What Kind of School Denison University Is
Denison is a private, nonprofit, four-year college focused on the arts and sciences. The system that classifies colleges in this country—Carnegie—places it among the most selective schools and describes it as highly residential: at least half of its degree-seeking students live in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attend full-time. That tells you something real about the kind of experience it offers: this is not a commuter school; it is a school where students live.
Now, “highly residential” does not mean that living there is free or included. Room and board are charged separately, as you will see later. And “more selective” does not tell you how many out of every one hundred applicants get in—that figure exists separately, and we will look at it.
The highest credential level the institution reports offering is the bachelor’s degree. That is an institutional fact, not a promise about your child’s specific major: before getting excited about a program, verify that it exists and leads to the credential you are looking for.
Denison is in Granville, Ohio, within Licking County, in the Columbus metropolitan area. Its census code classifies it as suburban: inside the urbanized area, but outside the principal city. What living there feels like is something you learn by visiting, not by reading a map. If your child is considering living at home, the recommendation is simple and practical: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the GPS says.
One final identity-related fact, and one worth understanding clearly from the start: Denison is not listed as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; Denison is not among them. That does not tell you which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. Those are things to ask about directly: which cultural centers currently exist, which student organizations are active, and—if possible—whether your child can speak with someone who already attends the school.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
Denison had 2,405 students enrolled in the official fall count, all of them undergraduates—there is no graduate enrollment there. It is a midsize school, within the range of 1,000 to 4,999 students, and compared with similar selective private schools, it falls right in the middle: neither among the largest nor among the smallest.
Nearly everyone attends full-time. IPEDS estimates an institutional full-time equivalent enrollment of 2,396 students out of those 2,405 enrolled.
The campus is almost evenly divided between men and women: out of every 100 students, 52 are women. The percentage of students between the ages of 25 and 64 rounds to zero—that does not mean nobody is that age, but it does mean there are very few. If your child is looking for an environment with classmates from a wider range of ages, this does not appear to be that kind of campus.
Here is a figure worth looking at directly: 7 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with 941 similar selective private schools, Denison ranks below the midpoint of the group. That does not remove the school from your child’s list, but it is real information. Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, nor would having many make it good on its own: the number only tells you who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, ask which student groups and support services exist, and try to speak with a Latino student who already attends before deciding. That 7 out of every 100 applies to the school as a whole; your child’s particular experience within their major may look different.
IPEDS does not report where entering students came from—which states or which countries—for this school in the most recent cycle. That information simply is not available.
Academics: Calendar, Degrees, and the Relationship with Faculty
Denison organizes its year into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its most recent report, it stated that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam or that those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Request a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling, and do not assume there will be savings until you have it in hand.
In the most recent reported year, Denison awarded 509 bachelor’s degrees across 21 fields of study families—what the government calls CIP families. Social sciences awarded the largest share, accounting for 21 out of every 100 degrees that year—but no other family exceeded it, and it does not account for most of the total either. Compared with similar selective private schools, Denison ranks in the quarter with the most fields of study families represented in its degree data: its offerings are broad and distributed, not concentrated in two or three areas. Still, 21 families with at least one row in the report do not mean 21 active majors or 21 families with degrees actually awarded—a row may report zero. Verify the exact program your child is interested in, down to its full name.
As for the relationship between students and faculty: Denison reports 9 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. That is a low ratio, and compared with similar schools, it places Denison in the bottom quarter—that is, lower than three out of every four similar schools. But a low ratio is not the same as small classes. The figure compares staff with students; it does not count seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
Structured Academic Opportunities
Denison reports two formal academic pathways: study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research. These are opportunities that the institution says are available; how accessible they are within your child’s major, what support they include, and what requirements apply are things worth asking about directly, with the specific program name in hand.
What It Takes to Get In: The Admissions Door
This is where the path becomes demanding. Denison does not have open admissions: it reviews several components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations—not counting standardized tests or legacy status—it marked six as required: the high school record, GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. It also considers, though it does not require, your child’s class rank, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the school.
Put plainly: this is a long application. It cannot be put together in one night. The published application fee, however, is $0.
As for legacy status: if nobody in your family attended Denison, do not spend energy worrying about it. It is one part of the process that your child cannot change. Invest that time instead in what is within their control: the essay, the letters, and the academic record.
Now for the figure people ask about most: how many get in? In the most recent cycle, Denison received 14,580 first-time applications and offered admission to 2,468 applicants. That is 17 out of every 100. Compared with similar selective private schools, Denison is among those that accept the smallest share—nine out of ten similar schools, or more, accept a higher percentage of their applicants. On the other side of that calculation are 12,112 applicants who did not receive an offer.
I want to say this as clearly as the data does: that 17 out of every 100 does not measure your child’s worth. It measures how many places were offered compared with how many people requested them that year. Make sure your child’s college list includes schools with several levels of selectivity, not only the most difficult ones.
Also interesting: out of every 100 students Denison admitted, only 26 ultimately enrolled there. The other 74 had an admission letter in hand and still chose another school. That percentage is common among similar schools—neither among the highest nor among the lowest. Receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend. And this figure does not measure quality or prestige: when your child’s letters arrive, place them side by side and compare net price, major, and distance, not this percentage.
