UVA Acceptance Rate: Class of 2029 Admissions Statistics

The University of Virginia (UVA) admitted 10,287 students out of 82,118 applicants for the Class of 2030, resulting in a 12.53% acceptance rate, the most selective in the university’s history.

In-state Early Action (EA) applicants were admitted at a 22.84% rate, while out-of-state EA applicants were admitted at a much lower 9.26% rate. For Early Decision (ED), UVA admitted approximately 25% of Virginia residents and 23% of out-of-state students. Regular Decision (RD) results brought the overall cycle to a close, with 1,895 students admitted for a 9.72% RD acceptance rate.

In this blog, we’ll walk through UVA’s latest overall, early, regular, waitlist, and transfer acceptance rates.

• UVA Acceptance Rates
• UVA Early Action Acceptance Rate
• UVA Early Decision Acceptance Rate
• UVA Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
• UVA Transfer Acceptance Rate
• UVA Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

UVA Acceptance Rates

UVA’s overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was 12.53%, down from 15.65% for the Class of 2029. The decline reflects a significant surge in applications, from 64,457 to 82,118, while the number of admitted students remained relatively stable at around 10,287.

Over the past decade, UVA’s acceptance rate has steadily tightened as applicant numbers increased. Here’s the full trend:

Note: All data has been compiled from UVA’s Common Data Set and official news releases.

Applications to UVA more than doubled, increasing from 36,807 for the Class of 2021 to 82,118 for the Class of 2030, a jump of 45,311 applicants, or roughly 123% growth over nine years. During the same period, the number of admitted students remained relatively stable, generally ranging between about 9,200 and 10,300 offers per year.

Because UVA’s class size has stayed largely consistent while the applicant pool has grown twice as large, acceptance rates have been driven sharply downward, falling by more than half, from 27.05% for the Class of 2021 to 12.53% for the Class of 2030.

UVA Early Action Acceptance Rate

The most recent EA data is for the Class of 2030. UVA admitted 3,071 in-state students out of 13,445 applicants for a 22.84% acceptance rate, down from 24.80% for the Class of 2029. For out-of-state applicants, 4,080 students were admitted out of 44,050 applicants, resulting in a 9.26% acceptance rate, also down from 12.92% the previous year.

UVA explicitly notes that averaging in-state and out-of-state rates is misleading, as residency is a major factor in the admissions process.

UVA in-state Early Action acceptance rate trends

The available data below shows how EA selectivity has evolved over time for in-state applicants:

Note: EA data is compiled from official counselor updates and the official UVA admission blog.

UVA’s in-state EA acceptance rate has declined sharply, falling from 48.79% for the Class of 2021 to 22.84% for the Class of 2030. This drop is largely driven by rising application volumes, while the number of seats allocated for Virginia residents has remained relatively stable, increasing competition in the early pool even for in-state applicants.

UVA out-of-state Early Action acceptance rate trends

Out-of-state applicants face significantly lower acceptance rates, reflecting UVA’s commitment to prioritizing Virginia residents in its admissions process:

Note: EA data is compiled from official counselor updates and the official UVA admission blog.

UVA’s out-of-state EA acceptance rate has declined significantly, falling from 22.31% for the Class of 2021 to 9.26% for the Class of 2030. While rates fluctuate year to year, the overall trend reflects increasing competition among non-resident applicants, as application volumes grow but available seats remain limited.

Even so, EA applicants, regardless of residency, continue to benefit from higher acceptance rates than those applying in the RD round, though outcomes remain significantly more favorable for in-state students.

UVA Early Decision Acceptance Rate

The most recent Early Decision data is for the Class of 2030, when UVA admitted approximately 25% of Virginia resident applicants and 23% of out-of-state applicants from a combined pool of 5,108 applicants, yielding 1,225 total offers of admission. This compares to the Class of 2029, when UVA admitted 825 Virginia students out of 2,795 applicants (29.52%) and 457 out-of-state students out of 2,176 applicants (21%).

UVA introduced ED beginning with the Class of 2024, so only recent years have available data. Even with limited history, the figures show a consistent advantage for in-state applicants in the ED round.

UVA in-state Early Decision acceptance rate trends

The available data below shows how ED selectivity has evolved over time for in-state applicants:

Note: ED data is compiled from the official UVA admission blog.

UVA’s in-state ED acceptance rate has declined over time, dropping from 40% for the Class of 2024 to 24.89% for the Class of 2030. This trend reflects growing competition in the ED pool, as more applicants apply early while the number of available in-state spots remains relatively stable.

UVA out-of-state Early Decision acceptance rate trends

Out-of-state applicants face lower acceptance rates in ED, though the gap is less pronounced than in EA:

Note: ED data is compiled from the official UVA admission blog. 

