Dominican University Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

I am not here to tell you whether this is the right university for your child. I cannot know that, and no one who does not know your family should try to decide it for you. What I can do is sit down with you, as though we were at the kitchen table, to read together what Dominican University reported to the U.S. Department of Education and translate it into something you can use. We will look at the size of the community, how the academic year works, how difficult it is to get in, what it costs on paper and what it ends up costing in practice, how much aid it distributes, and what happens to students after they enroll: how many stay, how many graduate, and how long it takes them.

A Master's-Level, Primarily Nonresidential School in a Chicago Suburb

The federal system that classifies U.S. colleges and universities—called Carnegie—places Dominican University among master's institutions, meaning schools with substantial graduate programs beyond the bachelor's level. But there is an important nuance: according to the data used for that classification, it is a "primarily nonresidential" institution. Technically, that means either fewer than one in four undergraduates lived in institution-provided housing or fewer than half studied full time—the file does not clarify which of those two conditions applied. This does not mean there are no residence halls. It does mean something practical: if your child will be commuting from home, the planning involves more than tuition; it also involves the bus, gas, and hours on the road.

The same classification places it among schools that receive many transfer students. If your child is thinking about enrolling here after attending another institution, this is exactly when to request written confirmation of which courses will count and which will not. The label says that many transfer students arrive; it does not say how many credits they bring or how many are lost along the way.

Geographically, Dominican University is in River Forest, Illinois, in Cook County, within the Chicago metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a suburb: inside the urbanized area but outside the central city. What that place feels like—whether it is walkable, whether there is nightlife, whether the winter weather takes a toll—can be learned only by visiting. If your child plans to live at home, here is one practical suggestion: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of your child's classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map shows.

It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. IPEDS—the federal data system underlying this entire article—records the doctorate as the highest award level it reports offering and classifies it as an institution where most of the credentials awarded are bachelor's degrees or higher. That is an institutional fact, not a program map: it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in is available here or whether it connects to a graduate program. That must be verified program by program.

One last piece of its identity, and this one is straightforward: Dominican University is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one does not. That says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel on this campus. That, like almost everything that truly matters, requires asking directly: which cultural centers currently exist, which student organizations are active, and—if possible—whether you can speak with someone already studying there.

A Small, Predominantly Latino Community

Here is one of the strongest data points in the entire record. In fall 2023, 65 of every 100 Dominican University undergraduates were reported as Hispanic or Latino. They are not a minority on campus; they are the majority. And compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools in this census that report the data, its share is among the highest: nine out of ten of those schools report an equal or lower proportion.

If your child is uneasy about arriving on a campus where they might feel like the only Latino student in the classroom, that is not what the numbers show here. But I want to be clear with you about something that can easily be misunderstood: a high percentage of Latino students is not the same as specific support for Latino students. This figure counts how many there are, not whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, targeted tutoring, or whether those students complete their degrees at the same rates as others. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the particular major your child is interested in.

The rest of the student body's composition is just as clear. Women are a distinct majority: 71 of every 100 undergraduates. Adults ages 25 to 64 are a minority: only 6 of every 100. And of every 100 new degree-seeking students who arrived, 90 had a permanent address in Illinois when they applied. This is not a school that draws students from across the country; above all, it is a school serving its own state.

As for size, Dominican University had 3,424 students enrolled in the official fall count, placing it in the middle-size range of 1,000 to 4,999. Compared with similar schools, it is on the larger side of that group: between one and three out of ten have more students. But that total includes graduate students: 2,397 are undergraduates and 1,027 are graduate students. If your child is starting an undergraduate program, the number that matters to them is 2,397, not the overall total of 3,424.

Semesters, Credits Your Child Already Has, and a Broad Academic Offering

Dominican University's academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. That means consistent dates for all students.

There is something worth investigating thoroughly if your child already has credits from elsewhere. The institution reported that it accepts credit from AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls "credit for life experiences": learning acquired through independent study, noncredit adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses or certifications, or military or professional opportunities, including through an examination program. It also reports accepting credit for military training and enrolls high school students in college-credit courses through a formal dual-enrollment program.

Here is the part you cannot skip: the fact that the school reports these pathways does not mean your child will automatically receive credit for every AP exam they take. It does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits apply to the specific major your child selected. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not calculate potential savings until you have that document in hand.

