I am going to walk you through what the federal government reports about this university: what it is, whom it admits, how much it costs, how it helps students pay, and what happens to the students who enroll. Every figure comes from University of Dayton itself, as reported to the Department of Education. I did not make up any of them, and you will not find any of them softened. In the end, the decision is still yours and your child’s. My job here is to help you make it with a clear view.
What Type of University Is It?
University of Dayton is in Dayton, Ohio, within Montgomery County, in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek metropolitan area. That tells you where it is, not how to get there from your home: if your child is considering living there and driving from where you live, test the route on a weekday at the time of their classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
It is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution, and the federal system classifies it among doctoral universities with high research activity. That is an institutional category, not a promise about the specific program your child is interested in: if the major connects with anything at the graduate level, ask about it directly, using the exact name of the major.
Two characteristics define its personality as a school. The first: it is “highly residential.” That means that, according to the data used to classify it, at least half of its undergraduate degree-seeking students lived in university-owned or university-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. The second: Carnegie places it in its selective-admission group. It is neither an open-admission school nor a commuter-only school.
Something worth knowing from the start: living on campus is almost never included in the same figure as tuition. It is charged separately, and you need to request that amount separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other.
University of Dayton 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 directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one has none. That does not say which students it serves best or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: which cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and confirm it by speaking with someone who already attends.
The Community’s Actual Size
University of Dayton reported 11,304 enrolled students in the official fall count: it is a large school, within the federal band of 10,000 to 19,999 students. Among the selective private universities in this census, it is one of the largest: no more than one in ten has more students.
But that large number includes both undergraduate and graduate students, and that changes how it should be read. Of the 11,304, only 8,176 are undergraduates; the other 3,128 have already completed a degree and are in graduate school. If your child is about to begin a bachelor’s degree, the number that reflects their experience is 8,176, not the total.
Within that undergraduate population, 7 out of every 100 students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with the 941 selective private universities in this census, it ranks below the group’s midpoint. That does not make this school bad or another school with more Hispanic or Latino students good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, the question that matters is specific: which student group, which cultural center, and which person in the office speaks their language? Speak with a Latino student who already attends before deciding.
The rest of the profile: the undergraduate population is almost evenly split between men and women, and 48 out of every 100 are women. There are very few adults returning to school: barely 1 out of every 100 is between 25 and 64 years old. As for where geographically the incoming students come from, the federal report simply does not include that information for this school in the most recent cycle. It is not there, and it should not be invented.
How Academics Work
The academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is the most common calendar among US universities, so if your child comes from a high school with a different system, this will quickly become familiar.
University of Dayton accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. It also reports accepting credit for military training. There is a real limitation here that many families overlook: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every score. The report does not say what scores are required or whether those credits apply to your child’s specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not include those savings in your budget until you have it in hand.
As for the range of majors: between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,971 bachelor’s degrees across 23 families of academic programs. No single area accounted for most of them: the largest, business and management, accounted for 25 out of every 100 degrees, and no other area exceeded it. Compared with the other 942 selective private universities in this census, University of Dayton falls within the quarter with the greatest variety of program families represented in its bachelor’s-degree detail. It is a broad offering. But “23 families with a row in the report” is not the same as “23 complete majors”: a family groups several programs and may appear with no degrees awarded that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in, by name.
Regarding class size, there is a figure that can be confusing if it is not explained well: the student-faculty ratio is 15 to 1. Compared with similar universities, that figure places it in the highest quarter of the group—that is, among those with more students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. Both interpretations are true at the same time: in general terms, it is a middle-range ratio, but among its direct peers, it is on the high side. And be careful: this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. IPEDS does not publish that, nor does it publish the size of first-year classes.
University of Dayton also reports structured opportunities: study abroad and pathways to teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification. If your child is interested in any of these paths, this is a good starting point for asking admissions directly.
Getting In: What the University Requires and How Difficult It Is
University of Dayton does not have open admission. It reviews specific application components before saying yes. Of the nine considerations covered by the federal report, it marked four as required: the high school record, high school GPA, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam for those who need one. Other components are not required, but the university considers them if you submit them: completion of the recommended college-preparatory curriculum, the personal essay, and work experience.
One practical fact is worth its weight in gold: letters of recommendation are required, so request them a month in advance. Give the teacher or counselor a sheet listing what your child has done over the years—no one remembers everything when they have to write twenty letters.
The published application fee is $0. That removes a common barrier.
Now for the numbers showing how selective it is in practice. In the most recent reported cycle, 22,747 students applied for first-time admission. Of those, 14,023 were offered a place: that is 62 out of every 100. Compared with the other 942 selective private universities, that figure is common, slightly below the midpoint of the table. In other words, the application is reviewed and admission is not guaranteed, but it is not a lottery either.
Here comes a turn that many families do not expect. Being admitted is not the same as enrolling. Out of every 100 students who were admitted, only 14 ultimately enrolled at University of Dayton. Put another way: out of every 7 young people who received a yes, roughly one ended up attending. The other six had a place and did not take it. Compared with its peers, this figure is on the low side—in seven out of ten similar universities, or more, a larger share of admitted students enrolls.
Do not read that as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each person made their choice; many of those admitted students probably had offers from elsewhere, and money, distance, or personal fit tipped the balance. What I can tell you very clearly is this: what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your letter showing the net price—what the year will actually cost you—before drawing any conclusion about whether this school should remain on the list.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application still proceeds in the same way. Of the students who enrolled, only 10 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score. Among them, the middle half scored between 600 and 680 in reading and writing, and between 595 and 690 in mathematics. That range describes students who were admitted, enrolled, and submitted their scores—it is not a minimum that must be reached or a guarantee if it is reached.
