How is the acceptance rate calculated?

Divide the number of admitted applicants by the total number of applications and multiply that result by 100. For example, if 500 applicants were admitted out of a total of 2,000 applicants, then the acceptance rate is (500/2,000) * 100 = 25%.

Can the admission rate ever be larger than 100%?

No. If the acceptance rate shown in the calculator is over 100%, this means that the number of applicants admitted entered exceeds the total number of applications, which indicates an error in data entry. The number of applicants admitted can never exceed the number of applicants.

What is a reasonable acceptance rate for a university?

It depends on your goals. If it is below 25%, this usually indicates that the school's admissions process is very selective. Between 25% and 50%, there is a lot of competition but still opportunities for qualified applicants. Above 50%, most applicants who meet the admission requirements are admitted. There is no "ideal" acceptance rate that applies to everyone, and what matters most is whether this school fits your individual circumstances.

Are admission rate and enrollment rate the same?

No. The acceptance rate is the percentage of applicants who receive an offer of admission. The enrollment rate, also called the yield, is the percentage of those admitted who actually enroll. Even if a school admits 30 percent of applicants, only 40 percent of those students may ultimately choose to enroll.

Can this be used to calculate acceptance rate of job offers?

Yes. Enter the total number of offers made as the total quantity and the number of accepted offers as the accepted quantity. The HR team generally aims for a job offer acceptance rate that is above 80%.

Does a low acceptance rate mean that a school is of high quality?

Not necessarily. The acceptance rate measures the selectivity and popularity of a school but not its academic quality. Even excellent schools can have relatively high acceptance rates if they receive fewer applications. Conversely, a low acceptance rate at another school may be due primarily to a large number of applicants who apply because of the school's reputation.

Acceptance Rate Calculator

Applicant numbers

Total number of applicants

Number accepted

Acceptance rate

Also find the yield (enrollment) rate

Turn on to also work out the yield (enrollment) rate, the share of accepted applicants who actually enroll.

Enter the total number of applicants and how many were accepted. The acceptance rate and the rest of the breakdown appear on the right.

Please input values into the fields

The acceptance rate is the most direct measure of how difficult it is to get into a particular program. It represents the percentage of applicants who are admitted. When you enter the total number of applicants and the number of those accepted, this calculator will show you the acceptance rate as a percent, as well as the rejection rate, the number of rejected applicants, and the relative rank of these results in terms of selectivity.

This metric can be used in any field that involves applications and selection decisions. The most common example is university admissions, but the same calculation method can also be applied to hiring, research grant proposals, academic paper submissions, scholarship programs, startup accelerator programs, or even rental applications in housing markets with shortages.

What is a success rate?

The acceptance rate is the percentage of applicants who receive an offer of admission. An acceptance rate of 10% means that out of every 100 applicants, 10 are admitted. A 90% acceptance rate means that nearly all applicants are admitted.

The lower the acceptance rate is, generally the more competitive it is and the higher the acceptance rate is, generally the easier it is to get in. However, the acceptance rate only measures selectivity and popularity, not quality. A low acceptance rate does not necessarily mean that a particular school or employer is better than another with a higher acceptance rate.

Formula for calculating success rate:

To convert the number of applicants admitted into a percentage, divide the number of applicants admitted by the total number of applications and multiply that result by 100.

\text{Acceptance rate} = \frac{\text{number accepted}}{\text{total applicants}} \times 100\%

The formula is very simple. The number of admitted applicants refers to the total number of people who have received an offer of admission. The total number of applications includes all people who submitted an application, regardless of whether they meet the requirements for admission or not.

Example calculation:

For example, let's say that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) received a total of 140,000 applications in a given year and admitted 15,000 students. The acceptance rate would be:

\frac{15{,}000}{140{,}000} \times 100\% \approx 10.7\%

This means that one out of approximately nine applicants is accepted. At smaller schools it can happen that 500 people are admitted from 2,000 applications. In this case the rule applies: 500/2,000 = 25%, which means that about one in four applicants receives an admission.

Reverse calculation

This tool can be calculated from any side, so you don't have to start with the number of applicants and the number admitted. Leave one of the three fields blank and enter values for the other two remaining fields.

If you know that a program has an acceptance rate of 20% and there are 3,000 applicants, leave the field for number admitted blank. The tool will then calculate the number admitted. The value 3,000 multiplied by 20% is 600. If you know that 600 spots were offered with an acceptance rate of 20%, leave the field for total applicants blank and the total applicants can be calculated backwards: 600 / .20 = 3,000.

How well does admission rate reflect strength of applicant pool? A simple guideline.

After you have calculated your acceptance rate, use this rough guideline to assess the competition. These areas are appropriate for college admissions but should be adapted as necessary in other contexts. 30% might be a relatively loose figure for venture capital funds, but could signal danger for certain job openings.

