I am not going to tell you whether this university is "good" or "bad" for your child. An article cannot decide that. What I can do is put in front of you what University of Denver reports about itself to the United States government, translated into language that does not require you to learn federal acronyms to understand it. With this in hand, you and your child can decide whether it is worth continuing to investigate.
What type of university it is
Let us start with the basics: what kind of institution is University of Denver?
It is a private, nonprofit university offering four-year programs or longer. The Carnegie classification system — which organizes the country’s universities according to what they do — places it among doctoral institutions with the highest research activity. It also describes it as a large, primarily residential four-year school: in the most recent cutoff for this classification, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or affiliated housing.
Here is something you should keep in mind: in its undergraduate profile, Carnegie places it in the more selective admissions group. This does not mean it teaches better than another school. It means it is more demanding about whom it admits. Selectivity describes the door, not what is inside. And that label also does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants are accepted — we look at that number later, and you should see it before your child makes a final list.
The highest level the institution reports offering is the doctorate, and the Completions figures identify it as an institution focused, by volume, on bachelor’s degrees or higher levels. Note: this does not mean that the specific major your child is interested in exists here, nor that it automatically connects to a graduate program. That must be checked program by program.
Regarding special designations: University of Denver is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), tribal college or university, or land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 carry one of those three labels; this one does not. That says nothing about which communities it serves well or poorly today — that should be asked directly, by visiting and talking with current students.
Where it is. University of Denver is located in the city and county of Denver, Colorado, within the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metropolitan area. The census code places it in a principal city with 250,000 residents or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is downtown or in a quieter area, nor what the daily commute is like. If your child plans to live at home, drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of the classes. The real travel time is almost never what the map promises.
The size of the community and who makes it up
University of Denver reported 13,387 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is a large school: the government places it in the range of 10,000 to 19,999 students. Compared with 941 similar selective private schools, it is among the largest in that group — at most one out of every ten has more students than it does.
But there is a detail that changes the meaning of that large number: of those 13,387, only 6,415 are undergraduates. The other 6,972 are graduate students. At this school, graduate education carries more weight than undergraduate education. If your child is entering to pursue a bachelor’s degree, the number that matters is not the total of 13,387. It is 6,415.
And who are those undergraduate students?
Of the undergraduate students reported in fall 2023, 14 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with 941 similar selective private schools that report this information, University of Denver is above the middle of the group, without reaching the highest quarter. Put plainly: Latinos are few here. That should not automatically remove the school from your child’s list, but it is a reason to ask during a visit what exists — a student group, cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
Among men and women, undergraduate enrollment is nearly even: 55 out of every 100 are women. Students ages 25 to 64 are few, 8 out of every 100 — it is, above all, a community of traditional, young students.
One fact worth examining closely: fewer than half of first-time students — 28 out of every 100, after rounding — had permanent residence reported in Colorado. The rest come from other states, other countries, or have no residence reported; the data do not separate those categories. It is a community that mostly comes from elsewhere. This does not directly measure distance or transportation cost, but if your family lives far away, this is a good time to start thinking about the full cost of attendance, including what is not tuition.
How the academic year is organized and what it offers
University of Denver operates on a quarter system: the academic year is divided into three periods of approximately 12 weeks each (there may be a fourth period in the summer). This is different from the semester system that prevails at many other universities, and it matters if your child ever considers transferring to or from another institution: calendars do not always line up, and you need to verify in writing how credits will be recognized between the two systems.
The university reported that it accepts credit for AP exams. It did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. Accepting AP does not mean it will give your child credit for any exam they take: this information does not tell us what scores it requires or how many credits it awards. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not count those savings in your budget until you have it in hand. It also reports accepting credit for military training, and enrolls high school students in college courses for credit outside a formal dual-enrollment program, treating them as regular students in those courses.
What do people graduate in here? Between July 2022 and June 2023, University of Denver awarded 1,278 bachelor’s degrees, distributed across 24 career families (although some of those 24 reported zero degrees that year — that is the breadth of the catalog, not necessarily 24 active options). By far, the family with the most degrees was business and administration: 400 of the 1,278, that is, 31 out of every 100 degrees that year. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, University of Denver falls in the quarter with the most career families present in its reported catalog. It is a broad offering, with a strong concentration in business. None of these numbers tells you whether the exact major your child wants exists today with the quality they are looking for — that must be verified directly.
Regarding the relative size of the faculty: the official ratio is 10 students for each full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. Compared with 941 similar schools, it falls below the midpoint — it is a low ratio. But be careful: this aggregate figure does not tell you the actual size of first-year classes. That should be asked directly of the department.
Structured academic opportunities the institution reports: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, preparation in certain areas of teacher specialization, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program.
What getting in is like: admissions and the path to yes
This is where many families feel the most anxiety, so let us take it slowly and use the exact numbers.
University of Denver does not have open admissions. There are items it reviews before saying yes. Of the nine considerations this report records — not including standardized tests or legacy status — it marked five as required: high school transcript, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. That means that at this university, it is not enough to gather documents: your child has to write an essay, no matter what.
There are other items that are not required but are considered if you submit them: class rank, having completed the course plan the university requires, work experience, and whether someone in the family studied there (legacy). On the last point: if that is not the case for your child, do not spend energy on it. Spend it on what is within their control. The published undergraduate application fee is $65.
How difficult is it to get in, in real numbers? Of the 19,214 first-time applicants in the 2023 cycle, 13,679 received an offer of admission. That is 71 out of every 100 — a fairly accessible admission rate. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, it falls in the middle of the table, a little below the middle of the group. Viewed the other way around: 5,535 applicants did not receive an offer. That is many, but many also did. Your child has a real reason to apply, and a real reason to complete the application fully and on time. Still, this rate is from a single cycle, not a fixed rule of the institution. When it is your child’s turn, check the number for the corresponding year again.
Now comes a figure that confuses many families if it is not explained clearly: out of every 100 admitted students, only 11 ultimately enrolled. Compared with similar schools, this enrollment rate is on the low side — at seven out of every ten similar schools, a larger share of admitted students enrolls. Put another way: out of every 9 students who receive a yes from University of Denver, approximately one decides to attend. The others had a place and did not take it.
Do not read this as a stain on the school. The federal record does not explain why each person made the decision they made — it could have been price, distance, another offer, or another priority. What I can tell you is this: what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your own letter with the real net price. With that number in hand, you decide whether this school stays on the list.
About standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child sends them, they are considered; if they do not send them, the application remains valid just the same. Among students who enrolled and submitted SAT scores (27 out of every 100 enrolled students), the middle half scored between 630 and 710 in reading and writing, and between 610 and 700 in mathematics. Those ranges are for students who were already enrolled, not for all applicants, and do not prove that the score was decisive in anyone’s admission. That 630 is not a minimum that must be reached, and that 710 is not a guarantee of anything.
About transfers: in fall 2023, University of Denver reported 206 undergraduate students who arrived for the first time after studying at another institution. It is a count that places it in the upper half among similar schools. What we do not know — because the file does not report it here — is the departure rate: how many students who started here transferred somewhere else. That does not mean no one transfers; only that this specific information is not reported in this cycle.
The sticker price and what families actually end up paying
At University of Denver, among 100 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 $20,820. Among 88 students from the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $28,981; among 362 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $46,428. For dependent students, the range combines their parents’ income and their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income band (100 students) and that of the highest band (362 students), there is a difference of $25,608. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received some scholarship, the average was $43,324.
Even after scholarships were subtracted, the average net price for the lowest-income families was $20,820 in academic year 2022-23. If that number does not fit in your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, placing yours correctly 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 district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. What matters is the financial-aid letter you receive.
Financial aid and loans, in their real proportions
At University of Denver, 94 out of every 100 students seeking a degree or certificate received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is common here, not the exception. Among those who received it, the average was $32,336 for the year — although that average includes people who received much more and people who received much less.
Now, an important nuance: the Pell Grant — specific federal aid for low-income families — reached only 15 out of every 100 students. That means at least 79 out of every 100 received aid, but from a source other than Pell: from the university itself, the state, or another program. The report does not distinguish which one. Receiving "aid" is not the same as receiving Pell, and this information cannot tell you exactly what your child would receive. Ask directly: who awards that scholarship, who qualifies, and what is needed to renew it each year.
Regarding loans: 30 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in academic year 2022-23 — more than two out of every ten, but fewer than half. Compared with similar schools, this share is on the low side. Of those who borrowed, each received $6,176 on average that year. This figure is for a single school year and only for federal loans in the student’s name — it does not include what parents may have borrowed through PLUS loans, bank or credit-card debt, or the total debt with which someone graduates. That total number is not in this report.
Some students go through the year without debt and some borrow. Which group your child falls into is not decided by this percentage: it is decided by the financial-aid letter they receive, in writing. Wait for it before making a commitment.
Regarding payment methods, the institution reports a tuition installment-payment plan as an available option.
Campus life, format, and available supports
University of Denver does have institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 2,647 students on or off campus. Not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there — but that does not rule out a requirement for a particular program or year. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the selected plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed; request in writing the rate for the year, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a space or placed on a waiting list.
For those considering the military route: the university reports ROTC opportunities in two branches, Army and Air Force; the Navy is not marked. Being marked does not say whether the program is offered on this campus specifically, nor its capacity or requirements — ask directly before building a plan around it.
In sports, University of Denver competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. This information does not identify which specific sports, which division each competes in, or whether they offer athletic scholarships — that should be asked directly of the coach for the sport of interest.
Regarding format: the university offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and reports at least one complete program that can be finished remotely. However, in the fall count, only 8 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes remotely — the other 92 took at least one in-person class. It is mostly a physical-campus experience.
The library operates with paid staff, annual expenditures above the government’s threshold of $100,000, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that specific databases exist for your child’s major — ask by the name of the major.
Among the services and supports the institution reports are: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a student veterans organization, and a web page of services for people with disabilities.
Do students stay? Do they graduate?
This is perhaps the section most worth reading carefully, because the numbers are high and that can sound like a promise. It is not.
Retention. Of the cohort of 1,620 first-time, full-time students who entered in fall 2022, 1,421 were still enrolled or had already completed a bachelor’s degree the following year: 88 out of every 100. Compared with 930 similar schools, it is in the upper part. It is a high number, but it combines two different groups — those still studying and those who graduated quickly — without separating them, and does not explain what happened to the rest.
Graduation within six years. The class that entered in 2017 consisted of 1,483 full-time, first-time students. Six years later, 1,156 had a degree in hand: 78 out of every 100. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 69 out of every 100 — a difference of 9 points between those who finish "on time" and those who need a little more time. Compared with 920 similar schools, University of Denver is in the upper quarter: three out of every four similar schools, or more, reported an equal or lower share of graduates.
It is a high number. But a high percentage is not a promise for your child. It describes what happened to the class of 2017. What is within your control, and theirs, is that they enter with their credits in order and know from the first semester who their academic adviser is and when courses for their major are registered for.
At eight years. IPEDS followed a cohort of 1,737 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, counting both first-time students and those who already had prior postsecondary experience. As of August 2023, 75 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 72 out of every 100 — four points below the group without Pell. Compared with 935 similar schools, it is in the upper quarter.
Again: this is a cohort that entered almost ten years ago. It does not determine whether your child will graduate here, or how long it will take. What is worth asking the university directly about is the program’s current supports and results from more recent cohorts.
What this article cannot tell you
This article does not include and cannot invent information about what happens after graduation — employment, salaries, final debt with which someone leaves — because that information requires an external source that is not authorized here. Nor can it tell you whether your child specifically will be happy on this campus, whether the major they are interested in has the quality they seek, or whether this university will fit their personality. That is investigated in person: by visiting, talking with current students, and asking in writing.
Putting the pieces together
Now you know, in considerable depth, one of the three pieces your family needs to decide: what University of Denver really is and offers, according to its own reports to the federal government.
The other two pieces are still missing, and no article has them: what your child wants to study and what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. From those three pieces together — the university, the student, the family — comes a real plan, not a brochure plan.
If you are just beginning to build the list: ask your child what they want to study and how far away they imagine living. If this school is already on the short list: complete the FAFSA and wait for the financial-aid letter before ruling it out or making a commitment.
You are not alone in this. The information exists, it is public, and now you have it on your side.
Source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) data from the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to reports 2023 and academic year 2023-24, with comparisons against a census of similar institutions defined in this analysis. Best College Aid does not represent University of Denver or any government agency; this article organizes public information already reported by the institution.