Kenyon College
Kenyon College 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
Kenyon College Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2026
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2026
- #3 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2026
- #5 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #8 Best Colleges in Ohio 2026
- #14 Anthropology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #18 History Liberal Arts Colleges
- #18 Religious Studies Liberal Arts Colleges
- #18 Math Liberal Arts Colleges
- #19 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Majors
- #20 Sociology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #20 Physics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #20 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #20 Chemistry Liberal Arts Colleges
- #20 Liberal Arts Colleges for Biology Degrees
- #21 Philosophy Liberal Arts Colleges
- #22 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #22 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #35 Best Small Colleges 2026
- #37 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
About Kenyon College
According to Wikipedia, Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private institution of higher education in the state of Ohio and enrolls approximately 1,800 undergraduate students. Students choose from over 50 majors, minors, and concentrations, including self-designed majors.
Kenyon College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,218 | 31% | 92% | 86% | 1430 | 32 |
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 Kenyon College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $72,220 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $14,548 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,136 |
| 48K - 75K | $15,184 |
| 75K - 110K | $31,525 |
| 110K+ | $48,147 |
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 Kenyon College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Kenyon College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $65,780 a year, and 95% 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.
Kenyon College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 2,473 | 2,473 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Kenyon College?
Kenyon College is located at Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022.
How Safe is Kenyon College?
Relative to its enrollment, Kenyon College has a violent crime rate of 0.13% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. 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).
What Is Kenyon College Known For?
Kenyon College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Political Science
- Economics
- History
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
Kenyon College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Kenyon College'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
Kenyon College ranks #114 in the U.S. and #294 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesKenyon College ranks #157 in the U.S. and #713 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesKenyon College ranks #197 in the U.S. and #717 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesKenyon College ranks #228 in the U.S. and #910 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesKenyon College ranks #239 in the U.S. and #1205 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesKenyon College ranks #240 in the U.S. and #676 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesKenyon College ranks #251 in the U.S. and #822 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesKenyon College ranks #286 in the U.S. and #1122 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesKenyon College ranks #289 in the U.S. and #1253 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesKenyon College ranks #358 in the U.S. and #1093 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesKenyon College ranks #373 in the U.S. and #926 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesKenyon College ranks #385 in the U.S. and #1667 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesKenyon College ranks #440 in the U.S. and #1523 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are Kenyon College's Most Influential Alumni?
Kenyon College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Law, and Social Work. Here are some of Kenyon College's most famous alumni:
- William Rehnquist
- A Chief justice of the United States from 1986 to 2005.
- Carl Djerassi
- An American chemistry professor, inventor, author, playwright.
- Robert Lowell
- An American poet.
- John Sherman
- An American politician, Ohio .
- Edwin Stanton
- An American lawyer and politician .
- E. L. Doctorow
- A Novelist, editor, professor .
- Anthony Hecht
- An American poet .
- Leopoldo López
- A Venezuelan politician.
- Harvey Lodish
- An American cell biologist, born 1941.
- William Bechtel
- An American philosopher.
- William H. Gass
- An American fiction writer, critic, philosophy professor.
- Olof Palme
- A Swedish Prime Minister .