UVA’s ED out-of-state acceptance rate has shown some fluctuation, dipping as low as 17.06% for the Class of 2027 before rebounding somewhat to 22.60% for the Class of 2030. Despite year-to-year variation, ED applicants still see higher admission rates than those applying in the RD round.

UVA Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2030, UVA admitted 1,895 students out of 19,497 RD applicants, resulting in a 9.72% acceptance rate, down from 11.69% for the Class of 2029, making it the lowest RD rate in the available data.

UVA Regular Decision acceptance rate trends

UVA’s RD data shows a consistent decline in acceptance rates, reflecting increasing competition in the RD pool:

Note: RD figures are estimated from the difference between UVA’s publicly released overall admissions data and its EA and ED numbers.

UVA’s RD application totals have risen from 13,559 for the Class of 2024 to 19,497 for the Class of 2030, while the number of admitted students has dropped significantly from about 3,263 to 1,895 over the same period. This has pushed the RD acceptance rate below 10% for the first time, falling from 24.07% (Class of 2024) to 9.72% (Class of 2030).

UVA Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent available UVA transfer data comes from Fall 2025, when the university had a 27.07% transfer acceptance rate. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Fall 2025 transfer data is from UVA’s Common Data Set for 2025–2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

UVA’s transfer admissions process is less selective than its first-year admissions, in part due to established transfer pathways such as Guaranteed Admission Agreements with Virginia community colleges, which provide a structured route for qualified students.

As a result, the 27.07% transfer acceptance rate for Fall 2025 is notably higher than the 12.53% overall first-year acceptance rate for the Class of 2030, though it has declined from 31.97% the prior year as transfer applications grew.

UVA Waitlist Acceptance Rate

The most recent available waitlist data comes from the Class of 2029, when UVA had a 2.39% waitlist acceptance rate. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Waitlist data is sourced from UVA’s Common Data Set for the corresponding admissions cycle.

Because UVA enrolls a large share of admitted students each year, only a small number of applicants are typically admitted from the waitlist, just 125 students (2.39%) for the Class of 2029, down from 242 (3.58%) for the Class of 2028.

Even when thousands of students accept waitlist spots, final offers tend to remain extremely limited, making admission from the waitlist highly unpredictable, as it largely depends on enrollment needs and yield rates in a given year.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is UVA’s current acceptance rate?

The most recent confirmed acceptance rate is 12.53% for the Class of 2030. UVA received 82,118 applications and admitted 10,287 students.

2. Is it easier to get into UVA through Early Action or Regular Decision?

Historically, EA applicants are admitted at higher rates than RD applicants. For the Class of 2030, in-state applicants had a 22.84% EA acceptance rate, while out-of-state applicants had a 9.26% EA acceptance rate. These rates compare to a 9.72% RD acceptance rate for the same class, with outcomes again varying by residency.

3. How hard is it to transfer to UVA?

Transfer admission is less selective than first-year admission. For Fall 2025, UVA had a 27.07% transfer acceptance rate, significantly higher than the 12.53% overall first-year acceptance rate for the Class of 2030.

4. What are my chances of getting off UVA’s waitlist?

Waitlist admissions are unpredictable and vary by year. For the Class of 2029, UVA admitted just 125 students from 5,225 confirmed waitlist spots, resulting in a 2.39% waitlist acceptance rate.

5. Why is UVA’s acceptance rate declining?

UVA’s acceptance rate has declined as application numbers have grown dramatically while the number of admitted students has remained relatively stable. Applications surged to 82,118 for the Class of 2030, up from 64,457 the prior year, and this increased demand has made admissions more competitive than ever.

Takeaways

• UVA’s acceptance rate has declined sharply over time, falling from 27.05% for the Class of 2021 to 12.53% for the Class of 2030, as application numbers continue to surge while admitted class sizes remain stable.
• EA and ED applicants have higher admission rates than RD applicants, but outcomes vary significantly by residency, with in-state applicants admitted at much higher rates than out-of-state applicants across all rounds.
• For the Class of 2030, in-state EA applicants were admitted at 22.84% versus 9.26% for out-of-state EA applicants; ED rates were approximately 24.89% (in-state) and 22.60% (out-of-state); and the RD acceptance rate fell below 10% for the first time at 9.72%.
• Transfer admission remains less selective than first-year admission, with a 27.07% transfer acceptance rate for Fall 2025, though that figure has declined from 31.97% the prior year. Waitlist admission remains highly competitive and unpredictable, with just a 2.39% acceptance rate for the Class of 2029.
• With UVA’s increasingly selective admissions process, guidance from a college admissions expert can help you refine your application strategy, strengthen your profile, and present a more competitive candidacy.