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Ivy League Acceptance Rates for the Class of 2029
21/04/2025•23 minute read
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Ivy League Acceptance Rates
Historical Admissions Results
Early Admissions Results
What Ivy League Schools Look For
Crimson Education Ivy League Results
On March 27 — Ivy Day 2025 — the eight Ivy League Schools completed admissions rounds for the Class of 2029. Beyond being a day of excitement and high emotions for students around the world, Ivy Day marks an opportunity to look for practical insights into Ivy League acceptance rates and admissions trends. In this post, we highlight key admissions trends to help motivated young scholars chart their own paths to the Ivy League!
The schools in the Ivy League are some of the most selective schools in the world.
Tens of thousands of students apply every year, but only a tiny percentage actually get accepted, making a disciplined and strategic approach crucial.
With this in mind, here is a break down of key Ivy League admissions trends and insights for the Class of 2029 to help prospective applicants shape their own personalized approach for earning admission to an Ivy League school.
Ivy League Admissions Results for the Class of 2029
Two critical points are important for framing our break down of Ivy League admissions results for the Class of 2029:
- With several Ivy League institutions having adopted policies that limit or delay the release of admissions data, the insights below are based the limited data released so far, for the Class of 2029.
- Although Ivy League acceptance rates are at historical lows generally, acceptance rates rose this year. This suggests that a multi-year trend of declining acceptance rates may be levelling off, or reversing.
Let's take a look at the acceptance rates at all eight Ivy League schools, for the Class of 2029 vs. 2028, based on the available data.
Ivy League Acceptance Rates: Class of 2029 vs. 2028
| Ivies | Class of 2029 | Class of 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard | N/A | 3.6% |
| Princeton | N/A | N/A |
| Yale | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Columbia | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| UPenn | N/A | N/A |
| Brown | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Dartmouth | 6.0% | 5.3% |
| Cornell | N/A | N/A |
- Four of the eight Ivies have released overall acceptance rate data for the Class of 2029: Yale, Columbia, Brown, and Dartmouth.
- At all of the four Ivies reporting overall acceptance rates, the rate has increased slightly this year compared to last year.
- All of the Ivy League schools have experienced all-time low acceptance rates at some point during the past four years, but the Class of 2029 may mark a levelling off or initial reversal of this multi-year trend.
A Look Behind This Year's Key Trend
Here's a look at what may actually be driving some of the increased acceptance rates in this year's admissions results:
- Impact of Test-Mandatory Admissions: Most of the Ivy League schools have moved away from pandemic-era test-optional admissions. These are: Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Brown, while leaders at Yale adopted a "test-flexible" approach in 2024, to include IB and AP score options alongside the traditional SAT and ACT options. UPenn will make test scores a requirement for applicants beginning with the next admissions cycle (Class of 2030). General trends show that application volume leveled off or decreased as schools reinstated test requirements, while the test-optional Ivies continued to show increasing numbers of applicants.
- Increasing Undergraduate Class Size: Top schools are under pressure to increase undergraduate class sizes to meet high demand, which can also ease the downward trend in admissions rates. But this larger trend may have fairly isolated impacts for now. For example, Yale announced a move to increase undergraduate enrollment this admissions cycle and accepted 162 more students this year than last year. Columbia also sent out more offers this year, admitting 10% more students than last year, but this could be school leaders anticipating a lower yield rate (less students accepting offers) because of recent political turmoil on campus.
Overall Application Numbers
- Last year, Cornell and Penn had the largest number of applicants, at roughly 65,000 applicants each.
- Columbia followed with 60,000 applicants.
- Yale and Harvard each received around 55,000 applications.
- Dartmouth had the fewest applicants, receiving 31,600 applications last year.
- Several of the Ivies that were among the first to reinstate testing requirements post pandemic saw application volume decrease for the Class of 2029.
Testing Requirements & Application Numbers
The number of applications declined this year at several of the Ivy League schools that recently reinstated test requirements.
Class of 2029 year-over-year change in total applications received:
Yale: -12.6%
Brown: -12%
Dartmouth: -10.8%
Historical Ivy League Admissions Results
Although acceptance rates don't seem to be hitting new lows this year, overall Ivy League acceptance rates have been lower than ever over the last eight years.
The numbers in the chart below show just how difficult it has become to get into an Ivy League institution. Even if acceptance rates continue to increase slightly next year, they are likely to still be far lower than they were just five or six years ago.
Ivy League Acceptance Rates Over The Last 8 Years
| Class of: | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.6% | N/A |
| Princeton | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5.6% | 4.0% | 5.7% | 4.5% | 4.62% | N/A |
| Yale | 6.3% | 5.9% | 6.5% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.35% | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Columbia | 5.5% | 5.1% | 6.1% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 3.85% | 4.3% |
| UPenn | 8.4% | 7.4% | 8.1% | 5.7% | 6.5% | 5.9% | 5.4% | N/A |
| Brown | 7.2% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 5.4% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 5.7% |
| Dartmouth | 8.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% | 6.2% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 6.0% |
| Cornell | 10.3% | 10.6% | 10.7% | 8.7% | 7.26% | 7.9% | 8.41% | N/A |
Over the past eight years, Ivy League admission rates have been pushed downward by rising application numbers.
Data suggest that pandemic-era test-optional admissions policies resulted in additional increases in application volume beginning with admissions for the Class of 2025 at most schools. This trend should level off and application volumes decline as more Ivy League schools, like Dartmouth, Brown, Harvard, and Yale reinstate test score requirements, with UPenn to follow next year.
Early Admissions Results & Trends for the Ivy League
When it comes to practical insights for your own application strategy, early-round admissions results clearly indicate that applying early is a strategy worth considering.
