University of Dayton Review

Ohio's largest private university, the University of Dayton is located in the Miami Valley of Ohio in Dayton, which was the home of the Wright brothers. The Catholic university offers 78 undergraduate degrees in 42 disciplines as well as 53 master's and seven doctoral degrees. The most popular fields of study are business and marketing, communications and engineering.

University of Dayton Overview

St. Mary's School for Boys, founded by the Society of Mary in 1850, became the University of Dayton in 1920. UD is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity; since 1960 the university has received sponsored research funds of more than one billion dollars. Each of the University of Dayton's schools and colleges has received some awards and honors, many of which are listed on the school website.

One of the university's basic philosophies is that people best learn as part of a community. This philosophy has led to unique, family-style dorms with front porches that are conducive to gatherings. Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus.

Admissions and Enrollment Overview

Several items are required before a student can be considered for admission. Prospective students begin by submitting the Common Application or UD's Application for Undergraduate Admission and Scholarship; although the application can be submitted online or through postal mail, the application fee is waived if the online method is chosen. Students submit an essay with their application, which allows the admissions committee to assess their writing ability and consider extracurricular experiences. The other items needed are an official transcript, official SAT or ACT scores and a counselor's recommendation. Special attention is given to the student's grades, the courses chosen for college preparation, class rank and test scores.

Campus Facilities and Learning Environment

The University of Dayton has six large research centers. There are three libraries on campus, including the Zimmerman Law Library, whose materials aid research in American and international law. More than 40% of the materials housed in the Marian Library and International Marian Research Institute are found only in this library. The Roesch Library houses almost one and a half million volumes and subscribes to more than 8,400 electronic and print journals.

Students are required to have their own computer. UD has a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:14, and 14% of classes have no more than nine students. Additionally, more than half of the classes have only 10-29 students; only one percent of classes have 100 or more students.

Schools and Colleges at the University of Dayton

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • School of Education and Allied Professions
  • School of Business Administration
  • School of Engineering
  • Graduate School
  • School of Law

School Contact Information

  • Address: 300 College Park, Dayton, Ohio 45469
  • Telephone: (937) 229-1000