Donor Nexus Team
September 16, 2026
The short answer
Nationally, 45.2% of donated-embryo cycles led to a live birth in SART's preliminary 2024 data, up from 43.6% in the final 2023 report.1,2 For Donor Embryo Program transfers performed at HRC Fertility from 2012 to 2025, 69.5% had a positive pregnancy test and 49.7% reached an ongoing pregnancy or confirmed delivery.5
Those two sets of numbers use different measures and time frames, so they work best as separate reference points. What moves any one person's odds is the embryo itself, the uterine environment, and the clinic doing the transfer.
Donor embryo success rates are one of the first things intended parents look up, and the figures online vary with who published them, which year they cover, and whether they count pregnancies or births. Every cycle with a donated embryo is a frozen embryo transfer, because the embryos were created and frozen during another family's IVF treatment before they were donated.
This guide walks you through the latest national data for donated embryos, the outcomes published for the Donor Embryo Program at Donor Nexus, and the factors that shape your own chances. You will also find a short checklist for comparing numbers across programs, so a pregnancy rate from one source and a live birth rate from another don't end up in the same column.
What are donor embryo success rates in the United States?
Donor embryo live birth rates in the United States sit in the low to mid 40s, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), which collects outcomes from member clinics nationwide.1,2 SART reports donated-embryo live births per recipient start or thaw, while the CDC reports its donated-embryo rates per transfer.3
| Report | What the rate counts | Cycles included | Live birth rate | Elective single embryo transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SART 2024, preliminary | Live births per recipient start or thaw | 2,402 starts or thaws (2,397 transfers) | 45.2% (43.2 to 47.2) | 84.5% |
| SART 2023, final | Live births per recipient start or thaw | 2,756 starts or thaws (2,724 transfers) | 43.6% (41.8 to 45.5) | 82.7% |
| CDC 2021, final | Live-birth deliveries per transfer | 3,118 transfers | 42.3% | Not listed in this table |
National outcomes for donated embryos. Ranges in parentheses are 95% confidence intervals.1,2,3
Why do some sites still quote 42.3%?
The 42.3% figure comes from the CDC's 2021 national summary report.3 CDC now publishes national results through an online dashboard, and its final 2022 data put the live-birth delivery rate for donated embryos at 42.2% per transfer, almost identical to 2021.14 SART's donor tables cover a more recent year and count outcomes per recipient start or thaw, which is why they are the benchmark used throughout this guide.
How have donor embryo outcomes changed over time?
Donated embryos have become a larger share of U.S. fertility treatment while outcomes have held steady. A CDC-led analysis of national data counted 21,060 donated embryo transfers from 2004 to 2019, resulting in 8,457 live births, and the share of all U.S. transfers using donated embryos rose from 0.6% to 1.5% over that period.4 For transfers from 2016 to 2019, 53.4% resulted in a clinical pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound and 43.5% in a live birth, which is also a useful illustration of how far apart a pregnancy rate and a live birth rate can sit.4
How do donated embryos compare with other donor options?
SART tracks four donor pathways, and donated embryos sit near the top of that group. In both of the latest reporting years, cycles using donated embryos or thawed embryos created from donor eggs led to live births more often than cycles using fresh or frozen donor eggs.1,2
| Donor cycle type | SART 2024, preliminary | SART 2023, final |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh donor eggs | 36.6% | 38.5% |
| Frozen donor eggs | 39.1% | 37.9% |
| Thawed embryos created from donor eggs | 46.1% | 46.6% |
| Donated embryos | 45.2% | 43.6% |
Live births per recipient start or thaw, by donor cycle type.1,2
Because these rates count every recipient start or thaw, a cycle that begins with donor eggs also has to get through fertilization and embryo development, while cycles with thawed or donated embryos begin with an embryo that already exists. Each pathway also draws from a different group of patients, so use the table to see where donated embryos fall in national data, and talk with your physician about which option fits your situation.8
Are embryo adoption success rates different from embryo donation success rates?
Embryo adoption and embryo donation have the same success rates, because both use donated frozen embryos in IVF, and the embryo is warmed and transferred the same way in either model.7 The differences between the two models are legal and practical. Adoption-model programs follow an adoption framework that often includes a home study, while the Donor Embryo Program does not require one, and that changes cost and timeline far more than it changes outcomes.
If you are comparing programs on those terms, our guides to home study requirements for donor embryos and embryo adoption and donor embryo costs cover the details, and the embryo adoption vs. embryo donation page lays out the full comparison.
