Davidson College - Academics - Admissions Profile

Admissions Profile

Numerous magazines such as Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report regard Davidson's admission process as "most selective".

The Davidson College Office of Admission & Financial Aid presents the college as one "dedicated to intellectual and cultural growth in the broadest sense." Davidson prides itself on a student body chosen not only for their academic promise, but also for their character.

"Faculty and admission personnel work together to select students for admission. The selection process is composed of three major elements: 1) the evaluation of academic performance and potential; 2) the assessment of individual characteristics; and 3) the recognition of outstanding interests, achievements, and activities. These three elements are used to gain an understanding of each student's academic and personal strengths and, thus, give an overall evaluation of the individual's eligibility for admission."

For the undergraduate class of 2015 (enrolled fall 2011), Davidson received 4,759 applications and accepted 1,208 (25.4%). The yield rate (the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend the university) was approximately 40.5%. For the class of 2015, 82% of enrolled freshmen ranked in the top 10% of their high school classes; 95% ranked in the top fifth. The middle 50% range of SAT scores for the freshman students enrolled in fall 2011 was 630-730 for verbal/critical reading, 640-720 for math, and 630-730 for writing, while the ACT Composite range was 29–33.