University of Dayton is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Dayton, Ohio. It enrolls 7,682 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes87
Value45
Affordability13
Selectivity72
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 65.5%, University of Dayton is moderately selective.
Acceptance Rate
65.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1200 – 1380
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
25 – 31
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Dayton is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
10.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending University of Dayton isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $29,533 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$29,533
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
16%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
40%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$49,140
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,800
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,800
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,025
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,025
Total Cost of Attendance
$65,881
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$21,736
$30,001 – $48,000
$21,595
$48,001 – $75,000
$24,155
$75,001 – $110,000
$26,871
Over $110,000
$33,731
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$11,00025%percentile
$23,250Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$33,75090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,500
↓ $3,750
No Pell $19,500
↓ $3,750
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $3,750
Independent students $18,000
↓ $5,250
Female students $19,500
↓ $3,750
Male students $19,500
↓ $3,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($23,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
78% of full-time students who enrolled at University of Dayton graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
78%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
89%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered University of Dayton earn a median of $75,537 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$75,537
Earning > $25K
91%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$52,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$70,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$56,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$58,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$62,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $18,700, about 26% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
6.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 94% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
University of Dayton is home to 7,682 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
7,682
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
10%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 79.2%6,081
Hispanic 6.7%516
Black 4.9%378
Other 3.7%287
International 2.8%214
Asian 1.7%134
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Dayton. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityDayton, Ohio
Housing
Strongly residential6,630 beds for 7,682 students
Adult Learners
2%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
University of Dayton offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
124 distinct programs across
27 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of Dayton is 15:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.6B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$85,241
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
676 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
143
21%
$121,364
Associate Professors
166
25%
$92,664
Assistant Professors
118
17%
$86,785
Lecturers
218
32%
$60,968
No Rank
31
5%
$51,331
Pros & Cons of University of Dayton
A quick at-a-glance summary of how University of Dayton tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Reasonable class sizes
Strong six-year graduation rate
Strong first-year retention
Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
Above-average net price
High published cost of attendance before aid
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, University of Dayton is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Dayton
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about University of Dayton.
Is University of Dayton hard to get into?
Admissions at University of Dayton are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 65.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Dayton?
University of Dayton has an acceptance rate of 65.5%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for University of Dayton?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of Dayton scored between 1200 and 1380 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for University of Dayton?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of Dayton scored between 25 and 31 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of Dayton cost?
The average net price after aid at University of Dayton is $29,533 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Dayton worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $75,537 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $29,533 per year. That's roughly 2.6x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of Dayton known for?
University of Dayton is best known for its programs in Computer Science, Finance, Mechanical Engineering. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do University of Dayton graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering University of Dayton are $75,537, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is University of Dayton accredited?
Yes. University of Dayton is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend University of Dayton?
University of Dayton enrolls 7,682 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at University of Dayton?
University of Dayton graduates 78% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is University of Dayton a public or private college?
University of Dayton is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is University of Dayton located?
University of Dayton is located in Dayton, Ohio.
What programs does University of Dayton offer?
University of Dayton offers 124 distinct programs. The most popular include Computer Science, Finance, Mechanical Engineering.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of Dayton?
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of Dayton is 15:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Ohio
Other colleges in Ohio share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Rankings That Feature University of Dayton
University of Dayton appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
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83 UCD Score
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$3,967 Lowest Net
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83 UCD Score
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83 UCD Score
87 Colleges
$3,925 Lowest Net
$87,989 Top Earn
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74 UCD Score
34 Colleges
$5,986 Lowest Net
$87,989 Top Earn
Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Ohio
The top Criminal Justice colleges in Ohio, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
81 UCD Score
68 Colleges
$3,925 Lowest Net
$80,928 Top Earn
Best Nursing Colleges in Ohio
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83 UCD Score
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