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Denison University

Denison University is a private campus in suburban Granville, OH. International students are a visible presence at Denison University — 17.5% of its 2,380 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$15,093

family income
under $30k

$12,775

$30–48k

$15,451

$48–75k

$29,492

$75–110k

$46,510

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$40,0072023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Denison University rose from $20,663 (2008) to $40,007 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$20,663
2009	$21,720
2010	$37,480
2011	$23,026
2012	$23,507
2013	$25,404
2014	$24,257
2015	$27,944
2016	$24,808
2017	$25,177
2018	$28,614
2019	$29,597
2020	$32,002
2021	$34,134
2022	$38,111
2023	$40,007

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$81,9002024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Denison University rose from $45,980 (2009) to $81,900 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$45,980
2010	$47,340
2011	$49,410
2012	$52,020
2013	$54,490
2014	$56,520
2015	$58,620
2016	$60,604
2017	$63,023
2018	$64,935
2019	$66,951
2020	$69,128
2021	$72,804
2022	$73,725
2023	$76,900
2024	$81,900

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$22,210
2001	$23,090
2002	$24,240
2003	$25,090
2004	$27,310
2005	$28,920
2006	$30,660
2007	$33,010
2008	$35,300
2013	$43,910
2014	$45,670
2015	$47,290
2016	$48,960
2017	$50,440
2018	$51,960
2019	$53,830
2020	$56,680
2021	$57,500
2022	$60,000
2023	$64,000

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $67,000 before grants and other attendance costs. At Denison University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

At 2,380 undergrads, Denison University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.

78.9% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Denison University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

78.9%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Denison University has wandered from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 86.5% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 78.9%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	74.9%
1992 cohort	71.4%
1993 cohort	66.7%
1994 cohort	67.3%
1995 cohort	72.6%
1996 cohort	75.7%
1997 cohort	76.9%
1998 cohort	76.5%
1999 cohort	79.7%
2000 cohort	76.7%
2001 cohort	78.7%
2002 cohort	81.2%
2003 cohort	84.6%
2004 cohort	83%
2005 cohort	79.2%
2006 cohort	85.5%
2007 cohort	81.4%
2008 cohort	82%
2009 cohort	79.8%
2010 cohort	80.3%
2011 cohort	86.5%
2012 cohort	84.6%
2013 cohort	82.3%
2014 cohort	80.5%
2015 cohort	81.3%
2016 cohort	84.6%
2017 cohort	80.1%
2018 cohort	78.9%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$14,500	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$15,600	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$16,476	$10,188
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$16,125	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$17,125	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$17,125	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$16,661	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$16,673	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$16,301	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$19,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$21,426	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$23,887	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$25,000	$6,479
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$25,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$26,000	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$27,000	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$25,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$25,000	$8,807
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$25,000	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$26,000	$12,000

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$51,352

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$58,826

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$67,753

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Denison University admitted 2,611 of 15,012 applicants in Fall 2024. The 17.4% rate describes that application pool.

17.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $64,000 tuition · 2023–24 2,380 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1320–14901600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Denison University received 15,012 applications and admitted 2,611 (17.4%), with 621 enrolling.

Denison University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Denison University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 660–730 and Math was 660–760 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1320–1490 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	660	700	730
SAT Math	660	710	760
ACT Composite	30	31	33

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

17.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Read Denison University's change from 58.4% to 17.4% as a share of applications, not an explanation of admissions decisions. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	58.4%
Fall 2002	61.4%
Fall 2003	67.7%
Fall 2004	43.8%
Fall 2005	38.8%
Fall 2006	38.7%
Fall 2007	39.1%
Fall 2008	38.2%
Fall 2009	50.2%
Fall 2010	49.3%
Fall 2011	48.3%
Fall 2012	49.5%
Fall 2013	46%
Fall 2014	55.5%
Fall 2015	47.9%
Fall 2016	43.6%
Fall 2017	37.2%
Fall 2018	33.9%
Fall 2019	29.4%
Fall 2020	28.2%
Fall 2021	28.3%
Fall 2022	22%
Fall 2023	16.9%
Fall 2024	17.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1320–1490Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1110	1310
Fall 2002	1110	1320
Fall 2004	1140	1332
Fall 2005	1150	1330
Fall 2006	1170	1370
Fall 2007	1160	1360
Fall 2008	1150	1370
Fall 2009	1200	1380
Fall 2010	1190	1380
Fall 2011	1190	1360
Fall 2012	1200	1400
Fall 2013	1190	1330
Fall 2016	1190	1380
Fall 2017	1200	1380
Fall 2018	1210	1380
Fall 2019	1200	1410
Fall 2020	1220	1430
Fall 2021	1230	1430
Fall 2022	1270	1460
Fall 2023	1300	1470
Fall 2024	1320	1490

