data
19
Community college applications surged 20% post-pandemic in 2023
20
Early decision applications increased 15% at top schools for 2024 cycle
21
Test-optional policies led to 20% application increase at selective privates 2020-2023
22
International applications to U.S. colleges up 7% to 1.5 million in 2023
23
Women submitted 58% of applications to four-year colleges in 2023
24
First-gen applicants grew 10% in Common App 2023-24
25
Legacy applicants comprised 5-15% of admits at Ivies pre-2023
26
In fall 2022, 58% of U.S. high school graduates enrolled in college immediately
Interpretation
Application Numbers Interpretation
Under the application numbers lens, the 2023 to 2024 admissions season shows clear momentum, with total U.S. undergraduate applications reaching 19.3 million and Common App volume rising 6% to 7.1 million while selective colleges and top schools saw double digit gains like Yale’s 57,465 applications for the Class of 2028.
03 · Category
Demographic Breakdowns21 stats
01
43% of White high school graduates enrolled in college in 2022 vs 37% Black
02
Hispanic/Latino students made up 26% of college enrollees in fall 2022
03
Women comprised 58% of total undergraduate enrollment in 2022
04
Asian students were 7% of enrollment but 25% at top national universities
05
Black students represented 13% of undergraduates in 2022
06
First-generation college students were 56% of the applicant pool in Common App 2023
07
Pell Grant recipients make up 30% of undergraduates but vary by institution
08
At Harvard Class of 2027, 20.8% Asian American, 14.1% Hispanic/Latino
09
Stanford Class of 2027: 25% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 11% Black
10
Yale Class of 2027: 24% Asian, 18% Hispanic/Latino, 10% Black/African American
11
52% of Princeton Class of 2027 identified as students of color
12
MIT Class of 2027: 40% underrepresented minorities or first-gen
13
At elite colleges, legacy admits are 43% white vs 16% for non-legacies
14
International students were 5% of U.S. undergrad enrollment in 2022/23
15
Rural students underrepresented at 15% of enrollment vs 19% population
16
LGBTQ+ students self-report at 20% in higher ed surveys 2023
17
Disabled students comprise 20% of college population but lower graduation
18
Adult learners (25+) were 38% of enrollment in fall 2022
19
In-state students at public flagships average 70% of enrollment
20
Veteran enrollment in college steady at 4.5% or 800,000 students
21
Homeschooled applicants up 10x since 2000, now 3-5% of admits
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
Within the Demographic Breakdowns, college access and representation vary sharply by group, with 43% of White high school graduates enrolling in college in 2022 compared with 37% of Black students, while first-generation applicants made up 56% of the Common App pool in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Test Score Statistics23 stats
01
Average SAT score for Harvard admits Class of 2027: 1520-1580
02
Stanford middle 50% SAT for Class of 2027: 1500-1570, ACT 33-35
03
Yale admits average SAT 1510-1580 for enrolled Class of 2026
04
Princeton enrolled students SAT middle 50%: 1500-1570
05
MIT admits Class of 2027 SAT average 1570+, ACT 35-36
06
Columbia test scores for top 25%: SAT 1570+
07
UChicago average SAT for admits: 1510-1580
08
Duke middle 50% SAT: 1510-1570, ACT 34-35
09
Caltech SAT middle 50%: 1530-1580
10
UPenn enrolled SAT average 1510-1570
11
UCLA average SAT for admits: 1370-1540
12
UC Berkeley SAT 25th-75th: 1330-1530 for fall 2021 test submitters
13
Average ACT for top colleges rose to 34 post-2020
14
1.9 million took SAT in 2023, average score 1028, down from 1050
15
SAT scores for Black students averaged 908 in 2023, Asian 1223
16
55% of test submitters at test-optional schools had SAT 1400+
17
AP exam participation up 5% to 5.7 million in 2023
18
IB Diploma pass rate 80% globally in 2023, U.S. 84%
19
Average GPA of college admits at selective schools 4.0+ weighted
20
80% of Ivies reinstated testing requirements for 2025-26
21
ACT average for National Merit Scholars: 33+
22
SAT superscoring used by 80% of colleges, boosting averages 20-30 points
23
Homeschooled SAT averages 1190 vs public school 1060 in 2023
Interpretation
Test Score Statistics Interpretation
Test score data for these selective schools shows a consistently high band with SATs mostly clustering around the 1500s, such as Harvard at 1520 to 1580 and Princeton with a middle 50% of 1500 to 1570, while the very top ends reach ACT 35 to 36 or SAT 1570+ at MIT and Columbia, underscoring that strong test performance is a common and escalating signal across the admissions landscape.
05 · Category
Yield And Enrollment Rates22 stats
01
Yield rate for Harvard Class of 2027 was 82.3%
02
Stanford yield for Class of 2027: 78.4%
03
Yale yield rate Class of 2027: 71%, up from prior years
04
Princeton yield for Class of 2027: 81%, highest among peers
05
MIT yield Class of 2027: 80%
06
Columbia yield rate: 61% for Class of 2027
07
UChicago yield: 68% Class of 2027
08
Duke yield: 70% for Class of 2027
09
Caltech yield: 85% for recent classes
10
UPenn yield: 70% Class of 2027
11
National average yield rate for four-year colleges: 38% in 2023
12
UCLA freshman enrollment 9,312 for fall 2023 from 13,558 admits, yield ~69%
13
UC Berkeley enrollment 6,719 freshmen, yield 52% from admits
14
Total U.S. college enrollment fell 15% since 2010 to 15.4 million in 2023
15
Public four-year enrollment down 8% from 2019 peak
16
Early decision yield averages 90%+ at binding schools
17
Community college enrollment 5.6 million in fall 2023, down 5%
18
Transfer enrollment up 4% to 2.1 million in 2023
19
Full-time enrollment share 62% of total undergrads
20
Online enrollment grew to 3.5 million undergrads in 2023
21
International student enrollment 1.06 million in 2023/24, up 7%
22
Men now 41% of enrollment, down from 47% in 2010
Interpretation
Yield And Enrollment Rates Interpretation
In the Yield And Enrollment Rates category, top schools show consistently strong commitment rates with Harvard at 82.3%, Stanford at 78.4%, Princeton at 81%, and MIT at 80%, while Columbia stands out much lower at 61% and Yale climbs to 71% for the Class of 2027.
report visual · Key figures
Acceptance rates across top colleges (Class of 2028 and select cycles)
Very low acceptance rates at many elite schools, with noticeably higher rates for early-decision and some peer institutions.
3.59%
Harvard University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 3.59%, down from 3.41% the previous year
4.46%
Yale University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 4.46%, admitting 2,308 students from 57,465 applicants
4.5%
Princeton University's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 stood at 4.5%, with 1,782 admits from 39,644 applicants
4.8%
MIT's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was 4.8%, offering admission to 1,291 out of 26,914 applicants
3.91%
Stanford University's acceptance rate for fall 2023 was 3.91%, with 2,075 students admitted out of 52,937 applicants
5.4%
University of Chicago's acceptance rate for Class of 2028 was 5.4%, admitting 2,273 from 42,000 applicants
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). College Admissions Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/college-admissions-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "College Admissions Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/college-admissions-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "College Admissions Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/college-admissions-statistics.
Sources & references
63 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level