Yale University facts for kids
Yale's Coat of Arms
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| Latin: Universitas Yalensis | |
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Former names
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Collegiate School (1701–1718) Yale College (1718–1887) |
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| Motto | Lux et veritas (Latin) אורים ותמים (Hebrew) |
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Motto in English
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"Light and truth" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | October 9, 1701 |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $40.7 billion (2023) |
| President | Peter Salovey |
| Provost | Scott Strobel |
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Academic staff
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5,499 (Fall 2023) |
| Students | 15,081 (Fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 6,749 (Fall 2023) |
| Postgraduates | 8,263 (Fall 2023) |
| Location |
,
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United States
41°18′59″N 72°55′20″W / 41.31639°N 72.92222°W |
| Campus | Midsize city, 1,015 acres (411 ha) |
| Newspaper | Yale Daily News |
| Colors | Yale blue |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Handsome Dan |
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Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. It is part of the Ivy League, a group of eight famous universities in the northeastern United States. Yale started in 1701. It is the third-oldest college in the United States. It was one of nine "colonial colleges" that began before the American Revolution.
Yale first opened as the Collegiate School in 1701. It was started by religious leaders called Congregationalists. At first, it mainly taught ministers about religion and old languages. Over time, it began teaching other subjects like humanities and sciences. By the 19th century, Yale offered advanced degrees. It gave out the first PhD in the U.S. in 1861. It officially became a university in 1887.
Yale has fourteen different schools. These include the main undergraduate college and the Yale Law School. The university is run by the Yale Corporation. But each school's teachers decide what they will teach. Yale has a main campus in downtown New Haven. It also has sports fields in western New Haven. Plus, it owns forests and nature areas across New England.
In 2023, Yale's special fund, called an endowment, was worth $40.7 billion. This is one of the largest for any school. The Yale University Library has over 15 million books. It is the third-largest school library in the U.S. Yale's sports teams are called the Yale Bulldogs. They play in the NCAA Division I Ivy League conference.
Many famous people have been part of Yale. As of 2020, 65 Nobel Prize winners have connections to Yale. Also, five Fields medalists and many other award winners have studied or taught there. Yale graduates include five U.S. presidents. They also include 10 Founding Fathers and 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices. Many leaders, government officials, and successful people have come from Yale.
Contents
Discovering Yale's Past: A Journey Through History
How Yale College Began
The Very First Days
Yale started with a special paper called "An Act for Liberty to Erect a Collegiate School." This paper was approved on October 9, 1701. It aimed to create a school to train ministers and leaders for Connecticut. Soon after, ten religious ministers, all from Harvard, met. They gave their books to start the school's library. This group, led by James Pierpont, is known as "The Founders."
The school was first called the "Collegiate School." It opened in the home of its first leader, Abraham Pierson. He is now known as Yale's first president. The school moved to Saybrook in 1703. Then, in 1716, it moved to its current home in New Haven, Connecticut.
How Yale Got Its Name
In 1718, a businessman named Elihu Yale was asked for money. He gave a large donation of goods, which sold for over £560. This was a lot of money back then. Because of his help, the school changed its name to "Yale College." The name Yale comes from a Welsh family estate.
Around the same time, a Harvard graduate helped Yale get 500 books from England. These books were the best of modern literature, science, and philosophy. They greatly influenced students at Yale. For example, Jonathan Edwards found John Locke's ideas in the library.
What Students Studied
Yale College students follow a "liberal arts" program. This means they study a wide range of subjects. They also live in special "residential colleges" on campus.
Yale was influenced by big ideas of its time, like the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment. Presidents Thomas Clap and Ezra Stiles helped develop science classes at Yale. They also dealt with challenges like wars and student protests.
Many students of religion, especially in New England, thought Hebrew was important. They believed it helped them study the Old Testament in its original words. President Ezra Stiles made all first-year students study Hebrew. He also put a Hebrew phrase on the Yale seal.
Early Students and Societies
Yale was the only college in Connecticut for a long time. So, it educated the sons of important families. Students could get in trouble for things like playing cards or damaging school property.
Students formed private societies to discuss new ideas, books, and politics. The first ones were debating groups: Crotonia (1738), Linonia (1753), and Brothers in Unity (1768). Linonia and Brothers in Unity still exist today. Some campus buildings are named after them.
Yale in the 1800s
In 1828, Yale strongly defended its Latin and Greek classes. This was against people who wanted more modern language and science courses. Colleges in the U.S. had no national rules for what to teach. So, schools tried to offer new things while keeping old traditions.
