Denison University
About
Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called the Granville Literary and Theological Institution, later took the name Granville College, and, in the mid-1850s, was renamed Denison University, in honor of William S. Denison, a major early benefactor. The college enrolled 2,300 students in fall 2023. Students choose from 65 academic programs.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients here graduate at a 3.8-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 45 Title IV programs, 6 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 39 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing6 · 13.3%
- No Data39 · 86.7%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Action history · 1
- Jul 2020Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 368 students received $2.2M in Pell grants, alongside $8.8M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 331 borrowers who entered repayment, 2 (0.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Denison
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 14
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus19
Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Preston House1 fireCookingDamage $100-$999
- Myers Hall1 fireCookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Denison vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Denison selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectDenison University | 79% | — | 2,394 | $40,007 | Baccalaureate |
| 90% | 13.3% | 1,760 | $29,351 | Baccalaureate | |
| 86% | 28.9% | 3,969 | $40,766 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $25,407 | Baccalaureate | |
| 89% | 7.1% | 2,412 | $17,180 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.9% | 3,211 | $28,786 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 18.5% | 2,056 | $33,375 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 37.0% | 1,990 | $36,175 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $17,379 | Baccalaureate | |
| 80% | 42.1% | 2,314 | $37,607 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 28.2% | 1,808 | $36,425 | Baccalaureate | |
| 83% | 38.9% | 2,812 | $31,490 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.6% | 2,031 | $28,985 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 31.4% | 2,775 | $34,433 | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 28.5% | 2,138 | $32,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 85% | 50.4% | 1,861 | $28,585 | Baccalaureate | |
| 83% | 21.1% | 2,704 | $32,297 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 29.2% | 2,238 | $34,832 | Baccalaureate | |
| 85% | 22.2% | 3,722 | $31,309 | Baccalaureate | |
| 94% | 14.0% | 2,241 | $23,781 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 86% | 25.2% | 2,241 | $32,149 |
Institutions like Denison
Explore the federal data for institutions in Denison's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMaine
Bates College
Grad rate90%Admit rate13.3%Enrollment1,760Net price$29,351View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Bucknell University
Grad rate86%Admit rate28.9%Enrollment3,969Net price$40,766View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Carleton College
Grad rate90%Admit rate20.4%Enrollment2,128Net price$25,407View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Colby College
Grad rate89%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment2,412Net price$17,180View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Colgate University
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.9%Enrollment3,211Net price$28,786View data - BaccalaureateColorado
Colorado College
Grad rate88%Admit rate18.5%Enrollment2,056Net price$33,375View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Connecticut College
Grad rate82%Admit rate37.0%Enrollment1,990Net price$36,175View data - BaccalaureateNorth Carolina
Davidson College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.4%Enrollment1,869Net price$17,379View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Dickinson College
Grad rate80%Admit rate42.1%Enrollment2,314Net price$37,607View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Franklin and Marshall College
Grad rate84%Admit rate28.2%Enrollment1,808Net price$36,425View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Gettysburg College
Grad rate83%Admit rate38.9%Enrollment2,812Net price$31,490View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Hamilton College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.6%Enrollment2,031Net price$28,985View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Lafayette College
Grad rate88%Admit rate31.4%Enrollment2,775Net price$34,433View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Macalester College
Grad rate87%Admit rate28.5%Enrollment2,138Net price$32,149View data - BaccalaureateTennessee
Rhodes College
Grad rate85%Admit rate50.4%Enrollment1,861Net price$28,585View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Skidmore College
Grad rate83%Admit rate21.1%Enrollment2,704Net price$32,297View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Trinity College
Grad rate84%Admit rate29.2%Enrollment2,238Net price$34,832View data - BaccalaureateVirginia
University of Richmond
Grad rate85%Admit rate22.2%Enrollment3,722Net price$31,309View data - BaccalaureateVirginia
Washington and Lee University
Grad rate94%Admit rate14.0%Enrollment2,241Net price$23,781View data
Denison Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research serves the college by providing data in support of assessment and planning.
Visit IR office page- Jennifer CornmanInstitutional Research Specialist: Assessment, Accreditation, and Survey Development
- Kimberly SpechtSenior Associate Provost, Acting Director of Institutional Research, Associate Professor
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
Notable alumni of Denison (26)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Richard LugarPolitics
- Steve CarellArts and entertainment
- Michael EisnerBusiness
- Woody HayesSports
- Jennifer GarnerArts and entertainment
- Judson HarmonPolitics
- James ClearLiterature
- Bob DoldPolitics
- Brad BlumBusiness
- Kyle GordonArts and entertainment
- Alex MoffatArts and entertainment
- Tony P. HallPolitics
Frequently asked questions about Denison University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Denison.
What is the graduation rate at Denison University?
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What is the average net price at Denison University?
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Where is Denison University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Denison University?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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