Denison University's Office of Admission has reported that the number of applicants to the college has set a new record — for the second year in a row. Denison currently stands at 6,825 applications for admission to some 600 available places in the Class of 2020. This represents a 13 percent increase in applicants from last year and an increase of 56 percent over the last two years. This is especially remarkable as the number of high school graduates in the U.S. has been declining in recent years.
In addition, the number of students who applied for early decision admission to Denison increased by 8 percent this year. “This is confirmation that Denison is increasingly becoming the first-choice college for a greater number of top students,” said Mike Hills, director of admissions. “College is a big investment and families expect more of a return from that investment than ever before. Denison clearly is responding to that need, and our prospective students and their parents are recognizing that. We're also very pleased with the high academic quality and increased diversity of the applicant pool.”
During the last year, Denison has introduced a number of new strategic initiatives, including a groundbreaking and unique academic major in global commerce; a significant increase in paid internships and the launch of several innovative career-preparation programs; and an expanded focus on developing beneficial relationships in nearby Columbus, which is trending for college grads and recently was named by Forbes as the top “opportunity city” in the nation.
Denison President Adam Weinberg commented, “Denison has extensively researched both what college students are looking for to lead successful, healthy and rewarding lives, and what employers are looking for in their next generation of leaders. We are vigorously responding to that research and are continuing to push the envelope to create the best liberal arts education possible. I'm happy that our prospective students appreciate the quality of education that they will get here — and these numbers reflect that.”
Nearly a quarter of Denison's domestic students come from across Ohio, with a similar number coming from the Midwest, outside of the state. Mid-Atlantic and Southern states account for another quarter, and the remainder are split evenly among the Northeast states, and the Southwest and West. Currently, international students comprise roughly 8 percent of Denison's student population.
March 4, 2016
