Key differences on Getting in

1
Marquette's yield is 6 pts higher than U. Denver's
Yield rate
2
Marquette's SAT midpoint is 15 points higher than U. Denver's
SAT midpoint
3
Marquette admits 81% vs. 85% at U. Denver
Acceptance rate

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

U. Denver85%

Marquette81%Most selective

Applicants

U. Denver16.6K

Marquette18.7KMost

Admitted

U. Denver14.2K

Marquette15.2KMost

Yield rate

U. Denver8%

Marquette14%Highest

Quad's selectivity

U. DenverAccessible
MarquetteSelective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

U. Denver79%

Marquette84%

Men admitted

U. Denver76%

Marquette79%

Test scores

SAT total,

U. Denver

1160–1360

Marquette

1200–1360

Axis runs 1100–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

U. Denver

27–32

Marquette

26–31

Axis runs 22–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

U. Denver25%

Marquette14%

Submitted ACT

U. Denver11%

Marquette26%

Test policy

U. DenverTest-optional
MarquetteTest-optional

How they read a record

U. Denver
and GPA are both very important; class rank and tests are both considered. 56% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.
Marquette
GPA and the high school record are required; class rank and a college-prep program are considered.

What they look at

Factor	U. Denver	Marquette
High school GPA	Very important	Required
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Considered	Considered
College-prep program	Considered	Considered
Recommendations	Important	Considered
Essay	Important	Considered
Legacy status	Considered	Not considered
Work experience	Considered	Considered
Demonstration of competencies	Not considered	Not considered
English proficiency test	Required	Required
Other tests	Not considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:University of Denver (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of Denver Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of Denver Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why