Resident a Member of Dayton's Most Selective Incoming Class

Only about one out of every two applicants was accepted. At 52 percent, overall selectivity is up nearly 30 percentage points in the last decade, according to university officials.

On Aug. 21, the University of Dayton will welcome approximately 1,900 first-year students.

"We are exceptionally pleased with the quality and the size of the incoming class," said Sundar Kumarasamy, vice president of enrollment management and marketing.

"With increasing competition in Ohio and nationally for a declining number of college-aged students, we are gratified to see the University of Dayton's continued broad appeal all over the world. It's a resounding endorsement of the academic quality and value of a Catholic, Marianist education."

This year's record 16,024 applications is driving efforts to diversify enrollment, especially with out-of-state and international students, Kumarasamy said.

According to university statistics, the number of first-year students from outside Ohio hit a record 56 percent, with the greatest growth coming from Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan, Kansas, Iowa, Florida and Puerto Rico.