Denison University
Denison University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Denison University Featured Rankings
About Denison University
According to Wikipedia, Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio. 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 a key benefactor. The college enrolled 2300 students in Fall 2019 and students choose from 56 academic majors.
Denison University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,580 | 17% | 89% | 78% | 1405 | 31 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Denison University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $71,000 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,189 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,150 |
| 48K - 75K | $15,569 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,419 |
| 110K+ | $50,673 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Denison University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Denison University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $73,151 a year, and 96% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Denison University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 2,518 | 2,518 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Denison University?
Denison University is located at 100 West College Street, Granville, OH 43023.
How Safe is Denison University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Denison University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Denison University has a violent crime rate of 0.25% and a property crime rate of 0.21%. Granville has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.47%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Denison University Known For?
Denison University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Economics
- Literature
- Law
- Physics
- Philosophy
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Business
- Communications
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Education
- Religious Studies
- Anthropology
- Medical
Denison University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Denison University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Denison University ranks #106 in the U.S. and #422 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesDenison University ranks #195 in the U.S. and #555 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesDenison University ranks #213 in the U.S. and #659 worldwide for influence in Law.
Denison University ranks #213 in the U.S. and #904 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesDenison University ranks #244 in the U.S. and #787 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesDenison University ranks #261 in the U.S. and #1106 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesDenison University ranks #284 in the U.S. and #798 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesDenison University ranks #307 in the U.S. and #1585 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesDenison University ranks #310 in the U.S. and #1257 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesDenison University ranks #312 in the U.S. and #771 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesDenison University ranks #345 in the U.S. and #1509 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesDenison University ranks #352 in the U.S. and #1385 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesDenison University ranks #357 in the U.S. and #1248 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesDenison University ranks #357 in the U.S. and #1305 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesDenison University ranks #360 in the U.S. and #1273 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesDenison University ranks #390 in the U.S. and #1629 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesDenison University ranks #392 in the U.S. and #1670 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesDenison University ranks #517 in the U.S. and #2281 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesDenison University ranks #551 in the U.S. and #1689 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesDenison University ranks #586 in the U.S. and #2175 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWho Are Denison University's Most Influential Alumni?
Denison University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Economics, Criminal Justice, and Literature. Here are some of Denison University's most famous alumni:
- William Rehnquist
- A Chief justice of the United States from 1986 to 2005.
- George Stibitz
- A Bell Labs researcher. George Stibitz is one of the fathers of the modern first digital computer.
- Bruce Cumings
- An American East Asian historian, professor, lecturer and author.
- William G. Bowen
- An Economist and academic administrator.
- Richard Brandt
- An American philosopher.
- Jack Thompson
- An American activist and disbarred attorney.
- Lawrence W. Sherman
- An American criminologist.
- William E. Castle
- An American geneticist.
- Philip Converse
- An American political scientist.
- Thomas Skidmore
- An American historian.
- Maria Tatar
- An American academic in children's literature, folklore and mythology, Germanic languages and literature.
- Douglas Holtz-Eakin
- An American economist.
Who Are Denison University's Most Influential Faculty?
Denison University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Economics, Criminal Justice, and Literature. Here are some of Denison University's most famous faculty:
