Most Ivy League universities do not publish a single graduate acceptance rate, and the 3% to 6% figures you often see are undergraduate rates. Where Ivies do publish graduate numbers, they are low: Yale’s Graduate School offered admission to 5.7% of applicants in 2025, and Brown admitted 6.5% of its doctoral and MFA applicants in 2024-25. Master’s programs are usually less selective than PhD programs, and PhD cohorts at several Ivies shrank for 2026 entry.
This guide brings together the official graduate figures each Ivy publishes, what applicants have reported to The GradCafe for every school, and what the recent PhD cuts mean if you are applying for Fall 2027.
Why undergrad acceptance rates don’t apply to grad school
An Ivy’s famous acceptance rate is almost always for first-year undergraduates. Dartmouth, for example, admitted 6.0% of undergraduate applicants for fall 2025, according to its fall 2025 fact card. That number tells you nothing about Dartmouth’s PhD in computer science or a master’s at Columbia.
Graduate admission works differently:
- Each program admits on its own. A university can run dozens of separate admissions processes, each with its own committee and cohort size.
- PhD cohorts are tiny. Many PhD programs admit only a handful of students. Harvard’s History department, for example, planned five admits for 2026-27.
- Master’s programs vary widely. Professional and self-funded master’s programs often take larger classes than funded PhD programs at the same school.
So the useful question is not “what is Yale’s acceptance rate” but “what is the acceptance rate for my program at Yale.”
Official Ivy League graduate acceptance rates
Here is what each Ivy publishes about graduate admissions, checked in November 2026:
| University | Latest official graduate figure | Admit rate |
| Yale (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences) | 1,077 offers from 18,779 applicants, 2025 (CT Insider via CPA Practice Advisor) | 5.7% |
| Brown (Graduate School, doctoral and MFA) | 721 admitted from 11,141 applications, 2024-25 (Brown) | 6.5% (PhD only: 7%) |
| Harvard (Griffin GSAS) | 25,240 applications for fall 2024; 1,138 PhD admits the year before (Harvard Gazette) | Not published |
| Princeton (Graduate School) | 19,931 applicants in 2024-25 (Princeton Alumni Weekly); admits in downloadable program metrics | Not stated in text |
| Cornell (Graduate School) | Field-by-field doctoral program dashboards | By field only |
| Columbia | No university-wide graduate figure published | Not published |
| Penn | No university-wide graduate figure published | Not published |
| Dartmouth | No graduate figure in its fact card | Not published |
Two things are clear from what is published. Arts and sciences graduate admission at the Ivies runs at roughly 5% to 7% where we can measure it. And for every Ivy, program-level data is the number that matters: Yale, Princeton and Cornell all publish it by program, so check those dashboards for your field.
Ivy League acceptance rates reported on The GradCafe
The GradCafe collects decisions that applicants report themselves. That gives you something no university publishes in one place: a view across all the Ivies, with GPAs attached.
| University | Reported admit share | Results reported | Avg reported UGPA |
| Princeton | 22.1% | 12,927 | 3.83 |
| Yale | 22.7% | 13,603 | 3.80 |
| Brown | 22.8% | 9,991 | 3.78 |
| Harvard | 27.2% | 17,185 | 3.81 |
| Dartmouth | 30.4% | 1,868 | 3.69 |
| Cornell | 31.2% | 14,365 | 3.78 |
| Columbia | 40.3% | 13,703 | 3.76 |
All figures checked live on November 10, 2026.
These are not official acceptance rates. Admitted applicants are more likely to report their result than rejected ones, so reported shares run far higher than the real rates. Yale shows 22.7% here against an official 5.7%. Use this table to compare schools with each other and to read individual reports, not as your odds.
What the table does show:
- Princeton, Yale and Brown look the most selective among GradCafe reporters, all near 22%.
- Columbia looks the least selective, at 40.3%. Its most-reported programs include Computer Science, Data Science and Statistics, where large master’s programs are common. That mix pulls the share up.
- GPA barely changes from school to school. Reported averages sit between 3.69 and 3.83. At this level, research, letters and fit with a program decide most outcomes, not a tenth of a GPA point.
PhD vs master’s: which is harder to get into?
At the Ivies, funded PhD programs are almost always harder to get into than master’s programs. PhD students receive tuition, a stipend and health insurance for five or six years, so each admit is a large financial commitment. Departments keep cohorts small as a result.
Master’s programs, especially professional and self-funded ones, can admit more students because tuition helps pay for the program. That is one reason Columbia, with many large master’s programs, shows a higher reported admit share.
