Denison University — College Profile

About

Denison University is a top-tier liberal arts college renowned for blending traditional undergraduate inquiry with practical, forward-looking majors such as Data Analytics, Global Commerce, and Communication. Set on a picturesque hilltop campus in Granville, Ohio, Denison is distinctive for its Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, which integrates robust professional mentorship and funded internship opportunities directly into the four-year curriculum. The student experience is defined by an active, fully residential campus culture marked by close faculty-student research partnerships, competitive Division III athletics, and a strong sense of community.

Wikipedia:Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called the Granville Literary and Theological Institution, later took the name Granville College, and, in the mid-1850s, was renamed Denison University, in honor of William S. Denison, a major early benefactor. The college enrolled 2,400 students in fall 2025. Students choose from 65 academic programs and 4 pre-professional programs.

Location

Granville, OH, 43023 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

CMH · Columbus

20 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$67,000

Housing & food (on campus)$16,400

Books & supplies$1,000

Cost of attendance$81,900

Average net price$40,007

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$67,000

Housing & food (on campus)$16,400

Books & supplies$1,000

Cost of attendance$81,900

Average net price$40,007

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$16,656

$30–48k

$13,086

$48–75k

$17,827

$75–110k

$20,839

$110k+

$48,472

Your family's actual price → Denison University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$19,149

First-years who got one249

Source: Denison University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures.

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

79%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

72%

Back for yr 2

89%

Transferred

16%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

83% graduated · 14% transferred · 2% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$51,352

10 yrs after entry$67,753

Debt

Median at graduation$26,000

Monthly payment$276

Middle 50% owe$10.5k–$28k

90th percentile$31,000

Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs, $58,391 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

17%

Test policy

Test optional

Checked Sep 2026

SAT average

1410

R 660–730 · M 660–760

ACT midpoint

Comp 30–33 · E 29–35 · M 26–31

SAT middle 50%: 1320–1490

40080012001600

Application deadlines · first-year, fall 2027 entry

Early Decision I

Nov 15 2026

binding in 44 days · Early Decision 1

If admitted, you must enroll and withdraw other applications.

Early Decision II

Jan 15 2027

binding in 105 days

A later Early Decision round: if admitted, you must enroll and withdraw other applications.

Regular Decision

Jan 15 2027

in 105 days

Not binding: the standard deadline.

Checked Sep 2026 · denison.edu · Confirm on the school's site before you apply.

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Essay prompts

If Denison University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 48%Women 52%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

9 : 1

Pell grant

13%

First-gen

17%

Family income

$77,800

Age at entry

19.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

60%

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

17%

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Fencing
Women's
Field Hockey
Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Lacrosse
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Squash
Men's · Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$51,352

After 10 yrs

$67,753

Economics78

Communication and Media Studies51

Biology, General47

Research and Experimental Psychology45

International Business44

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness35

Data Science34

Mathematics21

Political Science and Government21

Education, General20

Film/Video and Photographic Arts19

Computer Science18

History18

Public Health17

Natural Resources Conservation and Research16

Sociology and Anthropology16

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$1.0B

Full-time faculty

95%

Faculty salary

$11,237/mo

Teaching spend

$25,080

per student

Federal loans

51%

Classification

Carnegie type

Baccalaureate — arts & sciences

Undergraduate profile