Emory University
An Atlanta research university where you can start in the city or on its small original campus in Oxford, Georgia.
- Acceptance rate
- 10%
- Fall 2025 entering class (Common Data Set 2025-26); applying now for fall 2027
- Students
- 15,500
- 7,320 undergraduates
- International
- 17%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 8.3:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $70,300
- 2026-27
About Emory
Emory University was founded in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia, by the Georgia Methodist Conference and moved to Atlanta's Druid Hills neighborhood in 1915, helped by a $1 million gift from Coca-Cola founder Asa Griggs Candler. Today it has about 7,300 undergraduates and 8,200 graduate and professional students (fall 2025), nine schools, and one of the Southeast's leading health care systems, Emory Healthcare.
Undergraduates choose between two starting points that lead to the same Emory degree. Emory College of Arts and Sciences is on the Atlanta campus alongside the Goizueta Business School and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Oxford College, on the original campus 38 miles east of Atlanta, is a two-year liberal arts start for about 1,000 students, who then move to Atlanta to finish their degree in Emory College, Goizueta or Nursing. You can apply to either or both on one Common App.
Emory is highly selective: it admitted 10.3% of 37,561 first-year applicants for fall 2025. It is test-optional for fall 2027 entry, meets nearly all demonstrated need, and since fall 2026 US families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets pay no tuition. It suits students who want a liberal arts education inside a large research university, with medicine, public health, the CDC and the Carter Center close by, in a big city with plenty of internships.
Cor prudentis possidebit scientiam
“The wise heart seeks knowledge” — university motto
Why students choose Emory
Emory Advantage Plus makes tuition free for eligible US families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets, and need-based loans have been replaced with grants for first-degree domestic undergraduates.
You can start at Oxford College, a two-year campus of about 1,000 students, or at Emory College in Atlanta, and apply to both with one application.
The undergraduate nursing program is ranked No. 1 by US News (2027 edition) and the Goizueta BBA No. 15.
Atlanta partners such as the CDC, the Carter Center, Coca-Cola and Delta feed 3,000+ internship and research opportunities in the city, according to Emory.
Admissions
Fall 2025 entering class (Common Data Set 2025-26); applying now for fall 2027
About 1 in 10 applicants is admitted
3,869 admitted from 37,561 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
For fall 2025, 3,869 of 37,561 first-year applicants were admitted and 1,443 enrolled; Early Decision admitted 1,049 of 4,728 applicants. For the Class of 2030 (fall 2026), Emory reports separate figures: Emory College admitted 3,852 of 42,873 applicants (9%) and Oxford College 2,773 of 27,113 (10%); many students apply to both.
Deadlines
- Early Decision I Binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Decision by December 15; financial aid documents due December 2. Can be used for Emory College, Oxford College or both.
- Emory University Scholar Programs Non-binding In 40 daysNovember 15, 2026
Scholar Programs deadline for ED II and Regular Decision applicants; ED I applicants must apply by November 1. Emory's plans and deadlines page gives November 15 as the general Scholar deadline, and the Scholar Programs page sets the November 1 date for ED I. Answer Yes to the Scholars question; finalists are notified by the end of February.
- Early Decision II Binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 1, 2027
Decision by February 15; financial aid documents due January 6. Test scores must be taken and sent before January 1.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 1, 2027
Decision by April 1; financial aid documents due February 10; reply by May 1.
Emory's plans and deadlines page lists these dates by month and day for the current 2026-27 application cycle (fall 2027 entry). Emory does not offer Early Action.
How to apply
Common App (or QuestBridge) to Emory College, Oxford College, or both: Common App personal essay plus Emory's short-answer questions; school report and transcripts from your counselor (midyear and final); two recommendations from core academic teachers; optional SAT/ACT; $75 fee or fee waiver. International applicants also show English proficiency and financial certification.
What admissions looks for
- Academic strength first: Emory rates the rigor of the high school record and academic GPA as very important.
- Test scores are rated very important when submitted, but Emory says it turns to them only after the transcript, essays, short answers and activities, and they usually confirm that picture.
- Extracurricular activities, talent and character are all rated very important.
- The essay, teacher recommendations and volunteer work are rated important; Emory asks for recommendations from teachers who know your strengths and saw you work through a challenge, not just those who gave you the best grade.
Tips for applying to Emory
- 1 Decide your starting campus deliberately: you can apply to Emory College, Oxford College or both, including ED to one and Regular Decision to the other.
- 2 International students who need need-based aid must apply Regular Decision and submit the CSS Profile and IDOC documents by February 5.
- 3 To be considered for the Woodruff and other Scholar programs, answer Yes to the Scholars question and apply by November 15 (November 1 for ED I); about 10,000 apply and 175-200 become finalists.
- 4 If you apply ED II and want scores considered, sit the exam in time to send it before January 1; January test dates are too late for ED II.
- 5 Applicants from mainland China are strongly encouraged to submit an InitialView interview; it is optional for everyone else.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Emory University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Emory met 99.9% of demonstrated need on average for full-time undergraduates in 2025-26, has replaced need-based loans with grants for first-degree domestic undergraduates, and through Emory Advantage Plus families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets pay no tuition. International students can receive need-based aid (a select group, Regular Decision only) and merit awards through the Emory University Scholar Programs, including the Woodruff Scholars.