What are donor embryo success rates at Donor Nexus?
For Donor Embryo Program transfers performed at HRC Fertility in Southern California from 2012 through 2025, 69.5% of embryo transfers resulted in a positive pregnancy test and 49.7% resulted in an ongoing pregnancy or confirmed delivery.5,6 Both figures are reported per embryo transfer and describe those HRC Fertility transfers only.
Donor Embryo Program, 2012 to 2025
Donor embryo outcomes at Donor Nexus
Positive pregnancy rate
69.5%
of embryo transfers had a positive pregnancy test
Ongoing pregnancy or confirmed delivery
49.7%
of embryo transfers reached an ongoing pregnancy or a confirmed delivery
Both rates are counted per embryo transfer for transfers performed at HRC Fertility in Southern California. A positive test comes weeks before an ongoing pregnancy check, so the first rate sits higher, and neither one predicts the outcome of an individual cycle.5
How should you read these figures next to national data?
You can see why a side-by-side reading needs care once you line up how each number is built. The SART figure counts live births per recipient start or thaw across hundreds of clinics in a single year, while the Donor Nexus figures count pregnancies and ongoing pregnancies or deliveries per embryo transfer at one clinic group across 14 years.1,5 The CDC also cautions that differences in patient populations and treatment practices make success rates hard to compare across clinics and programs.8
- Different events: a positive pregnancy test happens weeks before an ongoing pregnancy check, and months before a birth.
- Different denominators: a per-transfer rate leaves out cycles that stopped before a transfer took place.
- Different time windows: one reporting year and a 14-year program history reflect different mixes of patients and lab practices.
What affects your chance of success with a donor embryo?
Your chance of success with a donor embryo depends on the embryo, your uterine environment, and the lab and clinic handling the transfer. The table below summarizes what research and professional guidance say about each factor and what to ask your physician when you review a profile.
| Factor | What the evidence shows | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Embryo grade and development | Among chromosomally normal blastocysts, higher morphology grades were linked with higher ongoing pregnancy rates, and inner cell mass quality was the strongest predictor, although lower-grade embryos still led to pregnancies.9,10 | What the grade and freeze day on the profile mean for your plan (see our embryo grading guide) |
| Genetic testing status | PGT-A reports chromosome number, but ASRM and SART say its value as a routine test for every IVF patient has not been demonstrated.11 | Whether testing untested embryos is useful in your situation (see PGT-A testing) |
| Age at egg retrieval | Donated embryos reflect the age of the person whose eggs created them at the time of retrieval, not the age of the person receiving the embryo. Donor Nexus profiles include the donors' ages when the embryos were frozen.15 | How the egg donor's age at retrieval factors into your physician's expectations |
| Your uterine environment | Pretesting includes a uterine cavity evaluation because polyps, fibroids, or a uterine septum can affect implantation.6 | Which pretesting you need and whether anything should be treated before transfer |
| Number of embryos transferred | ASRM and SART guidance limits the transfer of a chromosomally normal embryo to one, regardless of age, since transferring more than one raises the chance of twins.12 | How many embryos your physician recommends transferring at once |
| Warming and lab practice | With current vitrification methods, embryo survival after warming is approaching 100%.13 | What happens if an embryo does not survive the thaw |
Factors that shape outcomes with donated embryos.
The number of embryos in a profile also matters for planning. The Donor Embryo Program fee includes 1 to 3 embryos from your selected profile, and untested profiles may include 3 or more, so if an embryo does not survive the thaw you can move to another from the same lot or a backup profile.5,6 Our guide to choosing a donor embryo walks through what each profile shows.
How do you compare donor embryo success rates across programs?
Compare the same measure at the same stage for the same kind of cycle, and check four things before you accept a number at face value.
Before you compare programs
Four things to check in any donor embryo success rate
Published rates describe groups of patients, and your own chances depend on your medical history, so review the numbers with your physician.
Frequently asked questions about donor embryo success rates
What is the success rate for donor embryos?
Nationally, 45.2% of donated-embryo cycles led to a live birth in SART's preliminary 2024 data and 43.6% in the final 2023 report.1,2 For Donor Embryo Program transfers at HRC Fertility from 2012 to 2025, 69.5% had a positive pregnancy test and 49.7% reached an ongoing pregnancy or confirmed delivery.5
Is a positive pregnancy rate the same as a live birth rate?
