Denison University

Granville, OH · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Denison University admitted 17.4% of applicants university-wide (2,611 of 15,012).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide17.4%2,61115,012
Early Decision (binding)18.3%3561,941
Men16.0%1,1977,494
Women18.8%1,4147,518

Early Decision applicants were admitted at 18.3%, vs 17.4% overall — ED is a binding commitment.

Of 2,611 admitted students, 621 enrolled (23.8% yield).

Denison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1340–1480
ACT (mid-50%)
30–33
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.50–4.00

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Denison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $92,900/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$71,000
Fees, housing, food, books & other$21,900
Sticker cost of attendance$92,900/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$16,656
$30k–48k$13,086
$48k–75k$17,827
$75k–110k$20,839
Over $110k$48,472

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Founders Scholarship — Up to $30,000 per year (Merit)
  • Presidential Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Presidents Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Trustee Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Trustee)
  • Denison Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Denison Grant — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)

International applicants

Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.

  • Founders Scholarship — Up to $30,000 per year (Merit)
  • Presidential Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Presidents Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Trustee Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Trustee)
  • Denison Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Denison Grant — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)

Denison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application or Coalition Application
  • Early Decision Agreement
  • Counselor Recommendation & School Report
  • High School Transcript
  • Teacher Evaluation
  • ACT/SAT Scores (optional)
  • Arts Supplement (optional)
  • Interview (recommended)
  • Home-Schooled Applicant Recommendations

International applicants

  • Common Application or Coalition Application
  • Early Decision Agreement
  • Counselor Recommendation & School Report
  • High School Transcript
  • Teacher Evaluation
  • ACT/SAT Scores (optional)
  • Arts Supplement (optional)
  • Interview (recommended)
  • Home-Schooled Applicant Recommendations
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Denison University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. Denison University is a place where students are encouraged to explore, discover, and connect. Please tell us why you are interested in attending Denison University.250 words · Required

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$67,753
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
78.9%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
88.5%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$26,000
At graduation

Denison University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News Liberal Arts: #34
  • WSJ: #425
  • Forbes: #315
  • Niche: #194

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-15Early Decision — Binding early round
  • 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Denison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Social sciences (21%), Biological & life sciences (9%), Psychology (8%).

Student–faculty ratio: 9:1 · 68% of class sections have under 20 students.

Denison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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