Yale professors worked to teach students good values. They wanted students to be strong in their beliefs. They also wanted them to adapt to new ideas like professionalism and individualism. William Graham Sumner, a professor from 1872 to 1909, taught popular classes in economics and sociology.
In 1887, Yale College officially changed its name to "Yale University." The name "Yale College" then only referred to the undergraduate program.
Sports and Debates
Nathan Hale (Yale 1773) was an early Yale hero. He was a smart and athletic scholar who loved his country. Later, fictional Yale men like Frank Merriwell also showed this heroic ideal. Students began to look up to athletic stars. Winning big games became very important for students and alumni.
Yale, Harvard, and Princeton students created unique American sports programs, like football. The Harvard–Yale football rivalry started in 1875. Debates between these schools also became popular. They were even covered in college newspapers. But debates never became as popular as sports.
In 1909–10, football faced problems with serious injuries. The presidents of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton worked together. They tried to make changes to make the sport safer. Their efforts helped reduce injuries.
Growing Bigger
Yale slowly added more schools. The Yale School of Medicine opened in 1810. Then came the Yale Divinity School (1822) and Yale Law School (1822). The Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences started in 1847. In 1887, Yale College became Yale University.
Yale continued to grow a lot in the 20th and 21st centuries. It added schools for music, forestry, public health, architecture, nursing, drama, and management. This growth sometimes caused arguments about Yale's new goals.
Yale in the 1900s
Medical Advances
Milton Winternitz led the Yale School of Medicine from 1920 to 1935. He believed in scientific medicine and studying people in their environment. He created the "Yale System" of teaching. This system had fewer lectures and exams. He also built many new buildings.
Teachers and Professors
Before World War II, most top universities had very few women or minority teachers. Yale was similar. But by 1980, this had changed a lot. Many women and minority groups held teaching jobs at Yale. Most teachers in the Arts and Sciences also teach undergraduate classes.
Welcoming Women
In 1793, Lucinda Foote passed Yale's entrance exams. But she was not allowed in because she was a girl. Women began studying at Yale in 1892. They joined graduate programs at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The first seven women earned their PhDs from Yale in 1894. Their portrait hangs in Sterling Memorial Library.
In 1966, Yale talked with Vassar College about combining schools. Vassar was an all-female school. They thought about merging to allow both boys and girls to study together. Vassar decided not to merge. Both schools then started letting both boys and girls in independently in 1969. Amy Solomon was the first woman to sign up as a Yale undergraduate. The class of 1973 was the first to have women from their first year.
Yale in the 2000s
In 2006, Yale and Peking University in China started a program. Yale students could spend a semester studying in Beijing. This program ended in 2012.
In 2007, Yale's president, Rick Levin, said Yale had two main goals. First, to be excellent in teaching undergraduate students. Second, to train leaders in its graduate and professional schools.
In 2009, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair chose Yale. He picked it as a place for his Faith and Globalization Initiative. Also in 2009, Yale, University College London, and their hospitals teamed up. They wanted to do research to improve patient care.
In 2013, Yale and the National University of Singapore opened Yale-NUS College in Singapore. It was a new college teaching both Western and Asian traditions.
In 2017, Yale University changed the name of Calhoun College. It was named after John C. Calhoun, who supported slavery. It is now called Hopper College, after computer scientist Grace Hopper.
In 2020, some people on social media wanted to remove Elihu Yale's name from the university. This was because of his connection to the Indian Ocean slave trade. Elihu Yale's large donation helped the college in its early days.
In August 2020, the U.S. Justice Department sued Yale. They said Yale discriminated against Asian and white students in admissions. In 2021, the Justice Department stopped the lawsuit.
Yale Leaders in Politics
The Boston Globe said in 2002 that Yale educated many top U.S. leaders. Yale graduates were on the presidential tickets in every U.S. election from 1972 to 2004. Presidents like Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush went to Yale.
Many reasons are given for Yale's role in politics. Some say it's because of campus activism since the 1960s. Others say Yale focuses on training future leaders. Yale historian Gaddis Smith noted a tradition of organized activities at Yale. This led many students to join political groups.