No. A positive pregnancy rate counts a positive hCG blood test after transfer, which includes early losses, so it runs higher than a live birth rate. Even a clinical pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound does not always end in a birth: in national data for donated embryo transfers from 2016 to 2019, 53.4% resulted in a clinical pregnancy and 43.5% resulted in a live birth.4
Do embryo adoption and embryo donation have the same success rates?
Yes. Both use the same frozen embryo transfer procedure, so published success rates apply to both models. The differences are legal and practical, such as whether a home study is required, how long the process takes, and what programs charge before your clinic fees.7
Does embryo grade affect donor embryo success rates?
Grade is linked with outcomes, especially the inner cell mass grade, but it is one factor among several. In studies of chromosomally normal blastocysts, lower-grade embryos had lower ongoing pregnancy rates yet still resulted in pregnancies, so your physician weighs grade alongside testing status and your health.9,10
What happens if a donor embryo doesn't survive the thaw?
Survival after warming is high with current vitrification methods.13 If an embryo does not survive in the Donor Embryo Program, the lab can thaw another embryo from the same profile, or our team can offer a backup profile, with a refund or credit if the backup profiles do not meet your criteria.6
How much does a donor embryo cycle cost at Donor Nexus?
Donor Embryo Program cycles at Donor Nexus are $9,400 USD, which does not include pretesting, medications, or the frozen embryo transfer fees charged by your clinic.5 Our guide to donor embryo costs covers what sits inside and outside that figure and how it compares with adoption-model programs.
What happens after you choose a donor embryo?
The Donor Embryo Program follows eight steps: browsing donor embryo profiles, securing your embryos, a physician consultation, pretesting, confirming your cycle dates, a medication phase, the embryo transfer, and a pregnancy test. The medication phase lasts about 35 days before your transfer.6 Our embryo donation process page walks through each step in detail.
Published success rates are a starting point for your research, and the most useful next step is usually a conversation with a physician who can look at your history alongside the profiles available to you. Our team can walk you through the program data, the process, and the donor embryo profiles currently listed, and you can reach us at info@donornexus.com or +1 (949) 433-5635, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific.
Sources
- Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Preliminary National Summary Report for 2024: donated embryos.
- Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Final National Summary Report for 2023: donated embryos.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021 Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility Clinic and National Summary Report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Lee JC, DeSantis CE, Boulet SL, Kawwass JF. Embryo donation: national trends and outcomes, 2004-2019. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2023;228(3):318.e1-318.e7. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2022.10.045.
- Donor Nexus. Donor Embryo Program: outcomes for transfers performed at HRC Fertility, 2012 to 2025, and program details. Accessed September 2026.
- Donor Nexus. Embryo donation process. Accessed September 2026.
- Donor Nexus. Embryo adoption vs. embryo donation. Accessed September 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to interpret ART success rates.
- Irani M, Reichman D, Robles A, Melnick A, Davis O, Zaninovic N, Xu K, Rosenwaks Z. Morphologic grading of euploid blastocysts influences implantation and ongoing pregnancy rates. Fertility and Sterility. 2017;107(3):664-670. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.11.012.
- Nazem TG, Sekhon L, Lee JA, Overbey J, Pan S, Duke M, Briton-Jones C, Whitehouse M, Copperman AB, Stein DE. The correlation between morphology and implantation of euploid human blastocysts. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2019;38(2):169-176. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2018.10.007.
- Practice Committees of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. The use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2024;122(3):421-434. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.04.013.
- Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Practice Committee for the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Guidance on the limits to the number of embryos to transfer: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2021;116(3):651-654. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.06.050.
- Practice Committees of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society of Reproductive Biologists and Technologists. A review of best practices of rapid-cooling vitrification for oocytes and embryos: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2021;115(2):305-310. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.11.017.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022 Final Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rates: donated embryos, national data. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Donor Nexus. Donor embryo FAQ. Accessed September 2026.
Related reading
Medical disclaimer
This article shares general information about donor embryo success rates and is not medical advice. Your fertility doctor knows your history and treatment plan, so their guidance comes first. National figures and Donor Nexus outcome data describe past results and do not predict the outcome of any individual cycle.
Last updated September 2026. Figures cited here are drawn from the sources listed above.
Donor Nexus Team
The Donor Nexus Team is the group of case managers, donor coordinators, and egg bank staff who run the agency's Fresh Donor Matching, Frozen Egg Bank, and Embryo Donation programs day to day. Since 2012 they ha…
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