And regarding transfers: among a cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 15 out of every 100 transferred to another institution without completing at Dayton. Changing schools is not failure. But if that is a possibility for your child, it is useful to know beforehand how to request records and which credits another institution would recognize—the report does not say, so ask for it in writing.
What It Costs and What Is Actually Paid
At University of Dayton, among 152 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 $25,086. Among 129 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $26,840; among 606 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $34,678. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (152 students) and the average for the highest-income band (606 students) is $9,592. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $31,551.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same period coverage, this one falls within the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you need to request the financial aid letter before deciding.
An average does not show how different the cases within that band were; this figure cannot establish that some families were far below or above the published amount. 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 or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships.
Where the Money to Pay Comes From
First, the good news: at University of Dayton, 94 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something here is the norm, not the exception. Among recipients, the average is $31,281 per year.
But you need to separate two things that sound similar and are not the same. Pell—the federal aid specifically for families with demonstrated low income—reached only 16 out of every 100 students. That means that at least 78 out of every 100 aid recipients received aid from another source: the university itself, the state, or somewhere else. The report does not distinguish where each grant or scholarship came from, so it cannot tell you what your family specifically would receive. Ask directly: who provides that grant or scholarship, who qualifies, and what is required for it to be renewed each year—because many institutional scholarships are not automatic after the first year.
A high average among aid recipients does not predict your offer. When your letter arrives, what matters is how much your family would have to pay out of pocket. That is the figure to compare across schools, not the size of the “discount” they advertise.
Regarding loans: 42 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal loan in the most recent academic year. Among those who did, the average was $8,824 in that year alone—it is not the total debt they had upon graduation, only the amount for one year. Compared with its peers, this share of students with loans is on the low side: seven out of ten similar schools, or more, had a larger share.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. And importantly, that average of $8,824 includes only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt from private banks, or credit cards. The amount your child specifically would have to borrow comes only from their financial aid letter. Wait for it before making a commitment.
University of Dayton also participates in a Promise-type program to help pay or manage tuition. Ask admissions whether your family would qualify.
Campus Life and Available Support
University of Dayton has its own housing, with a reported capacity of 6,630 students on or off campus. Living there is not required for all first-time students—the university responded that it does not impose that requirement universally, although a specific program might have its own rule. It also offers meal plans, but the number of meals per week varies depending on the plan you choose. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child: request this year’s rate, the deadline to apply for housing, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child would join a waiting list, all in writing.
For those interested in a military pathway, ROTC opportunities are available in two branches, Army and Air Force. The Navy branch is not marked. Its presence in the report does not indicate whether the program is offered on this specific campus, how many spaces are available, or whether a scholarship is offered—ask directly, using the program’s name.
In sports, University of Dayton competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, reporting membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to continue competing, write directly to the coach of their sport: ask whether there is room on the team, which division it competes in, and whether that specific sport offers an athletic scholarship.
Regarding distance education: it is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the university reports having at least one complete program that can be finished through distance education. But in practice, fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load that way in the most recent count. Confirm in writing whether the distance option is available for the specific major your child is interested in.
The library has employed staff and physical and digital collections, and it participates in interlibrary lending—its annual spending exceeds the threshold of $100,000 that the government records as a reference point. That is the floor; it does not guarantee that the library has the specific databases needed for your child’s major, so ask using the major’s name.
As for general support, University of Dayton reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military personnel, a student veterans organization, and a services webpage for students with disabilities.
Do Students Stay and Graduate?
Here we come to the question that truly matters after everything above: if your child enrolls, how likely are they to stay and finish?
Of the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in fall 2022, 89 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed their degree one year later. It is a high figure, and compared with its peers—the 930 selective private universities in this census—University of Dayton ranks in the upper part of the group. But be careful: this figure combines two different outcomes—“still here” and “already graduated”—without separating them, so a high retention rate is not the same as a high graduation rate.
Now for actual graduation. Of the cohort that entered in 2017, six years later, 82 out of every 100 had earned their bachelor’s degree. Compared with 920 similar schools, that figure places it in the top quarter of the group—three out of four similar universities, or more, were at the same level or below.
But there is a figure that many families do not see coming: at four years—the time frame most have budgeted for—the rate was only 66 out of every 100. That is 16 points lower than the six-year rate. That fifth year, or part of it, costs money. Before signing anything, request in writing how long the program your child is interested in usually takes in practice, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost would change if it takes longer than four years.
Of that same cohort of 2,224 students, 1,813 completed here, 324 transferred to another institution without completing at Dayton, 7 remained enrolled without finishing, and 80 fell into the federal category of “no longer enrolled”—a category that does not explain why and may include those who completed after the official time frame.
Finally, a longer-term figure: following a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, eight years later, 79 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, that figure was 70 out of every 100—11 points below those who did not receive Pell. If your family would qualify for Pell today, that gap is worth asking the university about directly: which assigned adviser is available, what emergency assistance exists, and whether the internal grant or scholarship is renewed from year to year. Get the answers in writing.
What Comes Next Is Yours
You now understand one piece of the puzzle in depth: what University of Dayton is, what it requires for admission, what it actually costs, and how likely a student is to stay and graduate. It is a solid piece, with numbers that come directly from the university itself.
But it is only one piece. You still need to connect it with what your child wants to study and what they have already built in high school.
It is your child’s responsibility to decide what they want to study, work hard, write their essay, and request their letters on time. It is your responsibility to handle the money, deadlines, signatures, and the right questions for the university when the brochure does not answer them. Neither of you does the other’s work.
With this piece now understood, you can continue putting together the rest of the plan.
The information in this article comes from University of Dayton reports to the US Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent University of Dayton or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.