Acceptance rate	Selectivity	What it means
Below 10%	Extremely selective	Ivy League and top-tier programs
10% to 25%	Very selective	Most applicants are qualified, few get in
25% to 50%	Selective	Competitive, but strong applicants have real odds
50% to 75%	Moderately selective	Most qualified applicants are accepted
Above 75%	Less selective	Focus is on meeting the basic requirements

Guidelines for admission rates at universities:

Here are some examples of the current approximate acceptance rates for some well-known universities. These numbers vary annually depending on changes in the number of applicants, so always check with the admissions office at a particular university or look up their public data set to get the most up-to-date information.

University	Approximate acceptance rate	Classification
Harvard	3 to 4%	Extremely selective
Stanford	About 4%	Extremely selective
MIT	About 4%	Extremely selective
UCLA	About 9%	Extremely selective
NYU	About 13%	Very selective
University of Michigan	About 18%	Very selective
UT Austin	About 31%	Selective
Penn State	About 55%	Moderately selective
University of Kansas	About 88%	Less selective

The success rate is not equal to the admission rate.

These two figures are often confused. The acceptance rate only reflects the results of the admissions process. The enrollment rate, also called the yield, is the percentage of admitted applicants who actually enroll.

Even if a school admits 30% of applicants, only 40% of those admitted may ultimately choose to enroll at that school. You can calculate this figure using the "Admission Rate" option in our calculator by dividing the number of students who actually enroll by the number of students who are admitted and multiplying the result by 100.

Success rates outside of university entrance procedures

Similar rates can be used to measure competition in many other areas, not just the admission process.

HR departments track the acceptance rate for job offers and an ideal figure is typically between 80 and 90 percent. If this falls below about 70 percent then it often indicates problems with pay, company culture or a slow recruitment process.

Professional societies publish acceptance rates for scientific papers, reflecting their influence and selectivity. The top computer science conferences generally have acceptance rates below 25%. Venture capital firms invest in only a small fraction (1 to 2%) of the proposals they receive, and even successful startup accelerator programs tend to be similarly selective. Research funding programs, resident physician matching programs, and competitive rental applications can also be evaluated this way.

How to make sense of acceptance rates:

A low acceptance rate doesn't necessarily mean that your personal chances are bad. Even if a university accepts only 20% of applicants, it does not mean that your chance of success is exactly 20%. The actual probability depends on how your qualifications compare to those of the other applicants.

It is important to compare acceptance rates within the same category only. Compare universities with universities and job listings with job listings. Also, keep in mind that a decrease in acceptance rate may simply be due to an increase in applicants rather than a more selective admissions process.

This tool is for research and planning purposes only. All published acceptance rates are estimates and can change annually. Always check the original sources to see the most current data before making decisions based on this information.

Frequently asked questions

How is the acceptance rate calculated?: Divide the number of admitted applicants by the total number of applications and multiply that result by 100. For example, if 500 applicants were admitted out of a total of 2,000 applicants, then the acceptance rate is (500/2,000) * 100 = 25%.
Can the admission rate ever be larger than 100%?: No. If the acceptance rate shown in the calculator is over 100%, this means that the number of applicants admitted entered exceeds the total number of applications, which indicates an error in data entry. The number of applicants admitted can never exceed the number of applicants.
What is a reasonable acceptance rate for a university?: It depends on your goals. If it is below 25%, this usually indicates that the school's admissions process is very selective. Between 25% and 50%, there is a lot of competition but still opportunities for qualified applicants. Above 50%, most applicants who meet the admission requirements are admitted. There is no "ideal" acceptance rate that applies to everyone, and what matters most is whether this school fits your individual circumstances.
Are admission rate and enrollment rate the same?: No. The acceptance rate is the percentage of applicants who receive an offer of admission. The enrollment rate, also called the yield, is the percentage of those admitted who actually enroll. Even if a school admits 30 percent of applicants, only 40 percent of those students may ultimately choose to enroll.
Can this be used to calculate acceptance rate of job offers?: Yes. Enter the total number of offers made as the total quantity and the number of accepted offers as the accepted quantity. The HR team generally aims for a job offer acceptance rate that is above 80%.
Does a low acceptance rate mean that a school is of high quality?: Not necessarily. The acceptance rate measures the selectivity and popularity of a school but not its academic quality. Even excellent schools can have relatively high acceptance rates if they receive fewer applications. Conversely, a low acceptance rate at another school may be due primarily to a large number of applicants who apply because of the school's reputation.

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Disclaimer: This calculator is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Our calculators are under active development, and results may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable for your situation. Always verify the figures independently and seek advice from a qualified professional before relying on them. We make no warranties and accept no liability for any loss or decision arising from use of this tool.

References

Common Data Set Initiative
Standard source colleges use to report applicant, admit, and enrollment counts.
NIST Special Publication 811: Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
The US national standard for SI units, unit names and symbols, and conversion factors.