About Yale University
Yale University is a prestigious private research institution and is part of the Ivy League. It is the third-oldest university in the United States.
The university was founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School in Saybrook, Connecticut, and moved to New Haven 15 years later. In 1718, it was renamed Yale College in honor of Elihu Yale, a Welsh benefactor. It was the first U.S. university to grant a Ph.D. in 1861.
Yale’s main campus spans 260 acres in New Haven and features buildings dating back to the mid-18th century.
The university is composed of 14 schools, with a liberal arts curriculum that covers a wide range of subjects, including humanities, arts, sciences, and social sciences. Students can choose their major after studying a broad spectrum of subjects. Additionally, Yale places a strong emphasis on writing, quantitative reasoning, and foreign languages.
What sets Yale apart is its unique system of residential colleges, inspired by Oxford and Cambridge. Students are housed in one of the 12 historic colleges, and two more colleges have been under construction since 2014.
About 20% of Yale’s students come from outside the U.S., and more than half of undergraduates receive financial assistance through scholarships or grants from the university.
Yale has an endowment worth over $25 billion, making it the second-richest educational institution globally. Its library holds more than 15 million volumes, making it the third-largest library in the U.S.
The university’s mascot is the Bulldog, and its alumni have had remarkable careers in various fields, including politics, arts, and science. Notable alumni include four signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, five U.S. presidents, and twenty Nobel laureates, such as economist Paul Krugman. Other famous graduates include Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and actress Meryl Streep.
Some of Yale’s most iconic buildings include the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the Peabody Museum of Natural History, and the Sterling Memorial Library.
New Haven, with a population of about 130,000, is conveniently located about two and a half hours south of Boston and an hour and a half north of New York City. The city offers many shops, restaurants, museums, and is close to beaches, hiking trails, and historic landmarks.
Yale University Rankings:
- World University Rankings 2025: 10th
- Arts and Humanities: 10th
- Business and Economics: 11th
- Clinical Health: 6th
- Computer Science: 24th
- Engineering: 18th
- Law: 9th
- Life Sciences: 6th
- Physical Sciences: 12th
- Psychology: 7th
- Social Science: 11th
Yale’s ranking scores in the World University Rankings 2025 are:
- Overall: 94.1
- Teaching: 93.7
- Research Environment: 95
- Research Quality: 97.8
- Industry: 86.5
- International Outlook: 82.3
Key Student Stats at Yale:
- Gender Ratio: 53% Female, 47% Male
- International Students: 22%
- Students per Faculty: 6.2
- Total Student Population: 14,401
Yale Subjects Offered:
- Arts & Humanities: Archaeology, Architecture, Art, Performing Arts, Design, History, Philosophy, Theology, Languages, Literature, Linguistics
- Business & Economics: Accounting, Finance, Business Management, Economics, Econometrics
- Computer Science
- Engineering: Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering
- Law
- Life Sciences: Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Medicine, Health
- Physical Sciences: Chemistry, Geology, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Astronomy
- Psychology
- Social Sciences: Politics, International Studies, Sociology