Data released by Yale and Brown for the Class of 2029 clearly show that applying early can offer applicants a significant advantage:
| Yale | Brown | |
|---|---|---|
| # of Regular Decision Applications | 43,474 | 37,717 |
| Regular Decision Admit Rate | 3.6% | 4.0% |
| # of Early Applications | 6,754 | 5,048 |
| Early Admit Rate | 10.8% | 18.0% |
As you can see regular decision rates at Ivy League schools can be as low as 4% or less. But even at two top Ivies like Yale and Brown, early-round acceptance rates are above 10% (Yale) and can go as high as 18% (Brown).
Snapshot of Ivy League Early Admissions Results
Broader Ivy League admissions results from the last two years also provide a clear snapshot of just how much of an advantage applying early can offer.
Here's a side-by-side break down of regular decision vs. early round acceptance rates for the last two years, based on available data:
Ivy League Early Round Advantage
| Class of 2028 Regular Decision | Class of 2028 Early Round | Class of 2027 Regular Decision | Class of 2027 Early Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 2.7% | 8.74% | 2.6% | 7.5% |
| Yale | 2.9% | 9.0% | 3.5% | 10.2% |
| Columbia | 2.9% | 12.5% | 3.1% | 11.3% |
| Brown | 3.8% | 14.4% | 3.9% | 13.0% |
| Dartmouth | 3.84% | 17.0% | 4.7% | 19.2% |
When facing today's historically low admission rates at Ivy League schools, applying early is one way applicants gain a significant statistical advantage.
Most of the Ivy League schools however have Restrictive Early Action programs or binding Early Decision programs, so choosing whether or not to apply early is often not as easy as it might seem.
Be sure to check with your Crimson strategist about the pros and cons of applying early as you chart your college journey. If you're not part of the Crimson network yet, you can find out more by scheduling a free feedback session.
Impact of Trump Policies on Ivy League Admissions
Many families and students are wondering if Trump policies targeting universities will impact Ivy League admissions.
Some effects of Trump's policies are still hard to measure and anticipate, and new policies may be forthcoming. That said, here are a few of the insights we're sharing about Trump policies and the admissions landscape in the US.
Impact of Trump Policies on Ivy League Admissions
Will international students be able to study at Ivy League and other top US universities, with student visas?
Currently the number of students on student visas who have been affected by Trump immigration policies are those targeted, such as for political views. These represent an extremely small fraction of the total number of students on student visas in the US today. For now, we do not anticipate that Crimson students will be impacted by immigration policy.
Trump & Ivy League Admissions: Key Insights
Will international students be able to study at Ivy League and other top US universities, with student visas?
Currently students on student visas who have been affected by Trump immigration policies are targeted for political views and represent an extremely small fraction of the total number of students on student visas in the US today. For now, we do not anticipate that Crimson students will be impacted by this kind of immigration policy.
Will funding cuts targeting Ivy League universities impact admissions?
We believe that undergraduate admissions will not be impacted significantly, in the way graduate programs may affected by cuts to research grants. However, a decrease in the size of graduate programs could lead to potential impacts for some undergraduate students at Ivy League schools, including larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, or reduced instructional support.
Will undergraduate research opportunities be impacted?
Trump policies reducing federal spending on research and research grants could also impact some undergraduate academic research opportunities. For example, the National Institutes of Health recently announced that the 2025 Summer Internship Program has been canceled, a program that is open to both graduate and undergraduate college students. And, cuts to federal funding for graduate school research programs could mean less opportunities, less resources, and more competition for undergraduate research internships and mentorships, even at Ivy League schools.
Will Trump policies impact financial aid?
After the Supreme Court eliminated race preferences for admissions, many top universities expanded financial aid programs for the least-resourced students and families. At least for now, we don't expect that trend to change because of Trump policies or because of cuts to research funding and research grants.
What Are Ivy League Schools Looking For?
While exceptional credentials won’t hurt your application, it might come as a surprise that Ivy League universities are not looking for perfect students. They’re also not looking for well-rounded students. The application pile is filled with students who participate in everything but don’t shine at anything.
Ivy League schools are looking for people who truly stand out from the crowd — young scholars who bring exceptional academic dedication but also genuine aspirations fueled by passion and intellectual curiosity. In other words, Ivy League colleges want students who stand out as potential change leaders, innovators, trend-setters, or creatives.
“We look for students with intellectual curiosity, who have pursued and achieved academic excellence. We also look for students with strong personal and extracurricular accomplishments.”
- Princeton University Admissions
Crimson Education Ivy League Admissions Results, Class of 2025
Statistically, most students chances of getting into an Ivy League school can be quite low. These schools are so selective that even top academic performance may not be enough.
That said, hundreds of Crimson Education students from around the globe do get offers from one or more Ivy League schools each year.
In fact, Crimson Education students have smashed early and regular decision admissions records this year — including:
- 314 offers to the Ivy League
- 2,730+ offers to the US Top 50, including all eight Ivy League schools, the top 10 non-Ivies, and schools like UCLA, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Rice, NYU, Emory, and more.
- 150+ offers to the US Top 10 non-Ivies, including Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Northwestern, and the University of Chicago.
Congratulations, Students! From Crimson Strategists
About the Contributor
Arkesh Patel
Arkesh Patel is the Chief Operating Officer of Crimson Education, the world's largest and most successful university admissions consulting firm. Crimson Education has helped thousands of students gain admission into the Ivy League and top universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, MIT, and many others. Arkesh graduated from the University of Cambridge with a B.A in Chemistry (First Class Honors) and received his M.B.A with Distinction from Harvard Business School.
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