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Denison University
Admission here is competitive but not lottery-odds: 16.9% got in from a pool of 14,580 (Fall 2023 cycle).
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
Denison University occupies suburban Granville, OH — a private campus quieter than a downtown one, closer to one than a rural seat. International students are a visible presence here — 17.5% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Economics, where graduates median $97,394 four years out. 12.6% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 2,380 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 88.5% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1300 and 1470 — above the OH middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Denison University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Denison University received 14,580 applications and admitted 2,468 (16.9%), with 636 enrolling.
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1300–1470 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, Denison University's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 650 | 680 | 710 |
| SAT Math | 650 | 700 | 760 |
| ACT Composite | 29 | 31 | 32 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Denison University compares
| Denison University | Ohio median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 17.4% | 76.5% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $67,000 | $29,500 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $67,753 | $52,356 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Denison University: $67,753 median at year ten, versus $52,356 across Ohio institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $67,000 regardless of where you're from. At Denison University, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
At 2,380 undergrads, Denison University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
78.9% of Denison University students finish a bachelor's within six years — 24 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $67,000 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Denison University
| Bachelor's program | 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 |
Median earnings for these 6 Denison University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $67,753 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 36 additional Denison University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Denison University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1300–1470 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 17.4% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Denison University's acceptance rate?
16.9% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,468 admitted from 14,580 applicants.
How much does Denison University cost?
At Denison University, published tuition is $67,000 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Denison University's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Denison University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $67,753 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
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: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.