In the 1640s, colonial clergymen led an effort to establish a college in order to preserve the long tradition of liberal education founded in Europe into the New World. A charter was granted in 1701 for a school where youth would be instructed in Arts and Sciences. The school was renamed in 1718 for Elihu Yale who donated 417 books, a portrait of King George and the proceeds of nine bales of goods to the school.
Originally, Yale was located in Saybrook and moved to New Haven in 1716. It was the desire of one of the school’s founders, Reverend John Davenport, to establish the school from the beginning in New Haven and the town was able to outbid several other locations in order to have the school permanently located there. Connecticut Hall, which is now the oldest building in New Haven and a National Historic Landmark, was constructed in 1750.
Twenty-five Yale graduates served in the Continental Congress and the four graduates who signed the Declaration of Independence included Lyman hall, Philip Livingston, Lewis Morris and Oliver Wolcott. Student militia members rallied to defend the city when British troops invaded in 1779 and a Yale graduate, Edmund Fanning, who was secretary to the British general, persuaded the British to leave New Haven without burning the city.
While an undergraduate at Yale, Walter Camp developed the game of football from rugby, introducing the down, the eleven-man team and the 100 yard field marked in a gridiron. Another alumni, Amos Alonzo Stagg, who is better known for creating the modern rules of basketball, introduced the tackling dummy, the huddle, the reverse play, man in motion, player numbers and the awarding of letters. In addition, Yale students invented the Frisbee when they began tossing Frisbie pie plates to each other and calling out “frisbie” to warn passers-by. Wham-O changed the spelling of the saucers when they began mass-producing them.
Women were permitted to attend some schools at Yale beginning in 1869, but Yale College did not admit women until 1969. In 2007, Yale acquired the West Campus which enhances medical and scientific research.
Currently, there are 5,379 undergraduate and 6,501 graduate students attending Yale.
Yale University Accreditation Details
Yale is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, the following special accreditations are held by specific programs at the school:
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
- National Architectural Accrediting Board
- Association of Theology Schools
- Society of American Foresters
- American Bar Association
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- American Medical Association
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
- Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
- American Psychological Association
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- American College of Nurse Midwives
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
- Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant
- Council on Education for Public Health
Yale University Application Requirements
To be accepted at Yale, students must apply directly to the school, college or program they wish to attend. For undergraduate students, applications must be submitted to Yale College. Students must complete an application and pay the application fee. Students must also provide two teacher recommendations, official transcripts and a counselor recommendation. Students must also provide official SAT or ACT scores. Transfer students must complete the application and pay the application fee as well. In addition, they must provide official college transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Two academic evaluations are required and official high school transcripts must be provided. Students must submit SAT or ACT scores as well.
Graduate students must submit an application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. As part of the application process, students supply an email address for those who are able to submit letters of recommendation. Students must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and must provide transcripts that document the awarding of the degree. Students must also provide a statement of purpose. Specific programs at Yale may have additional application requirements that must be submitted. Applicants are urged to contact an admissions counselor before applying to any programs at the university.
Yale University Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time undergraduate tuition at Yale University is $47,600 while graduate tuition averages $61,500 for those attending full-time. Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships and loans, both federal and private. Parent loans are also available through the financial aid office. Students may also qualify for work-study programs. All students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for financial aid.
Yale University Online Degree(s) Available
Offered through the Yale School of Management, the MBA curriculum places emphasis on thinking about an organization as a whole in order to understand and solve big challenges. The MBA program at Yale is not currently offered as an online degree, although students may be able to take select classes through the recently established online college. Students who complete the program develop an understanding of how organizations and markets work as well as a broad awareness of how complex systems affect businesses. The curriculum is unique in that it ties together the pieces of a business school education into a meaningful whole by teaching fundamentals as well as the impact of a particular business on society. Students must hold a four-year degree from an accredited college or university and must provide either GMAT or GRE scores. Students must also submit an essay, provide transcripts from all colleges and universities attended and submit two professional recommendations. There are also video questions that must be answered in order to apply.
Currently, Yale University does not offer any degree programs that are available completely online. They do offer many non-credit courses and a few courses that provide college credit through their online college. The MBA program is available on campus where students learn to think about big ideas, building knowledge, skills and connections that benefit them for a lifetime. Students learn the art of team-building by working in small teams in order to address business problems with a social dimension. Yale University has been providing outstanding education for more than 300 years and the tradition continues with their recently added online course offerings.