It’s no secret that Ivy League colleges are competitive. But did you know their acceptance rates are as low as 3.59%? Knowing how to get into an Ivy League takes a lot of hard work and a compelling admissions strategy. But even if you know what college admissions officers look for in an applicant, Ivy Leagues can only admit a small fraction of students.
But what does this mean exactly? Well, let’s take a quick look at some numbers. This year, Harvard received 54,008 applications, and UPenn received over 65,000 applications. The bottom line? Chances of admission to an Ivy League this year ranged from 3.59% to approximately 5.3%.
In this article, we will share each Ivy League’s overall acceptance rate, as well as their Early Decision (ED) acceptance rate, total applications received, and their undergraduate population. So if you’re interested in learning more about how many Ivy Leagues there are, what Ivy Day is, the easiest Ivy League to get into, and other Ivy League admissions statistics, you’ve come to the right place!
Ivy Day 2024
To start, what is Ivy Day? Ivy Day is the day when all eight Ivy Leagues — Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, and Yale — announce their admissions decisions for regular decision applicants. So when is Ivy League decision day? This year, Ivy Day was March 28th, and decisions were released at 7 pm EST, which means that the Ivy Day results are in!
2024 Ivy League acceptance rates
Interested in what Ivy League has the highest acceptance rate? Or the lowest? On March 28th, 2024 (Ivy Day), the eight Ivy Leagues released their acceptance rates for the Class of 2028. In the table below, you will find the acceptance rates for the Class of 2028 — as well as Ivy League acceptance rates for the Class of 2027 for comparison.
| Name of College | 2024 Acceptance Rate | 2023 Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 5.16% | 5.1% |
| Columbia | 3.85% | 3.9% |
| Cornell | TBA | ~8% |
| Dartmouth | 5.3% | 6% |
| Harvard | 3.59% | 3.4% |
| Princeton | TBA | ~4% |
| UPenn | TBA | 4.1% |
| Yale | 3.7% | 4.4% |
Source: Common Data Set 2023-24
2024 Ivy League early decision statistics
The table below lists the Early Decision (ED) and Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) statistics for the Ivy Leagues’ Class of 2028. It’s worth noting that the Ivy League with the lowest acceptance rate for both Early Decision and Regular Decision is Harvard University. Conversely, the Ivy League schools with the highest acceptance rates are Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell.
| Name of College | 2024 ED Acceptance Rate | 2023 ED Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 14.38% | 13% |
| Columbia | TBA | 11.3% |
| Cornell | TBA | Not published |
| Dartmouth | 17% | 19% |
| Harvard | 8.7% | 7.6% |
| Princeton | TBA | Not published |
| UPenn | TBA | Not published |
| Yale | 9.02% | 10% |
Source: Common Data Set 2023-24
If you’re curious about the advantages of Early Action and Early Decision, refer to our article on the topic here.
How many applications did each Ivy League receive (2024)?
Curious how many students applied to each Ivy League in 2024? In the table below, we list the total number of applicants for the 2024 admissions cycle. We also include the undergraduate population for each of the eight Ivy Leagues.
| Name of College | Number of Applicants | Undergraduate Population |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 48,881 | 7,222 |
| Columbia | 60,248 | 9,704 |
| Cornell | Not reported | 16,071 |
| Dartmouth | 31,657 | ~6,700 |
| Harvard | 54,008 | 7,063 |
| Princeton | Not reported | 5,671 |
| UPenn | 65,000+ | 10,610 |
| Yale | 57,465 | 6,536 |
Source: Common Data Set 2023-24
Key takeaways and moving forward
Now that Ivy Day has come and gone, many students will have to grapple with reasons why college applications may be rejected. Other students will have to figure out what to do if they’ve been waitlisted. But for those students who didn’t gain a spot at an Ivy League this year, don’t worry; your other college letters are not far behind.
And if you still have your heart set on attending an Ivy League, you may want to consider taking a gap year and reapplying next year or familiarizing yourself with the transfer process. In the meantime, if you feel like you could benefit from working with a professional college counselor, reach out to learn more about our services.
Subscribe to our blog
Don’t miss out on the latest college admissions trends, updates, and tips!