- $0 tuition for eligible US families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets
- Emory Advantage Plus
- 99.9%
- Average need met, full-time undergraduates with aid (2025-26)
- $66,428
- Average need-based grant, first-year students (2025-26)
- 52%
- Undergraduates receiving grants and scholarships
- 101 students, average $62,950
- International undergraduates receiving institutional aid (2025-26)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Nursing (BSN)
Ranked No. 1 for undergraduate nursing by US News (2027 edition); 99% of the Class of 2025 were employed or in graduate school within three months.
Business (BBA, Goizueta Business School)
Ranked No. 15 by US News (2027 edition); 99% of the Class of 2025 completed an internship and 98% were employed or in graduate school within three months.
Biomedical Engineering (with Georgia Tech)
A joint program with Georgia Tech that US News ranked No. 1 among undergraduate biomedical engineering programs in its 2026 edition, according to Emory.
Oxford College (first two years)
A two-year liberal arts start for about 1,000 students on Emory's original campus, with an optional first semester in London for 50 students through Oxford Launch.
Emory University Scholar Programs
Partial to full merit scholarships, including Woodruff Scholars, open to US and international applicants.
Research
- Emory reports more than $1 billion in research funding awarded each year and ranks third worldwide for discovery of FDA-approved therapeutics over four decades.
- In 2014-2015 Emory University Hospital treated the first Ebola virus disease patients in the Western Hemisphere.
- Emory's Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit played a key role in the national clinical trial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in 2020.
- Emory established the Carter Center in 1982, when former President Jimmy Carter joined the faculty.
Schools & faculties
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences
- Oxford College
- Goizueta Business School
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
- School of Medicine
- Rollins School of Public Health
- School of Law
- Candler School of Theology
- Laney Graduate School
Emory College Class of 2025: 97% employed or in graduate school within six months, 41% in further study. Goizueta BBA Class of 2025: 98% within three months. Graduation rate is the six-year rate for the 2019 cohort; retention is fall 2024 to fall 2025.
Student life
All first-year and second-year students live on campus, in 12 residential communities on the Atlanta campus or in Oxford College's residence halls; juniors and seniors can move to apartment-style housing on the Clairmont Campus. About 16% of Atlanta-campus undergraduates are from Georgia and 16% live outside the US. Dooley, a skeleton known as the Lord of Misrule, has been an Emory tradition since the 1800s. Emory says 80% of students volunteer, and Oxford traditions include Oxford Olympics and pancakes during finals.
- Emory Eagles compete in NCAA Division III and the University Athletic Association; the Atlanta campus has 19 varsity teams and 34 national championships.
- Dooley, the unofficial mascot and Lord of Misrule, has been part of Emory life since the 1800s.
- Oxford Launch lets 50 first-year Oxford College students spend their first semester in London.
- Oxford Organic Farm is a working farm and living laboratory on the Oxford campus.
Housing. All first-year and second-year students live on campus; the Clairmont Campus next to the Atlanta campus offers apartment-style housing for juniors and seniors.
Location
The main campus is in the leafy Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, a metro area with more than 250,000 college students and headquarters of companies such as Delta, Coca-Cola, UPS and Home Depot. Winters are mild (February averages 57F), and Piedmont Park, the 22-mile BeltLine and six pro sports teams are within reach. Oxford College sits in a small town 38 miles east, a mile from Covington's historic square.
Nearest airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Notable alumni
- AW Alben W. Barkley35th vice president of the United States; BA 1900
- BJ Bobby JonesGolfer who won the Grand Slam and founded the Masters Tournament; studied law at Emory
- NG Newt GingrichSpeaker of the US House of Representatives; BA 1965
- LH Lee Hong-kooPrime minister of South Korea; Emory College 1959
- KC Kenneth ColeFashion designer and founder of Kenneth Cole Productions; BA 1976
- BK Bernice KingMinister and activist, youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King; JD 1990
- SC Sonny CarterNASA astronaut on Space Shuttle mission STS-33; Emory College 1969
- YC Yun Chi-hoKorean politician credited as author of Aegukga, South Korea's national anthem; Emory College 1893
Frequently asked questions
Is Emory test-optional for fall 2027?
Yes. Emory is test-optional for first-year students starting in fall 2027. If you submit scores, Emory superscores the SAT and ACT; the middle 50% of enrolled students in fall 2025 scored 1480-1540 on the SAT or 33-35 on the ACT.
What is Emory's acceptance rate?
Emory admitted 3,869 of 37,561 first-year applicants for fall 2025, about 10.3%. For the Class of 2030, Emory College admitted 9% and Oxford College 10% of their applicants.
What is the difference between Emory College and Oxford College?
Both lead to the same Emory degree. Emory College is on the Atlanta campus; Oxford College is a two-year campus of about 1,000 students 38 miles east, after which students continue in Atlanta. You can apply to one or both.
Does Emory give financial aid to international students?
Yes, to a select group. International students must apply Regular Decision to be considered for need-based aid, and can also be considered for merit scholarships through the Scholar Programs. In 2025-26, 101 international undergraduates received institutional aid averaging $62,950.
What are Emory's application deadlines for 2027 entry?
Early Decision I is November 1, 2026, and Early Decision II and Regular Decision are both January 1, 2027. Both ED plans are binding; the Scholar Programs deadline is November 15 (November 1 for ED I).
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Emory in the QS World University Rankings 2027.