How Yale is Organized
| School founding | |
|---|---|
| School | Year founded |
| Yale College | 1701 |
| Yale School of Medicine | 1810 |
| Yale Divinity School | 1822 |
| Yale Law School | 1824 |
| Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | 1847 |
| Sheffield Scientific School | 1847 |
| Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science | 1852 |
| Yale School of Fine Arts | 1869 |
| Yale School of Music | 1894 |
| Yale School of the Environment | 1900 |
| Yale School of Public Health | 1915 |
| Yale School of Architecture | 1916 |
| Yale School of Nursing | 1923 |
| David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University | 1955 |
| Yale School of Management | 1976 |
| Jackson School of Global Affairs | 2022 |
The "Yale Corporation" is the main governing body of the university. It has 19 members. Yale has three main parts: Yale College (for undergraduates), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and twelve professional schools.
Many women who held leadership roles at Yale later became presidents or leaders at other universities. For example, in 1977, Provost Hanna Holborn Gray became Yale's interim president. She later became president of the University of Chicago.
Staff and Unions
Yale University staff are part of different unions. These unions help workers with their rights and pay. Yale has had some disagreements with its unions over the years. This has sometimes led to strikes.
Exploring the Yale Campus
Yale's main campus is in downtown New Haven. It covers about 260 acres. It includes the historic campus and a medical campus. In western New Haven, Yale has 500 acres of sports facilities. This includes the Yale Golf Course. Yale also owns forests and nature preserves.
Yale is famous for its "Collegiate Gothic" style buildings. These buildings look like old European castles or cathedrals. Some famous modern buildings are also on campus. These include the Yale Art Gallery and the Center for British Art. Yale also owns many beautiful 19th-century mansions.
Many of Yale's buildings were built in the Collegiate Gothic style from 1917 to 1931. These were paid for by Edward S. Harkness. The buildings have stone sculptures of college people and scenes. The architect, James Gamble Rogers, made these buildings look old on purpose. He even broke windows and repaired them in an old style.
Other Gothic buildings are on the Old Campus. These include Vanderbilt Hall and Phelps Hall. The oldest building on campus is Connecticut Hall, built in 1750. It is in the "Georgian style."
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library is a very special building. It is one of the largest buildings in the world just for rare books. It has a six-story tower of books. The walls are made of thin marble panels. These panels let in soft, warm light. Outside, there are sculptures by Isamu Noguchi.
Architect Eero Saarinen designed Ingalls Rink and two residential colleges, Ezra Stiles and Morse. These colleges look like an old Italian hill town.
The athletic fields are in New Haven and West Haven.
Important Campus Buildings
Some other important buildings and landmarks are Battell Chapel, Harkness Tower, Ingalls Rink, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Sterling Memorial Library, and Woolsey Hall.
Yale also has buildings for its "secret societies." These buildings are private and have unique designs. They include Skull and Bones and Scroll and Key.
Being Green at Yale
Yale's Office of Sustainability works to make the university more environmentally friendly. Yale wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Many campus buildings are designed to be energy-efficient. Yale also uses local and organic foods in its dining halls.
Yale and New Haven
Yale is the biggest taxpayer and employer in New Haven. It helps the city's economy. Yale's art galleries and other resources are free for everyone to visit. Yale also helps pay for college tuition for eligible students from New Haven public schools.
Yale has a complex relationship with New Haven. Many students volunteer in the community. But city officials wish Yale would pay more taxes on its academic buildings. Still, Yale has helped New Haven grow and improve.
Campus Safety
Yale was one of the first schools to have its own police force, started in 1894. This force helped keep peace between students and city residents. Today, Yale has many safety services, like emergency phones and shuttle buses.
In the past, New Haven had high crime rates. But between 1990 and 2006, crime fell by half. Yale's campus became one of the safest among similar schools.
Academics at Yale
Getting into Yale
Undergraduate admission to Yale College is very competitive. In 2022, only about 4.46% of students who applied were accepted. Most students graduate within six years.
Yale helps students pay for college based on their financial need. This means they look at what families can afford. Yale tries to meet the full financial need of all accepted students. Most financial aid is given as grants and scholarships. These do not need to be paid back. About half of Yale College students receive some financial aid.
Yale students come from many different backgrounds. Half are women. Over 39% are U.S. citizens from ethnic minority groups. About 10.5% are international students. Many students attended public high schools.
Yale's Amazing Collections
The Yale University Library has over 15 million books. It is the third-largest university library in the U.S. The main library, Sterling Memorial Library, holds about 4 million books.
Yale has several collections of rare books. The Beinecke Rare Book Library has a huge collection of old books and manuscripts. The Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library has important old medical texts.
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Yale's museums are also world-famous. The Yale University Art Gallery was the first university art museum in the country. It has over 200,000 works of art. The Yale Center for British Art has the largest collection of British art outside the UK.
