Virginia vs Yale - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Yale admits 4.7% of applicants, while Virginia admits 16.8%.
The larger international cohort belongs to Yale: 10.6% of students against 4.9% (Virginia).
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Yale reports aid for international students ($84,185 on average), Virginia does not.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Yale starts at $98,900 against $80,859 and ends at $24,547 against $43,736 (Virginia).
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Yale is the more selective of the two (4.7% vs 16.81% acceptance). Yale ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#201-300 vs #11). Yale graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($101K vs $87K). Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($62,923 vs $72,500 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Virginia for: lower tuition.
Choose Yale for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Yale is more selective (4.7% vs 16.81% acceptance); Yale has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Yale graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($101K vs $87K); Yale has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.7% vs 95.6%).
Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($62,923 vs $72,500); Yale offers a larger average aid package ($74,353 vs $37,123).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Virginia | Yale |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #201-300 | #11 |
| Rank · THE | - | #10 |
| Acceptance rate | 16.81% | 4.7% |
| Yield rate | 40% | 68.4% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 58,951 | 50,264 |
| International students | 4.9% | 10.6% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $87K | $101K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $59K | $66K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $130K | $194K |
| Graduation rate | 95.6% | 95.7% |
| Retention rate | 97.9% | 99.4% |
| Median debt | $17,500 | $12,975 |
| Tuition · year | $62,923 | $72,500 |
| Avg. aid package | $37,123 | $74,353 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $25,137 | $22,185 |
| Application fee | $75 | $80 |
| Enrollment | 26,470 | 15,657 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Virginia or Yale?
It's harder to get into Yale. Virginia accepts 16.81% of applicants, while Yale accepts 4.7%.
Do Virginia or Yale graduates earn more?
Yale graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $101K vs $87K.
How much is tuition at Virginia vs Yale?
Sticker-price tuition is $62,923 per year at Virginia and $72,500 per year at Yale.
What SAT score do you need for Virginia or Yale?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Virginia and 1540 at Yale; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Virginia or Yale?
Yale ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #201-300 for Virginia vs #11 for Yale.
Which university offers more financial aid - Virginia or Yale?
The average aid package is $37,123 at Virginia and $74,353 at Yale.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern
North Carolina