Kenyon College: the complete school report for parents
Kenyon College puts the most weight on course rigor and GPA. The academic record does most of the work. With a 30.1% admit rate and 64% of enrolled students at a 3.75 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Transfer applicants are admitted at 53.3% against 30.1% for first-years, so the transfer route is materially wider.
Kenyon College is officially Kenyon College. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
What does Kenyon College actually weigh in admissions?
Kenyon College rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA. It does not consider 1 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Kenyon College's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Kenyon College rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Important |
| personal qualities | Important |
| talent | Important |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Important |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Kenyon College consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Kenyon College consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Kenyon College consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider the application essay?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Kenyon College consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Kenyon College consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Kenyon College consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Kenyon College consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Kenyon College consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider demonstrated interest?
Yes. It is an important factor. Visits, emails and opened mail are tracked and counted, so engage early.
Does Kenyon College consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does Kenyon College consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Kenyon College consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Kenyon College consider religious affiliation?
No. Kenyon College does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
64% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 4.15 on a 4 scale, reported for 93.7% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 44.3% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 19.4% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 19.7% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 9.6% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 5.4% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 1% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0.3% |
What is the Kenyon College waitlist really like?
Kenyon College offered a place on its waiting list to 1,439 applicants and 808 accepted one. 63 were ultimately admitted. That is 7.8% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Kenyon College admitted 53.3% of 77 transfer applicants, against 30.1% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Kenyon College reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | January 15 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | Not reported |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 15 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 15 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | Not reported |
| Fee waiver available | Not reported |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Kenyon College requires 20 academic units and recommends 23. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | 4 years |
| Mathematics | 4 years | 4 years |
| Science | 3 years | 4 years |
| of which lab science | 3 years | Not stated |
| Foreign language | 3 years | 4 years |
What will Kenyon College actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $38,512 a year at Kenyon College after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $72,880. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 131 merit awards averaging $28,992 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
41% of Kenyon College graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $28,833 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $196 a month in repayment. Kenyon College’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Kenyon College pay off?
Graduates earn a median $71,830 ten years after entering, and $46,627 at six years. 79% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 87% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Will my child actually graduate?
91% of first-years return for a second year. 80% graduate within four years and 85% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 84.8% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 85.9% of everyone else, a gap of 1.1 points.
How big are the classes?
74% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and 98% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
What is life at Kenyon College like?
2,052 undergraduates, 82.6% of first-years from out of state. 99.9% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 99.9% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 14% of men join a fraternity and 20% of women a sorority, and the median family income is $77,995.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. Kenyon College recommends 23 academic units.
- 64% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 4.15. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 63 of 808 who waited were admitted, about 8%.
- If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Kenyon College
What GPA do you need for Kenyon College?
64% of enrolled students at Kenyon College had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 4.15, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Kenyon College waitlist move?
808 students accepted a place on the Kenyon College waiting list and 63 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Kenyon College graduates earn?
Kenyon College graduates earn a median $71,830 ten years after entering, and 79% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Kenyon College
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Kenyon College’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.
How to read these numbers · Back to the Kenyon College profile