Denison University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
University Heights, Ohio · Private nonprofit · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Denison University is a private nonprofit university in University Heights, Ohio that admits about 81% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $28,617 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Finance and Financial Management Services, Marketing and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 79% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.2 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Denison University is a private institution located in University Heights, Ohio. For the most recent reporting cycle, Denison University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 81%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1295 and an ACT composite around 27. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,617 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Denison University 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 Denison University?
Denison University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. 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 Denison University weight in admissions?
Denison University 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
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Denison University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 620. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–30. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1180 |
| 50th percentile | 1250 |
| 75th percentile | 1330 |
| % submitting SAT | 13% |
| 25th percentile | 25 |
| 50th percentile | 29 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 14% |
- • 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 | 24% |
| Top 25% of class | 55% |
| Top 50% of class | 85% |
| % submitting class rank | 30% |
How much does Denison University actually cost?
Published tuition is $49,100 for in-state students and $49,100 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $14,160 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $28,617 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 20% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $50,160 |
| Room and board | $14,950 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $28,617 |
| Application fee | — |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Denison University
| Notification date | November 15 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from Denison University?
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 Denison University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Denison University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Finance and Financial Management Services, Marketing and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Across all programs, Denison University confers roughly 552 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $82,066 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 | 103 | $82,066 |
| Marketing | 87 | $72,686 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 64 | — |
| Biology, General | 62 | $64,836 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 60 | $59,845 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 60 | $77,892 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 59 | $89,675 |
| Psychology, General | 57 | $51,176 |
Is Denison University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Denison University disclosed 5 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.2 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 2 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 Denison University?
About 60% of undergraduates at Denison University live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 4% of men join a fraternity and 11% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Ohio parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Denison University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Denison University 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 Denison University
What GPA do I need for Denison University?
Denison University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Denison University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 620. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–30.
How much does Denison University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Denison University after grants and scholarships is $28,617 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 Denison University 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, Denison University 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 Denison University?
Denison University accepts about 81% of applicants out of roughly 4,623 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Denison University test-optional?
Yes. Denison University 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 Denison University?
About 79% of students at Denison University graduate within six years, and 72% finish in four years. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Denison University look for in applicants?
Denison University rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Denison University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Denison University is a private nonprofit institution located in University Heights, Ohio.
What are the most popular majors at Denison University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Denison University by annual graduates are Finance and Financial Management Services, Marketing and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. The school awards about 552 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Denison University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Denison University reported 5 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.2 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 Denison University?
At Denison University, 60% of undergraduates live on campus, 4% of men are in fraternities, 11% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Denison University, 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.