Top 3 Insights on College Acceptance Rates for Class of 2029 Trends

Class of 2029 Acceptance Rates Takeaways:

• Ivy's Acceptances are Up

•  Top 35 Non Ivy's Acceptances are Falling

• Public University Rates are Falling

Colleges have begun releasing admissions data for the Class of 2029. The trend of increasing numbers of applications continues, with many schools seeing both a record-high number of applicants and lower acceptance rates. Adding to the confusion, more universities are withholding admissions data (particularly Early Decision stats) until fall, including Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, and Stanford. The standout takeaway for the class of 2029 is that Ivy League schools have actually increased their acceptance rates, while the other Top 50 colleges have continued to report decreased acceptance rates. Keep in mind the Ivy acceptance rates are still generally below 7%.  It seems that students are endeavoring to improve their acceptance odds by applying to non Ivy Top 50 universities as well as public universities that have competitive programs within their major.

NYU, for instance, announced 120,000+ applications for the Class of 2029, which is believed to be the highest number of applications ever received by any U.S. private university. Some of these universities are reporting acceptance rates as low as the Ivy’s.

Another interesting trend is the number of public universities, including University of Florida, and the UC Universities reporting record numbers of applicants and acceptance rates falling below 20%.

At Essential College Coaches, we pride ourselves on consistently beating the acceptance odds for some very specific reasons. First, we help our students create a balanced college list that is the RIGHT fit for you. You are a unique applicant and we build your college list around your specific set of priorities. Second, we help you create an application strategy, analyzing if Early Decision or Early Action applications will improve your admissions chances. Finally, we ensure your college applications highlight your unique qualities, talents and accomplishments to maximize your acceptance and scholarship offers.

Below is Acceptance Trend Data from some of the most competitive colleges:

School	Class of 2029	Class of 2028	Class of 2027
Brown University	5.65%	5.15%	5.09%
Columbia University	4.29%	3.86%	4.00%
Dartmouth College	6.03%	5.40%	6.23%
Yale University	4.60%	3.87%	4.50%
MIT	4.52%	4.55%	4.80%
Vanderbilt University	4.70%	5.86%	6.28%
Duke University	4.80%	5.40%	5.99%
Northwestern University	~7.00%	7.60%	7.22%
Rice University	7.75%	8.00%	7.88%
New York University	7.70%	9.23%	9.41%
University of Southern California	10.40%	9.80%	10.01%
Tufts University	10.50%	11.53%	10.13%
University of Notre Dame	9.00%	11.27%	12.38%
Georgetown University	12.00%	12.91%	13.08%
Georgia Institute of Technology	12.74%	14.07%	16.46%
Emory University	~9.6%	10.29%	10.65%
Boston College	12.6%	15.87%	15.65%
University of Virginia (out-of-state)	12.5%	13.83%	13.18%
Swarthmore College	7.43%	7.46%	6.93%
William & Mary	36.33%	34.09%	37.72%
Wellesley College	13.70%	14.06%	13.91%
University of Georgia	32.90%	~37.36%	37.19%
Oberlin College	34.00%	34.30%	32.98%