Universities, Colleges Where Students Are Eager to Enroll
As students apply to their dream schools, acceptance is almost too good to pass up.
That's reflected at a number of highly competitive colleges where the majority of admitted students enrolled in fall 2019. Yield, which refers to the percentage of accepted students who enroll, was above 80% at a few of the nation's top schools, according to data submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey.
Harvard University in Massachusetts and Stanford University in California both boasted a yield of 82%, the highest among National Universities, schools that are often research-focused and offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well master's and doctoral degrees.
U.S. News data shows that Harvard accepted only 5% of applicants in fall 2019, making it one of the most selective colleges in the country, compared with a national average acceptance rate of 68% among all ranked schools that supplied this data in the U.S. News Best Colleges survey. Only Stanford had a lower fall 2019 acceptance rate at 4%.
[Read: How to Identify Safety Schools in College Admissions.]
The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado had the highest yield among National Liberal Arts Colleges, schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts. At 99%, the Air Force Academy tops all ranked National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges that submitted yield data to U.S. News.
Like other top colleges, the Air Force Academy had a low acceptance rate in fall 2019: 11%.
Three liberal arts colleges with high yield figures -- the Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy in New York and the United States Naval Academy in Maryland -- provide a tuition-free education, easing the financial burden on students and their families as the cost of higher education continues to rise across the nation.
[Read: What You Need to Know About College Tuition Costs.]
Acceptance rates vary at institutions that have yield rates of 50% or higher. Per U.S. News data, among all ranked colleges and universities, only 21 had an acceptance rate below 10%, including many of the schools that appear below.
Others on this list are less selective, such as Keiser University in Florida, which accepted 85% of applicants, and the University of Texas--Rio Grande Valley, which reported an 80% acceptance rate.
The colleges and universities listed in the tables below reported a minimum yield of 50% for fall 2019. The rate can be affected by students' early decision or early action options, since some of those programs bind students to attend if accepted. This data reflects first-time, first-year, degree-seeking students only.
National Universities Where Most Accepted Students Enroll
SCHOOL (STATE) | STUDENTS ACCEPTED | STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED IN FALL 2019 | Yield |
2,009 | 1,649 | 82% | |
2,062 | 1,701 | 82% | |
7,086 | 5,731 | 81% | |
2,137 | 1,726 | 81% | |
1,427 | 1,102 | 77% | |
1,125 | 804 | 71% | |
1,895 | 1,335 | 70% | |
3,446 | 2,400 | 70% | |
2,241 | 1,550 | 69% | |
1,875 | 1,193 | 64% | |
292 | 183 | 63% | |
2,245 | 1,392 | 62% | |
2,733 | 1,662 | 61% | |
2,924 | 1,790 | 61% | |
919 | 559 | 61% | |
5,330 | 3,189 | 60% | |
3,515 | 2,051 | 58% | |
7,549 | 4,252 | 56% | |
8,523 | 4,793 | 56% | |
11,803 | 6,533 | 55% | |
3,673 | 2,006 | 55% | |
3,190 | 1,730 | 54% | |
426 | 212 | 50% |
National Liberal Arts Colleges Where Most Accepted Students Enroll
SCHOOL NAME (STATE) | STUDENTS ACCEPTED | STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED IN FALL 2019 | YIELD |
1,147 | 1,132 | 99% | |
1,199 | 1,171 | 98% | |
1,362 | 1,164 | 85% | |
161 | 117 | 73% | |
595 | 413 | 69% | |
96 | 66 | 69% | |
1,027 | 632 | 62% | |
303 | 184 | 61% | |
845 | 499 | 59% | |
770 | 416 | 54% | |
202 | 108 | 53% | |
902 | 482 | 53% | |
625 | 328 | 52% | |
998 | 499 | 50% |
The acceptance and yield data above are correct as of Jan. 25, 2021. For additional admissions data, complete rankings and much more, access the U.S. News College Compass.