As for standardized tests: at Denison, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Among those who did submit the SAT—26 out of every 100 enrolled students—the middle half scored between 650 and 710 in reading and writing, and between 650 and 760 in math. Keep in mind: those ranges describe students who enrolled and chose to submit their scores, not all applicants. That 650 is not a minimum your child must reach, and that 710 does not guarantee anything either.
And regarding transfers: of a bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 15 out of every 100 transferred without completing at Denison and continued their education at another institution. That percentage is common among similar schools. Transferring colleges is not failing. It is worth making sure your child knows, before enrolling, how to request the paperwork needed to transfer credits if that ever becomes necessary.
Cost: What the Published Price Says
At Denison University, among 43 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $15,093. Among 30 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,451; among 306 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $46,510. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $31,417 between the average for the lowest-income band (43 students) and the average for the highest-income band (306 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $42,177.
$15,093 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent to you is what matters.
Financial Aid and Loans
Here Denison shows a pattern that needs to be understood carefully. 96 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not need to be repaid. That is the norm here, not the exception. Among those who received it, the average was $35,815 for the year—though that average includes some who received much more and others who received much less.
But be careful with a figure that can easily be misunderstood: the federal Pell Grant, intended for low-income families, reached only 13 out of every 100 students. In other words, at least 83 out of every 100 received aid that was not Pell but came from another source—the university itself, the state, or somewhere else. Almost everyone receives something; very few specifically receive Pell. Ask directly who provides each grant or scholarship, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year, because the report combines all types of aid without distinguishing their sources.
And the other side of the coin: in the most recent school year, 52 out of every 100 Denison undergraduate students received a federal student loan. More than half. Those who borrowed received an average of $6,529 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year for four years, the total would be close to $26,116, not including interest. That calculation should be done before signing, not at the end.
Financing with debt is the norm here, not the exception. This percentage describes other families, not yours—what your child would need to borrow depends on their own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it. And keep in mind that this average covers only federal loans in the student’s name for one year: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt from private banks, or the total debt with which a student graduates.
Denison also reports a tuition payment plan with installments as an additional way to manage the cost.
Campus Life, Athletics, and Support
Denison does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported capacity of 2,387 students. It is not required for all first-time, full-time students—but that does not mean no program or class year requires it. The school also offers meal plans, including a large plan with a fixed number of meals per week. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child, so request the annual rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or students are placed on a waiting list in writing.
ROTC is available, but only the Army branch was marked; neither the Navy nor the Air Force appears as confirmed. If your child is interested in a different branch, it has not been ruled out, but it is not confirmed here either: you need to ask directly.
Denison competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA—not with other associations. It reports membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to continue playing in college, that membership belongs to the school; it does not guarantee your child a place. Write directly to the coach for the sport and ask about roster availability, division, and whether athletic scholarships are offered, and request written confirmation.
There is no distance education: zero courses at either the undergraduate or graduate level, and zero students taking all their classes that way. If your child needs scheduling flexibility because of work or caregiving responsibilities at home, their schedule here must work entirely in person.
The library operates with paid staff, has physical and digital materials, and offers interlibrary lending. That is a solid foundation, but it does not guarantee that databases specific to your child’s major are available—that is something to ask about by program name.
As for general support, Denison reports combined academic and career counseling, placement services for students who complete their programs, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and a published address for disability services.
Who Stays and Who Finishes
For many families, this is the figure that carries the most weight: what if my child gets in but does not finish?
Of the cohort that entered Denison in the fall of 2022, 89 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed a bachelor’s degree one year later. That is a high result, and compared with similar selective private schools, Denison ranks near the top of the group. But this figure combines two different outcomes—remaining enrolled and having already finished—without separating them, and it does not say what happened to the rest.
As for graduation: of the cohort that entered in 2017, 80 out of every 100 had earned their degrees six years later. At four years, the figure was already 73 out of every 100—just 7 points below the final result. Compared with similar schools, Denison ranks in the top quarter: three out of every four similar schools, or more, report an equal or lower share of graduates.
Of that same cohort of 617 students: 494 completed a bachelor’s degree here, 90 transferred to another institution without completing at Denison, 1 student was still enrolled without finishing, and 32 fell into the “no longer enrolled” category—a category that does not explain why and may include people who finished after the deadline.
I want to be direct with you here: a high percentage is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort of 2017. What is within your control, and your child’s, is making sure they enter with their credits in order and know from the first semester who their academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in their major.
Finally, one longer-term figure: following a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, eight years later 82 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Denison. Among Pell Grant recipients, the result was 79 out of every 100—just 3 points below the group without Pell. Compared with similar schools, this also places Denison in the top quarter. This is a cohort from years ago, not a prediction about your child. It is more useful to ask about the program’s current support services and the outcomes of more recent cohorts than to rely blindly on this figure.
What You Know Now, and What Comes Next
You now know Denison University through real figures, not impressions.
You also know who is responsible for what. Denison is responsible for admitting students, offering aid, and stating what it has available. Your child is responsible for building their academic record, writing their essay, deciding what they want to study, and eventually showing up there each semester. You are responsible for understanding the family’s finances, requesting the financial aid letter before drawing conclusions, and supporting the decision without carrying it alone.
This university is neither the answer nor the obstacle. It is one piece of the map. Put it together with what your child wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan that truly works for your family comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Note on sources: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution itself to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Denison University or the United States government; this article organizes public information to help you understand it.