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

30–33Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	25	29
Fall 2002	24	29
Fall 2004	25	30
Fall 2005	25	29
Fall 2006	26	30
Fall 2007	28	31
Fall 2008	25	30
Fall 2009	27	30
Fall 2010	27	30
Fall 2011	27	30
Fall 2012	27	31
Fall 2013	27	31
Fall 2016	28	32
Fall 2017	28	31
Fall 2018	28	31
Fall 2019	27	31
Fall 2020	28	32
Fall 2021	28	32
Fall 2022	29	32
Fall 2023	29	32
Fall 2024	30	33

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

2,380Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Denison University rose from 2,073 (Fall 2002) to 2,380 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	2,073
Fall 2003	2,192
Fall 2004	2,204
Fall 2005	2,296
Fall 2006	2,236
Fall 2007	2,212
Fall 2008	2,180
Fall 2009	2,240
Fall 2010	2,254
Fall 2011	2,261
Fall 2012	2,308
Fall 2013	2,255
Fall 2014	2,265
Fall 2015	2,254
Fall 2016	2,261
Fall 2017	2,321
Fall 2018	2,368
Fall 2019	2,262
Fall 2020	2,253
Fall 2021	2,312
Fall 2022	2,406
Fall 2023	2,398
Fall 2024	2,380

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

89%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Denison University has held near 89% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	90%
Fall 2003 cohort	89%
Fall 2004 cohort	90%
Fall 2005 cohort	88%
Fall 2006 cohort	94%
Fall 2007 cohort	88%
Fall 2008 cohort	90%
Fall 2009 cohort	89%
Fall 2010 cohort	90%
Fall 2011 cohort	92%
Fall 2012 cohort	89%
Fall 2013 cohort	89%
Fall 2014 cohort	87%
Fall 2015 cohort	89%
Fall 2016 cohort	91%
Fall 2017 cohort	89%
Fall 2018 cohort	90%
Fall 2019 cohort	85%
Fall 2020 cohort	87%
Fall 2021 cohort	90%
Fall 2022 cohort	89%
Fall 2023 cohort	89%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Denison University

12.6% of Denison University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Denison University as a primarily residential campus of 2,380 undergraduates — and 88.5% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Denison University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1320–1490 — their midpoint is above the OH four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Denison University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Denison University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Denison University17.4%

Ohio median75.9%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Denison University$67,000

Ohio median$29,500

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Denison University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Denison University$67,753

Ohio median$52,356

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Denison University, Ohio and national reference values
Metric & basis	Denison University	Ohio median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	17.4%	75.9%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$67,000	$29,500	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$67,753	$52,356	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Denison University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Denison University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 6 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Economics	$97,394
Communication and Media Studies	$66,730
Education, General	$65,429
Biology, General	$55,654
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$49,358
Sociology and Anthropology	$49,035

These 6 fields listed for Denison University measure earnings after completion. The $67,753 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 36 additional Denison University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Denison University report?

Denison University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1320–1490 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Denison University's acceptance rate?

17.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 2,611 admitted from 15,012 applicants.

How much does Denison University cost?

At Denison University, tuition is $67,000. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Denison University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $67,753. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Ohio

Kenyon College — 31% admitted
Art Academy of Cincinnati — 34.5% admitted
Oberlin College — 34.2% admitted
Defiance College — 47.5% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.