Key differences on Getting in

1
Yale's yield is 7 pts higher than Vanderbilt's
Yield rate
2
Yale admits 3.9% vs. 5.4% at Vanderbilt
Acceptance rate
3
Vanderbilt's SAT midpoint is 15 points higher than Yale's
SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Vanderbilt5.4%

Yale3.9%Most selective

Applicants

Vanderbilt48.2K

Yale57.5KMost

Admitted

Vanderbilt2.6KMost

Yale2.2K

Yield rate

Vanderbilt63%

Yale70%Highest

Quad's selectivity

VanderbiltUltra selective
YaleUltra selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

Vanderbilt5.8%

Yale3.4%

Men admitted

Vanderbilt5.9%

Yale4.5%

Test scores

SAT total,

Vanderbilt

1510–1560

Yale

1480–1560

Axis runs 1400–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Vanderbilt

34–35

Yale

33–35

Axis runs 29–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Vanderbilt24%

Yale67%

Submitted ACT

Vanderbilt28%

Yale25%

Test policy

VanderbiltTest-optional
YaleTest-optional

How they read a record

Vanderbilt
, GPA, and class rank are all very important; tests are important. 88% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.
Yale
The high school record is required; GPA and class rank are considered.

What they look at

Factor	Vanderbilt	Yale
High school GPA	Very important	Considered
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Very important	Considered
College-prep program	Required	Not considered
Recommendations	Important	Required
Essay	Very important	Required
Legacy status	Considered	Considered
Work experience	Considered	Considered
Demonstration of competencies	Not considered	Considered
English proficiency test	Required	Required
Other tests	Not considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:Vanderbilt University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;Yale University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Yale University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why