The Peabody Museum of Natural History has research collections about anthropology, archaeology, and nature. The Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments has many musical instruments.
The museums once had artifacts from Machu Picchu in Peru. These were brought by Yale professor Hiram Bingham III. The artifacts were returned to Peru in 2012.
| ARWU World | 11 |
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| THES World | 10 |
| USNWR National University | 5 |
| Washington Monthly National University | 8 |
| Forbes | 2 |
University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report ranked Yale as one of the top universities in the U.S. Yale is approved by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Around the world, Yale is also highly ranked. It is known for its scientific research and for preparing students for jobs.
Teachers, Research, and Ideas
Yale is a "research university." This means it does a lot of important research. The National Science Foundation ranked Yale 15th among American universities for research spending in 2021.
Many Yale teachers are members of important national academies. Yale also produces many students who go on to earn doctoral degrees. Many Yale graduates become famous scientists.
Yale's English and Comparative Literature departments were important in the "New Criticism" movement. Later, the Comparative Literature department became a center for "deconstruction," a way of analyzing texts. Yale's history department has also started important new ways of thinking.
Yale also has many "postdocs." These are researchers who work in labs after getting their PhDs. They help with much of Yale's research.
Life at Yale
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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| White | 35% |
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| Asian | 24% |
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| Hispanic | 15% |
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| Foreign national | 10% |
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| Black | 9% |
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| Other | 6% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 20% |
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| Affluent | 80% |
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Yale is a research university. Most students are in graduate or professional schools. Undergraduate students, or Yale College students, come from many different backgrounds.
Residential Colleges: A Home Away From Home
Yale has a "residential college" system. This started in 1933. It was inspired by the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge in England. Students live in these colleges. Each college has its own dining hall, library, and common rooms.
All undergraduate students belong to a college. They are assigned to one before their first year. Most students live in their college buildings. First-year students usually live on the Old Campus.
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Jonathan Edwards College courtyard
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Branford College courtyard
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Saybrook College's Killingworth Courtyard
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Hopper College courtyard
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Berkeley College buildings
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Trumbull College courtyard
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Davenport College courtyard
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Pierson College courtyard
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Silliman College courtyard
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Timothy Dwight College courtyard
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Morse College courtyard
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Ezra Stiles College courtyard
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Benjamin Franklin College courtyard
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Pauli Murray College courtyard
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Renaming Calhoun College
For many years, people wanted to rename Calhoun College. It was named after John C. Calhoun, who supported slavery. In 2015, students signed a petition to change the name. They said Calhoun was a "prolific defender of slavery."
In 2016, Yale's president, Peter Salovey, first decided not to rename it. He said it was better to learn from history than erase it. However, he did change the title of "master" for college leaders to "head of college." This was because the word "master" had a connection to slavery.
Despite his earlier decision, Salovey announced in February 2017 that Calhoun College would be renamed. It is now called Hopper College, after computer scientist Grace Hopper.
Student Groups and Activities
In 2024, Yale had over 500 student groups for undergraduates. There were also many groups for graduate students.
Students publish various newspapers and magazines. The Yale Literary Magazine is the oldest student literary magazine in the U.S. The Yale Record is the world's oldest college humor magazine.
Dwight Hall is a group where over 2,000 Yale students volunteer. They work on more than 70 community service projects in New Haven. The Yale College Council (YCC) is the student government. It helps run campus activities.
The Yale Political Union (YPU) is a debate society. It hosts student discussions on many topics. The Yale International Relations Association (YIRA) runs the university's Model UN team.
Yale has many a cappella groups, which sing without instruments. The most famous is The Whiffenpoofs. The Elizabethan Club is a social club for students and teachers interested in literature and art.
Secret Societies
Yale has several "secret societies." These include Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and Wolf's Head. They are private groups for students.
Yale Traditions
At graduation, Yale seniors smash clay pipes. This symbolizes leaving their "bright college years" behind. Students also say it's good luck to rub the toe of the Theodore Dwight Woolsey statue.
Bladderball was a popular campus game. Students played with a large inflatable ball. The school banned it due to safety concerns. But students have brought it back a few times.
Sports at Yale
Yale has 35 sports teams. They compete in the Ivy League and other conferences. Yale's teams play at the NCAA Division I level. Like other Ivy League schools, Yale does not offer sports scholarships.
Yale has many sports facilities. These include the Yale Bowl, a famous football stadium. It also has the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, one of the largest indoor athletic complexes in the world.