As for what is studied there: in the most recently reported year, Dominican University awarded 415 bachelor's degrees across 24 different fields of study. The largest field was business and management, accounting for 22 of every 100 degrees awarded that year—a notable share, but far from the entire total. Compared with nearly a thousand similar schools, it falls in the quarter with the greatest variety of fields represented in their offerings. Still, that count of 24 fields does not mean there are 24 actual majors with active students: one CIP field groups multiple programs together, and a row may report no degrees awarded that year. If your child is interested in a particular program, verify it by its exact name, not by the broader field.

As for class size, the official student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 12 to 1. On the general scale, this is considered low. But compared with schools of the same type, it is above the median—neither among the group's lowest nor its highest. Both readings are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of a first-year class. That number is not included in this report.

What the School Reports Offering: Structured Pathways and Opportunities

Dominican University reports offering study abroad, a complete program that can be taken entirely in the evenings or on weekends, noncredit developmental education, and state-approved preparation for initial teacher certification. These can be useful options if your child's path involves any of them, but it is always wise to confirm the specific details with the appropriate office before building a plan around one.

Getting In Is Not as Difficult as It May Seem, but You Have to Meet the Requirements

Here we reach one of the most important parts of the record. Dominican University does not have open admissions: it reviews certain materials before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked four as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework required by the university, and—for applicants to whom it applies—an English-proficiency exam. Other items are not required but are considered if submitted: your child's class rank, personal essay, letters of recommendation, work experience, and whether a relative previously attended. That last factor is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply to your child's situation, do not spend energy on it; put that energy into what is within their control: the transcript, GPA, and correct coursework.

The undergraduate application fee is $0.

Now for the hard numbers. In the 2023 cycle, Dominican University received 6,536 first-time undergraduate applications and offered admission to 5,216 applicants. That is 80 of every 100. Compared with nearly a thousand selective private schools, this is a common rate, slightly above the midpoint of that group. Put plainly: this school reports thousands of applicants, yet eight out of ten still receive a yes. Your child has a real reason to apply and also a reason to prepare a complete application and submit it on time. Still, that figure comes from a single cycle, not a fixed rule of the institution. When it is your child's turn, check the figure again for the relevant year.

Here is a figure that sounds strange until it is explained: of every 100 students admitted in 2023, only 12 enrolled. That means that, for every 8 young people who receive a yes, roughly one actually enrolls. Do not read this as a stain on the school—the federal record does not say why each person made their decision—and do not read it as a sign of what the school will offer your child. The only thing that truly matters is your child's own letter, with their own net price. With that number in hand, you can decide whether the school stays on the list.

As for tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application remains equally valid. Among students who did enroll, only 14 of every 100 submitted an SAT score, and among those students, the middle half scored between 480 and 570 in reading and writing and between 454 and 570 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who enrolled and submitted scores, not all applicants, and they do not prove that the score was used to admit anyone. That 480 is not a minimum, and that 570 guarantees nothing.

And regarding transfers: from a cohort of full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, 23 of every 100 transferred to another institution without completing here. This is a common proportion compared with similar schools. Changing schools is not failing. What is worth doing in advance is making sure your child knows how to request the paperwork needed to leave if necessary—and, if your child arrives as a transfer student from somewhere else, requesting written confirmation, with a course list in hand, of which credits will be recognized before making the move.

The Sticker Price and What Is Actually Paid

At Dominican University, among 136 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 $10,934. Among 92 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,342; among 72 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,367. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.

The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (136 students) and the highest-income band (72 students) is $10,433. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $16,969.

Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Dominican University falls within the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a data point that carries weight when you build the list of schools to apply to.

None of these figures is a price quote for your child. 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 tuition rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter sent to you. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school's website.

The Aid It Distributes and the Debt You Need to Plan For

Almost everyone receives something here. At Dominican University, 96 of every 100 degree-seeking students received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average was $26,164 for the year—although that average includes people who received much more and people who received much less. Federal Pell aid, reserved for low-income students, reached half of degree-seeking students: 50 of every 100.

None of this is your particular offer. A high average among students who received aid does not guarantee that yours will be that large. When the letter arrives, what you need to identify is how much your family would have to pay out of pocket—and compare that figure across schools, not the size of the advertised discount.

As for loans: in the 2022-23 academic year, 58 of every 100 undergraduates received a federal student loan. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per student that year was $6,334. This is a common proportion compared with similar schools—neither among those with the most students borrowing nor among those with the fewest.

