Private nonprofit · University

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio · Midsize city

#4 for grad earnings in Ohio#5 graduation rate in Ohio
65.5%
Admit rate
$29,533
Avg net price
80%
Graduation rate
$75,537
Median earnings

University of Dayton is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Dayton, Ohio (midsize city setting), enrolling 7,682 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 7,682 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 65% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Pioneer Football LeagueCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Dayton's admitted students.

Admit rate
65.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1200–1380
Avg GPA
3.78

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Dayton's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Dayton's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Dayton was founded on April 1, 1796, by 12 settlers known as the Thompson Party. Among the Thompson Party was Benjamin Van Cleve, whose memoirs provide insights into the Ohio Valley's history. Two other groups traveling overland arrived several days later. The Dayton Region ranked within the top 10% in the nation in arts and culture. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
2 miles to Dayton, OH
To Great Lakes shore
133 miles
Nearest airport
11 miles to James M. Cox Dayton (DAY)

How University of Dayton compares

Selectivity65.5%

More selective than 70% · #19 most selective of 65 in Ohio

SAT average1335

Higher than 83%

Graduation rate80%

Higher than 89% · #5 of 73 in Ohio

First-year retention89%

Higher than 85%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$75,537

Higher than 88% · #4 of 74 in Ohio

Average net price$29,533

Cheaper than 17% · #64 cheapest of 73 in Ohio

Median debt at graduation$23,250

Lower than 50%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment7,682

Larger than 85%

Percentiles compare University of Dayton with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Ohio.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

10,448students
  • Undergraduate7,68274%
  • Graduate2,76626%

Undergraduates by gender

7,682undergrads
  • Women3,99352%
  • Men3,68948%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White79%
  • Black4.9%
  • Hispanic6.7%
  • Asian1.7%
  • Other or multiracial7.5%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,682
Graduate enrollment
2,766
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
10%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$114,495
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$87,291
Endowment
$865,508,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
65.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1200–1380
SAT average
1335
SAT reading
600–690
SAT math
600–690
ACT composite
25–31
Average GPA
3.78

Cost

In-state tuition
$49,140
Room & board
$16,800
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$65,881
Average net price
$29,533

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
80%
Graduated on time (4 years)
65%
First-year retention
89%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$62,477
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$75,537
Median debt at graduation
$23,250
Students with federal loans
40%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
82%

About 15% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
65%
Low-income (Pell)
64%
First-generation
66%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
6,630
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
86%
Housing charge (year)
$9,360
Meal plan (year)
$6,280
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Pioneer Football League
Varsity athletes
473 (249 men · 224 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Football119
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)83
Soccer62
Baseball41
Rowing36
Basketball32
Volleyball23
Golf22
Softball19
Tennis19
Cross Country17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
92
Property offenses (2022–2024)
110

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (10,506 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

67reported offenses a year
31 violent a year37 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
19
Aggravated assault
17
Motor vehicle theft
16
Rape
8.3
Fondling
3.3
Arson
2.3
Robbery
1.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$21,736
$30–48k
$21,595
$48–75k
$24,155
$75–110k
$26,871
$110k+
$33,731

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$103,331

$24,155/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

95%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$30,266
average award, among those who get one

University of Dayton discounts heavily: 95% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $30,266. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,991 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$75,537
Typical debt at graduation
$23,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
31%
Out-earn a HS grad
79%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$68,370
Men
$84,745

Men out-earn women by $16,375 (24%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
87°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
41.6″
Annual snow
12.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Dayton Mcd, OH US station (1.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Dayton

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Dayton side by side →

Colleges near University of Dayton

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.