If you are deciding between applying for a master’s or a PhD, read our guide to fully funded PhD programs and compare what a funded offer actually includes in PhD stipends by university.
Why Ivy League PhD admissions got tighter for 2026
Several Ivies cut PhD admissions in the last two cycles, citing federal research funding cuts and a higher federal tax on large endowments. What was reported:
| University | What changed | When |
| Harvard (FAS) | PhD slots cut by roughly half across divisions, after larger proposed cuts were scaled back (The Crimson). History planned 5 admits, down from 13 (The Crimson) | 2026 entry; FAS said in May 2026 it plans to admit more next cycle |
| Yale (Graduate School) | Smaller PhD cohorts: about 13% fewer in humanities and social sciences, about 5% fewer in sciences and engineering | From 2026-27, over three years |
| Princeton | “Modest reduction” in most programs; Astrophysical Sciences targeted 6 new students, down from 7 (The Daily Princetonian) | 2026 entry |
| Penn (Arts and Sciences) | PhD admissions cut by one-third in 2025, then a “modest increase” for the 2026 cycle (The Daily Pennsylvanian) | 2025 cut, partial restore for 2026 |
What this means for Fall 2027 applicants: expect PhD cohorts at Yale to stay smaller, and check each department’s page for its current plans. Harvard and Penn have signaled partial recovery, but neither has returned to earlier cohort sizes. The practical response is to apply to a broader list. Our guide on how many grad schools to apply to explains how to balance reach and target programs.
Which Ivy League school is easiest to get into for grad school?
There is no honest single answer, because selectivity depends on the program far more than the university. A master’s program at one Ivy can be easier to enter than a PhD at a much less famous school, and the reverse.
A better way to find your realistic options:
- Look at your field, not the brand. Check program-level statistics on the Yale, Princeton and Cornell dashboards linked above, and the department’s own page.
- Read reports for your program. Open the school’s results page on The GradCafe and look at the latest decisions for your field, with GPAs and dates.
- Weigh fit over prestige. For PhD programs, an advisor whose research matches yours matters more than the university’s name. Before applying, read how to email a professor about a PhD.
What GPA do you need for Ivy League grad school?
None of the Ivies sets a university-wide minimum GPA for graduate admission. Applicants who report Ivy results to The GradCafe average between 3.69 and 3.83. For school-level detail, see Harvard GPA requirements, and if your GPA is lower than you would like, read how to get into grad school with a low GPA.
For the full application process (documents, tests and timing), see our guide on how to get into Ivy League grad school.
FAQ
What is the acceptance rate for Ivy League grad schools?
Most Ivies do not publish one graduate-wide rate. Where they do, rates are low: Yale’s Graduate School admitted 5.7% of applicants in 2025, and Brown admitted 6.5% of doctoral and MFA applicants in 2024-25. Rates for individual programs can be much higher or lower.
Is it easier to get into an Ivy League school for grad school than undergrad?
Not necessarily. Ivy arts and sciences graduate programs that publish data admit about 5% to 7% of applicants, similar to undergraduate rates. Some master’s programs admit a larger share, but funded PhD programs are often at least as selective as undergraduate admission.
Which Ivy League has the highest graduate acceptance rate?
Among GradCafe reporters, Columbia shows the highest admit share (40.3%), likely because many of its reports come from large master’s programs. This is self-reported data, not an official rate, so check the program you are applying to.
What is the Harvard grad school acceptance rate?
Harvard does not publish an overall graduate acceptance rate. Its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences received 25,240 applications for fall 2024, and its Faculty of Arts and Sciences cut PhD admissions by roughly half for 2026 entry. GradCafe users report a 27.2% admit share, which runs well above the real rate.
Did Ivy League schools reduce PhD admissions?
Yes. Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Penn all reported smaller PhD cohorts for 2025 or 2026 entry, citing federal funding cuts or the higher endowment tax. Harvard and Penn have since signaled partial increases.
Check the numbers for your program
An Ivy’s overall rate is a starting point. Your real odds depend on your program, your research fit and your letters.
Start with the results pages for the schools on your list: Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Yale, Princeton and Brown. Compare the GPAs and timelines people reported. Already applied? Read when grad school decisions come out, talk with other applicants on the GradCafe forum, and when you hear back, submit your result so the next applicant has better data.
GradCafe figures are self-reported by applicants and are not official university statistics. Official figures come from the sources linked in each table. Always confirm program details with the program’s own admissions page.
