Metrics That Matter: Admit Rates, Yield Rates, and Retention Rates
College Admissions Metrics: A Quick Guide.
The college search: It's not just about picking a major, it's about learning new vocabulary! Admit rates, yield rates, retention rates – suddenly you need a dictionary and a calculator. Luckily, I’m here to translate. This article breaks down the college admission jargon related to metrics and why these key metrics matter.
Admit Rate: How Selective is the College?
The admit rate, also known as the acceptance rate, represents the percentage of applicants offered admission. It's calculated as: (Number of Admitted Students / Number of Applicants) * 100. A lower admit rate indicates a more selective institution. For example, a college receiving 10,000 applications and admitting 1,000 students has a 10% admit rate – meaning only 1 in 10 applicants gets an offer.
My friends over at College Kickstart do an excellent job annually rounding up the latest admission data. For the class of 2029, you can see that Northwestern’s Early Decision admit rate (not overall admit rate) was 19% while Notre Dame’s early round admit rate was 13%. These are HIGHLY selective institutions and it behooves the applicant to understand this before deciding to apply.
The admit rate is often the most buzzed about statistic when discussing a college's competitiveness. Low admit rates have become a flawed measure of a college's "goodness," simply indicating how competitive admission is. It’s just one piece of the puzzle. Colleges consider numerous factors beyond academics, so the admit rate doesn't tell the whole story of an applicant's chances.
Yield Rate: How Popular is the College Among Admitted Students?
While applicants focus on the admit rate, colleges are more concerned with their yield rate. This metric measures the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll. The calculation is: (Number of Enrolled Students / Number of Admitted Students) * 100. A high yield rate shows that a college is highly desirable to its admitted students. If a college admits 1,000 students and 800 enroll, the yield rate is 80%.
Highly desirable colleges like Stanford have low acceptance rates but high yield rates. Stanford's yield rate of 81.9% means that over 8 out of 10 accepted students choose to enroll. That’s a very healthy yield rate!
The yield rate reflects a college's ability to attract accepted students. A high yield rate often suggests a compelling combination of strong academics, a vibrant campus culture, and generous financial aid. Colleges closely monitor their yield rate as it directly impacts class size and enrollment projections. It's a stark reality that college admissions offices often prioritize business-like quotas over their mission as institutions of higher learning.
Retention Rate: The "Happiness Factor"
Beyond admit and yield rates, the retention rate is arguably the most critical metric for applicants. It indicates the percentage of first-year students who return for their second year. A high retention rate (80% or higher is a good benchmark) suggests that students are finding their college experience fulfilling and worthwhile. It's a powerful indicator of student satisfaction and overall campus climate. I consider it the "happiness factor.” It’s far more telling than a low acceptance rate.
Brown University’s Retention Rate for the high school graduating class of 2023 was 98.5%. This speaks volumes about the quality of the student experience at Brown and how well they support their students.
Why These Metrics Matter (and Which Matters Most)
The admit rate shows how hard it is to get in. The yield rate shows how much students want to be there. But the retention rate shows how many students are happy enough to stay. While all three metrics offer valuable insights, the retention rate provides the most direct indication of student satisfaction and the overall quality of the college experience. I believe the retention rate is the most critical metric to pay attention to. Our College Vibe Index highlights campuses with 80%+ retention rates, offering a valuable resource for families seeking colleges where students thrive.
➡️ Explore the Campus Vibe Index!
For applicants, understanding these metrics provides a nuanced view of the college landscape. While a low admit rate might seem prestigious, it's equally important to consider whether the college is a good fit. As one wise admissions officer put it, the holy trinity of a good college choice is: your child will be happy, the college will admit your child, and you can afford the college.