What a friend would tell you
What Dayton is looking for
Dayton cares about service orientation and community. Applications that connect personal values to the Marianist mission of service, community, and faith (even broadly defined) resonate. Engineering applicants should reference specific labs or co-op partnerships with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Visiting campus and mentioning the student neighborhood culture signals interest.
What students wish they'd known
Dayton, Ohio is not a destination city; the surrounding area offers limited entertainment beyond campus. The student body leans heavily white, Catholic, and Midwestern, which can feel homogeneous. The Marianist identity is welcoming but pervasive, and students who aren't comfortable around faith-based culture may feel out of place. Some programs outside engineering and business lack the same investment.
Dayton might be a fit if...
- You want engineering with a service mission and co-op access to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- You're drawn to the idea of living in student-run houses where your block is your community
- You value a Marianist ethos of community and practical problem-solving over prestige
Dayton Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: EA, RD
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD March 1
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD March 1
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Optional
Yield Rate
31%
Only 31% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Dayton, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Dayton
$61,800
Sticker Price
$16,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 90% receive financial aid.
For context: Dayton spends about $17,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, right around the $15K national average.
What Dayton Graduates Get
$61,000
Avg Starting Salary
96%
Employed or in Grad School
65%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (83%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Dayton Campus & Culture
The Campus
Dayton's 388-acre campus sits along the Great Miami River in a residential neighborhood south of downtown. Immaculate Conception Chapel, a Marianist landmark, anchors the campus center. The student neighborhood (known simply as 'the Ghetto') is a cluster of university-owned houses where upperclassmen live in a setup unique among American universities. The Fitz Hall engineering complex and RecPlex are recent additions in red brick.
The Social Scene
Marianist community values, residential focus, strong team culture
Dayton Traditions & Trivia
Porch Sheet Signs
For over 60 years, students living in the 500-plus porch-clad houses of the Student Neighborhood have hung hand-painted bedsheets on their porches to celebrate wins, announce parties, or express themselves; the university even sells blank porch sheets in the bookstore.
Dayton to Daytona
Since 1978, over 2,500 UD students travel to Daytona Beach together for spring break each year, an annual migration so consistent it has its own name and lore.
Academics at Dayton
What Dayton is known for
Engineering program, Marianist education, strong community service
Most popular majors at Dayton
Standout programs
Engineering, Business, Chemistry, Materials Science
How the curriculum works
Core curriculum (34 credits), major (36-54), electives
Recommended high school courses
4 years English, 3-4 Math, 3-4 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable Dayton Alumni
Charles Kettering
Inventor of the electric starter for automobiles (early connection to the university)
Jon Gruden
Former NFL head coach, UD class of 1986
Chuck Noll
NFL Hall of Fame coach who won four Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, UD class of 1953
Erma Bombeck
Beloved humor columnist, UD class of 1949
If you like Dayton, also consider
Marquette University
Similar Jesuit/Catholic mission with Milwaukee's urban setting
University of Notre Dame
Stronger brand and selectivity for students who want Catholic + engineering
Case Western Reserve University
Nearby engineering powerhouse without the religious identity
Villanova University
Comparable Catholic school with Philadelphia access and Augustinian values
Purdue University
Bigger engineering pipeline at a public university price