University of Delaware: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Newark, Delaware · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of Delaware is a public university in Newark, Delaware that admits about 65% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $16,931 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Finance and Financial Management Services, Research and Experimental Psychology and Marketing, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 81% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.0 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Delaware admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 65%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1297 and an ACT composite around 29. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $16,931 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Delaware is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University of Delaware?
University of Delaware admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Delaware weight in admissions?
University of Delaware reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • State residency
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores University of Delaware typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 628. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1220 |
| 50th percentile | 1300 |
| 75th percentile | 1370 |
| % submitting SAT | 19.1% |
| 25th percentile | 28 |
| 50th percentile | 30 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 2.8% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 31.5% |
| Top 25% of class | 64.2% |
| Top 50% of class | 92.4% |
| % submitting class rank | 36.4% |
How much does University of Delaware actually cost?
Published tuition is $16,080 for in-state students and $39,720 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $14,838 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $16,931 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 16% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $15,280 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $40,840 |
| Room and board | $15,974 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $16,931 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Delaware
| Regular deadline | November 15 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from University of Delaware?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of Delaware
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Delaware, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Finance and Financial Management Services, Research and Experimental Psychology and Marketing. Across all programs, University of Delaware confers roughly 1,706 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $99,240 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 310 | $99,240 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 234 | $61,576 |
| Marketing | 216 | $97,490 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 210 | $81,053 |
| Biology, General | 196 | $78,770 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 188 | $75,745 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 177 | $93,619 |
| Public Health | 175 | $63,636 |
Is University of Delaware safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Delaware disclosed 38 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 10 violent offenses and 15 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of Delaware?
About 37% of undergraduates at University of Delaware live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 20% of men join a fraternity and 25% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Delaware
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Delaware recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Delaware
What GPA do I need for University of Delaware?
University of Delaware admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Delaware typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 628. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31.
How much does University of Delaware actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Delaware after grants and scholarships is $16,931 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Delaware realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Delaware is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Delaware?
University of Delaware accepts about 65% of applicants out of roughly 39,742 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is University of Delaware test-optional?
Yes. University of Delaware is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at University of Delaware?
About 81% of students at University of Delaware graduate within six years, and 72% finish in four years. 92% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of Delaware look for in applicants?
University of Delaware rates course rigor, GPA and state residency as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of Delaware a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware.
What are the most popular majors at University of Delaware?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Delaware by annual graduates are Finance and Financial Management Services, Research and Experimental Psychology and Marketing. The school awards about 1,706 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Delaware safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Delaware reported 38 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.0 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of Delaware?
At University of Delaware, 37% of undergraduates live on campus, 20% of men are in fraternities, 25% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Delaware, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.