How to get into Denison
What 43 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 111 Denison results that students posted for the 2018 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Denison? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Denison admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.90
Middle half 3.58 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,440
Middle half 1,350 to 1,480
Median ACT
32
Middle half 30 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.40
Middle half 3.90 to 4.51
Results posted: 43 admitted, 24 rejected, 44 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Denison acceptance rate; the official rate is in Denison’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.90 | 3.78 |
| SAT | 1,440 | 1,490 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Denison admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service70%
- Athletics56%
- Work/Job42%
- Tutoring/Teaching37%
- Research35%
- Internship33%
- Debate/MUN/Speech30%
- Music30%
Held a leadership role
84%
Founded something
53%
National or intl. award
60%
Did research
35%
Intended majors of Denison admits
- Environmental19%
- English/Writing12%
- Political Science9%
- Public Policy9%
- Physics7%
- Pre-med/Health7%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 28% first-generation, 33% low income, 35% underrepresented minority, 2% legacy, 5% recruited athlete and 12% international.
Three recent Denison admits
2026 cycle · RD · Public Policy
Low-income Southern musician and student leader with QuestBridge and Gates recognition, aiming at policy and urban studies.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Public Policy
Musician and service-driven student with viola leadership, church roles, and QuestBridge finalist status.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
2026 cycle · Engineering
Black first-gen engineering student with research, coding outreach, and a city policy program.
GPA 3.90 UW · SAT 1500 · Original post
Where else Denison admits got in
Denison admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Denison?
- Among 43 applicants who posted a Denison admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.90 and the middle half reported 3.58 to 4.00 (32 reported a GPA). Denison sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Denison?
- Among 43 applicants who posted a Denison admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,440 and the middle half scored 1,350 to 1,480 (25 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 32.
- What extracurriculars do Denison admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (70%), athletics (56%), work/job (42%), tutoring/teaching (37%). 84% held at least one leadership role and 60% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Denison acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Denison in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Denison?
A Specialist who got into a school like Denison can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2018 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Denison. All colleges