In 1970, the NCAA banned Yale from sports for two years. This was because Yale played a Jewish player, Jack Langer, who had played in the Maccabiah Games. Yale's president had approved it.
In 2016, the men's basketball team won the Ivy League Championship. They then won their first-ever NCAA tournament game. In 2018, the men's lacrosse team won their first national championship.
Yale crew (rowing) is the oldest college sports team in America. They won Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1956. The Yale Corinthian Yacht Club is the oldest college sailing club in the world.
Yale and Johns Hopkins played the first known ice hockey game in the U.S. in 1896. Yale students also claim to have invented Frisbee. They say they tossed empty pie tins from the Frisbie Pie Company.
The Yale Precision Marching Band plays at games. They are known for running wildly between formations instead of marching. Yale also has intramural sports. Students compete for their residential colleges in many different sports.
Yale Songs
"Bright College Years" is Yale's alma mater. It is sung at graduation and other events. "Bulldog" is the official Yale fight song. It was written by Cole Porter. It is sung after touchdowns at football games.
Yale's Mascot
Yale's mascot is "Handsome Dan," a bulldog. He is believed to be the first college mascot in America, starting in 1889. The school color is Yale Blue.
Student Well-being
Yale has received some criticism for how it handles student mental health. Some students have said that Yale made them take a break from school instead of giving them help.
Students have felt pressured to hide their struggles. They worried about being forced to leave school. In 2022, Yale increased the number of mental health counselors. In 2023, Yale changed its policy. A "medical withdrawal" is now a "medical leave of absence." This allows students to keep their insurance and stay connected to campus. Yale says student well-being is a top priority.
Famous People from Yale
Generous Supporters
Many people have given money to Yale. Some of the most important donors include Elihu Yale, the Vanderbilt family, and the Harkness family. Their donations have helped build buildings and support programs.
Notable Alumni
Yale has many distinguished alumni in various fields. Many graduates go on to work, while others attend graduate school. Yale graduates have won many scholarships, like the Rhodes Scholarship. Many have also won the MacArthur Fellows award. Over 30 living billionaires are Yale alumni.
Many Yale alumni work in government and politics. Former U.S. presidents William Howard Taft, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush went to Yale for their undergraduate degrees. Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton attended Yale Law School. Many U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Senators, and Cabinet members are also Yale alumni.
Yale has produced many award-winning authors, like Sinclair Lewis. Famous actors and directors like Jodie Foster, Paul Newman, and Meryl Streep also went to Yale. Musicians like Cole Porter and artists like Maya Lin are also Yale alumni.
In business, Yale alumni have founded major companies. These include Boeing, Time Magazine, FedEx, and Pinterest. Other business leaders like Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO) also graduated from Yale.
In academics, Yale alumni include Nobel Prize winners and leaders in science and math. Grace Hopper, a computer science pioneer, and Francis S. Collins, who led the Human Genome Project, are Yale alumni.
In sports, Yale alumni include baseball players Ron Darling and Craig Breslow. Football players like Calvin Hill and Walter Camp also went to Yale. Olympic athletes in ice hockey, figure skating, swimming, and rowing are also Yale alumni.
- Notable Yale alumni include:
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7th Vice President of the United States John C. Calhoun (College, 1806)
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27th President of the United States and Chief Justice William Howard Taft (BA, 1878)
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38th President of the United States Gerald Ford (LLB, 1941)
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41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush (BA, 1948)
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42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton (JD, 1973)
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43rd President of the United States George W. Bush (BA, 1968)
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Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Clarence Thomas (JD, 1974)
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Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Samuel Alito (JD, 1975)
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Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Sonia Sotomayor (JD, 1979)
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Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Brett Kavanaugh (BA, 1987; JD, 1990)
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67th United States Secretary of State and Former US Senator of New York Hillary Clinton (JD, 1973)
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Senator of Minnesota Amy Klobuchar (BA, 1982)
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Senator of New Jersey Cory Booker (JD, 1997)
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Governor of Connecticut Ned Lamont (MBA, 1980)
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Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis (BA, 2001)
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Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig (JD, 1989)
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Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz (LLB, 1962)
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Literary critic and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. (BA, 1973)
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Economist and Nobel Prize laureate Paul Krugman (BA, 1974)
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Actress Jodie Foster (BA, 1985)
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Actress Lupita Nyong'o (MFA, 2012)
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See also
In Spanish: Universidad Yale para niños
