U.S. News #4 · 2026
Yale University
Student size 6,758 · admission rate 3.9%
Data methodology
School-level earnings use institutional College Scorecard data, prioritizing median annual earnings 10 years after entry. Major-level earnings below use program-level College Scorecard data, measured in the fourth full year after completing the credential.
- In-state tuition / year
- $67,250
- Out-of-state or international tuition / year
- $67,250
- Tuition year
- 2025-2026
- Tuition source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Ranking source
- U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities 2026
- Earnings source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Earnings measure
- 10 years after entry median earnings
- Completion rate
- 95.7%
- Median debt
- $11,648
Tuition residency and loan estimate
U.S. colleges commonly price tuition differently for in-state and out-of-state students. This model uses four years of tuition as the loan principal and excludes room, board, scholarships, taxes, and opportunity cost. Fixed-payment formula: payment = principal x monthly rate / (1 - (1 + monthly rate)^-months).
| Annual tuition | $67,250 | |
| Four-year tuition | $269,000 | ROI percentages use this as the denominator |
| 5-year ROI | $233,665 | 87% |
| 8-year ROI | $535,264 | 199% |
| Monthly payment estimate | $2,986 | 10 years, 6% APR |
| Total interest estimate | $89,374 | Fixed-rate amortization estimate only |
Major earnings, tuition, and loan-adjusted ROI
Major-level earnings are College Scorecard program data: median annual earnings in the fourth full year after completing the credential among people who are working and not enrolled. Loan-adjusted ROI equals cumulative earnings minus estimated total loan repayment, with the percentage shown against four-year tuition.
| Major | Major earnings | Four-year tuition | Total loan repayment | 5-year ROI | 8-year ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Computer and Information Sciences, General Sample 164 · quality 4/5 | $188,157 | $269,000 | $358,374 | $582,411 217% | $1,146,882 426% |
Economics Sample 182 · quality 5/5 | $142,936 | $269,000 | $358,374 | $356,306 132% | $785,114 292% |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Sample 27 · quality 5/5 | $113,788 | $269,000 | $358,374 | $210,566 78% | $551,930 205% |
History Sample 96 · quality 4/5 | $109,947 | $269,000 | $358,374 | $191,361 71% | $521,202 194% |
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences Sample 86 · quality 3/5 | $92,646 | $269,000 | $358,374 | $104,856 39% | $382,794 142% |
Political Science and Government Sample 107 · quality 5/5 | $90,764 | $269,000 | $358,374 | $95,446 35% | $367,738 137% |
Area Studies Sample 39 · quality 3/5 | $67,230 | $269,000 | $358,374 | -$22,224 -8% | $179,466 67% |
Research and Experimental Psychology Sample 72 · quality 3/5 | $65,752 | $269,000 | $358,374 | -$29,614 -11% | $167,642 62% |
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies Sample 49 · quality 3/5 | $65,213 | $269,000 | $358,374 | -$32,309 -12% | $163,330 61% |
Psychology, General Sample N/A · quality 3/5 | $63,396 | $269,000 | $358,374 | -$41,394 -15% | $148,794 55% |
English Language and Literature, General Sample 61 · quality 3/5 | $62,440 | $269,000 | $358,374 | -$46,174 -17% | $141,146 52% |
Anthropology Sample 17 · quality 2/5 | N/A | $269,000 | $358,374 | N/A N/A | N/A N/A |