Yale Blue
A deep blue shade linked to Yale University since the 19th century
Yale Blue is a strong, dark blue colour recognised as the official colour of Yale University. It was chosen in the late 1800s and is now defined by the university with its own formula, close to Pantone 289. Other universities use similar shades, but Yale Blue has its own standard and history.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Yale Blue is defined by Yale University and matches Pantone 289 closely
- First adopted as Yale's official colour in 1894
- Oxford Blue is similar but darker than Yale Blue
- Used for Yale uniforms, robes, and branding
- Other universities use related shades for their own colours
What colour is Yale Blue?
Yale Blue is a dark, vivid blue that stands out for its clarity and depth. It is neither tinged with purple nor green, and can appear slightly grey in some lights. This colour is most closely tied to Yale University, where it is used for uniforms, branding, and official materials. Its rich tone sets it apart from lighter or more muted blues.
Where does Yale Blue come from?
Yale Blue became the university’s official colour in 1894, after decades of earlier associations with green. The shade was later refined to match the blue of Oxford University, though Oxford Blue is now darker. The name and colour are both rooted in Yale’s history, with preserved silk samples said to be the first official examples.
How Yale Blue is defined
Yale Blue is not a pigment or dye, but a colour standard. The university specifies it using printing formulas and Pantone codes, with Pantone 289 being the closest match. For printing, different CMYK values are given for coated and uncoated paper, but these are only guidelines. Special ink formulas are available from certain suppliers.
Where Yale Blue is used
Yale Blue is used on uniforms, academic robes, printed materials, and official branding at Yale University. Other universities have adopted similar shades for their own colours, sometimes with slight differences. The colour is also referenced in campus culture, such as in the name of a student zine.
Blue around the world
What the blue family means from country to country.
Lapis lazuli has been mined in the mountains of Badakhshan for more than six thousand years. Ground to powder it gave ultramarine, the costliest blue in European painting.
Royalty and powerSacred and holyAweSource: Lapis lazuliThe chadari is a full-length covering for women with a mesh panel over the eyes. In Kabul and the north it is most often a light blue.
Protection and healingSource: BurqaThe blue band of the flag stands for the wish of the Armenian people to live under peaceful skies. The red above it is for the highlands and the struggle to survive.
Politics and protestHopeSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is sky blue, white and sky blue, created by Manuel Belgrano in 1812. National teams are called the Albiceleste, the white and sky blue.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of ArgentinaBoca Juniors play in blue and gold. The club's story is that in 1907 it took the colours of the flag of the next ship into port, which was Swedish.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Boca JuniorsTo be true blue is to be honestly and loyally Australian. The phrase is older than the country, but Australians have made it their own.
Politics and protestTrustSource: True Blue (John Williamson song)Shades and relatives of Yale Blue
Several other universities use blues close to Yale Blue, such as UC Berkeley and Pomona College, but often with their own specific Pantone numbers. Oxford Blue is similar but darker. Duke Blue and DCU Blue are also related shades, all tracing their roots to prussian blue.
Colours that go with Yale Blue
Harmonies are worked out from the value #00356B. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Yale Blue
What colour is Yale Blue?
Yale Blue is a deep, strong blue that is neither purple nor green, and can appear a bit grey. It is the official colour of Yale University.
Where does the name Yale Blue come from?
The name comes from Yale University, which adopted this blue as its official colour in 1894 after previously being associated with green.
How is Yale Blue defined?
Yale Blue is defined by the university using a custom formula, with Pantone 289 being the closest standard match. Specific CMYK values are also provided for printing.
Is Yale Blue used outside Yale University?
Other universities use similar shades, but Yale Blue itself is specific to Yale. UC Berkeley, Pomona College, and others have their own versions.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Yale Blue", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
More of the blue family
All of blue
#0000FF
Blue
A primary colour seen in the sky and sea, used since ancient times in art and dyeBasic colour
Blue
Lapis lazuli
A deep blue stone prized for jewellery and the source of ultramarine pigmentColour named from nature · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +5
#6A5DFF
Indigo
A deep blue named for the dye once exported from IndiaNamed shade · 🇮🇳 India +5
Blue
Azurite
A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment · 🇫🇷 France +5
Blue
Woad
A blue dye once vital to Europe's textile trade, made from the leaves of a flowering plantDye · 🇫🇷 France +3
Blue
Indigo
A deep blue dye from plants, now mostly made synthetically and known for colouring denimDye · 🇮🇳 India +5
#120A8F
Ultramarine
A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +2
#003153
Prussian blue
A deep blue pigment first made in Berlin in the early 1700sPigment · 🇯🇵 Japan