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Is Yale University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Yale, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Affordable
Yale lands in the affordable band for a typical family. Graduates earn a median of $118,356 ten years after enrolling, and that makes the median debt of $11,982 more manageable than it looks at first glance. For context, Yale's net price is about 14% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. On the numbers alone, this school clears the bar comfortably.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$26,044
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $3,207 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $13,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
Graduation and earnings data create a stronger long-run payoff picture.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$11,340
Median earnings 10 years out
$118,356
Median debt at graduation
$11,982
Graduation rate
96%
At Yale, a typical graduate carries about $11,982 in student debt and earns roughly $118,356 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $136 per month, or 1% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $76,556 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
91% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Yale is a private nonprofit four year school in New Haven, CT. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Central Christian College of the Bible
Moberly, MO
Worth-It Score: 56/100
Median net price: $11,336
Private nonprofit 4-year
Wheeling
Wheeling, WV
Worth-It Score: 63/100
Median net price: $11,350
Private nonprofit 4-year
Rice
Houston, TX
Worth-It Score: 93/100
Median net price: $11,164
Private nonprofit 4-year
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German
San German, PR
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $11,050
Private nonprofit 4-year
Union Commonwealth
Barbourville, KY
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $11,010
Common questions about Yale
The median net price at Yale is $11,340 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Connecticut? See the most affordable private colleges in Connecticut →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Yale in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$22,408a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →