More selective than 100% of Ohio colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $81,900. College Scorecard.
Higher than 94% of Ohio colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 94% of Ohio colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
DU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 14,580 applicants, Denison University admitted 2,468 and 636 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1320–1490 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
DU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Ohio residents with household income up to $96,000 and a Student Aid Index of 3,750 or less may receive an Ohio College Opportunity Grant: up to $5,000 a year at private nonprofit colleges in 2026-27. Not included in the prices above. Ohio Department of Higher Education, OCOG 2026-27 award memo (FA27-001)
What DU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Denison University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Ohio. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $16,656 | $68,456 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $13,086 | $53,783 | 1.7 years |
| $48–75k | $17,827 | $73,269 | 2.3 years |
| $75–110k | $20,839 | $85,648 | 2.7 years |
| $110k+ | $48,472 | $199,220 | 6.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (73% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($67,753) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $32,315 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
DU majors, earnings & careers
Denison University offers 42 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Business & Finance · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at DU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $97,394 | $24,102 |
| Communications | $66,730 | $25,187 |
| Education | $65,429 | — |
| Biology | $55,654 | $25,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $49,358 | — |
| Sociology and Anthropology | $49,035 | $26,500 |
Quick list of all 42 majors
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$55,654
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$66,730
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Data Science—
- Economics$97,394
- Education$65,429
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology and Anthropology$49,035
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$49,358
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Columbus
Overall prices in the Columbus, OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,602. Housing costs 12% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 15 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Licking County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Licking County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare DU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Ohio by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denison University | 17% | $40,007 | 79% | $67,753 | This school |
| Kenyon College | 31% | $38,512 | 82% | $71,830 | |
| Oberlin College | 34% | $38,645 | 81% | $58,343 | |
| Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science | 46% | $19,622 | 73% | $66,111 | |
| Franciscan University of Steubenville | 58% | $23,589 | 75% | $50,030 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Denison University would cost you $1,495 more per year than Kenyon College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Denison University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$4,520).
- Kenyon College gives aided families $7,185 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | DU | Kenyon College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $67,000 | $71,520 | −$4,520 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,900 | −$900 |
| Housing & meals | $15,400 | $14,410 | +$990 |
| Personal & travel | $1,500 | $1,950 | −$450 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,000 | −$2,190 | −$810 |
| Sticker price | $81,900 | $87,590 | −$5,690 |
| Average grants | −$41,893 | −$49,078 | +$7,185 |
| You pay | $40,007 | $38,512 | +$1,495 |
“+” means DU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about DU
What is the DU acceptance rate?
Denison University accepts 17% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,468 of 14,580 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1320–1490 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
How much does Denison University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $81,900 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $40,007 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,656 and families earning $110k+ pay $48,472.
How much do DU graduates earn?
Former Denison University students earn a median $67,753 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the DU graduation rate?
79% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year.
How long does a DU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Denison University costs about $73,269 after grants ($17,827 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $67,753 ten years after starting, $32,315 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 2.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Denison University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/denison-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).