I want to be candid with you here, without being dramatic but also without softening it: financing with debt is common here, not the exception. If your child borrows a similar amount each year throughout the four-year plan, the total comes to around $25,336, not counting interest. That number should be considered before the first signature, not at the end of the road. And keep in mind: that average covers only federal loans in the student's name during a single year. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt from private banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation—that would require adding together every year, and that figure is not in this report.

The institution also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan as a way to manage the expense throughout the year.

Campus Life: Housing, Sports, the Library, and Support Services

Dominican University does have its own housing, and it does not require all full-time, first-time students to live there—though that does not rule out the possibility that a particular program does. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The reported maximum capacity of institution-controlled housing is 520 students. The existence of housing does not guarantee a spot; request the current year's rate, application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or applicants may be placed on a waiting list, all in writing.

Regarding ROTC, the institution did not mark any ROTC opportunities in its most recent report, unlike 926 of the 1,786 four-year institutions in this guide that did. This does not prove that there is no nearby option—it only means none was marked in this field. If that particular scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions about it directly before ruling it out.

In sports, it does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say which division each sport competes in or whether athletic scholarships are awarded. If your child is interested in competing, write directly to the coach of the specific sport and request the answer in writing.

As for distance education, it is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the institution reports at least one complete program that can be finished remotely. But in the fall count, only 2 of every 100 undergraduates took all their classes remotely; the other 98 took at least one class in person. If your child is looking for a fully online degree, confirm the exact level and program.

The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government—a data point often associated with libraries at selective schools. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that it has databases specific to your child's major; ask about those by program name.

Finally, the institution reports these services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military service members, and a published web address for disability services. The fact that these services are reported does not indicate how accessible, responsive, or effective they are in practice. That must be determined by asking directly.

Who Stays, Who Graduates, and How Long It Takes

This is perhaps the section where the honesty of this exercise matters most. Let us go slowly.

Of a cohort of 598 students who entered full time in fall 2022, 474 were still enrolled or had already completed a bachelor's degree the following year: 79 of every 100. That figure is slightly above the midpoint among similar schools—neither among the best nor the worst, but in the middle. This measure does not separate students who are still studying from those who have already earned their degrees, nor does it give the outcomes of the remaining students. And here is a clarification worth repeating: not returning to this school is not the same as leaving college. In this figure, someone who transferred and continues studying elsewhere is counted the same way as someone who left college altogether.

As for graduation: of 441 full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, 275 had graduated here within six years. That is 62 of every 100—slightly more than half and above the median for comparable schools. At the four-year mark, the figure drops to 49 of every 100; measured in percentage points, the difference between the two time frames is 13, a reminder that many students who do finish need a little more time than the brochure suggests.

It is worth looking at the rest of the complete picture for that same cohort of 441:

That last row, "no longer enrolled," does not explain the reason. It may include both someone who left college altogether and someone who graduated after the official threshold of 150% of normal time. Transferring also does not show that the person completed a credential at the new destination—the data simply does not extend that far.

Finally, the longer view: an annual cohort of 702 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—combining first-time students and students with prior experience, as well as full-time and part-time students. As of August 2023, eight years later, 59 of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Here a difference appears that is worth naming without embellishment: among students who received a Pell Grant, 55 of every 100 graduated within eight years; among those who did not receive one, the figure was higher by 9 percentage points. It is not a sentence, and a family's eligibility for Pell today does not determine their child's individual outcome. But if Pell applies in your case, this is a legitimate question worth asking the school directly: which counselor will be assigned, what emergency assistance is available, and whether institutional aid is renewed each year. And ask for the response in writing.

What Comes Next Is Yours

This is what Dominican University's official data can tell you, and now you have it without having to decipher a single technical report.

But this is only one piece of the full picture. What remains is what your child wants to study, what they have already built in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. No figure in this article decides that for you. What you can do, with what you now know, is complete the FAFSA, request the financial aid letter in writing, use the net price calculator, and ask directly about what this report cannot answer: what the campus feels like, what specific support exists for your child's major, and whether this school fits the life you are building together as a family.

You are not alone in this. And now, at least when it comes to this university, you are no longer walking blindly.

Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by Dominican University to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily corresponding to the 2022–23 and 2023–24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Dominican University or any government agency; this article is an independent effort to explain public data.