Key differences on Getting in

1
U. Dayton's SAT midpoint is 30 points higher than Elon's
SAT midpoint
2
Elon admits 63% vs. 65% at U. Dayton
Acceptance rate
3
U. Dayton's yield is 0 pts higher than Elon's
Yield rate

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

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

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Elon63%Most selective

U. Dayton65%

Applicants

Elon18.6K

U. Dayton22KMost

Admitted

Elon11.7K

U. Dayton14.4KMost

Yield rate

Elon11%

U. Dayton12%Highest

Quad's selectivity

ElonSelective
U. DaytonSelective

Men and women

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

Women admitted

Elon67%

U. Dayton72%

Men admitted

Elon65%

U. Dayton60%

Test scores

SAT total,

Elon

1190–1340

U. Dayton

1200–1380

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

ACT composite,

Elon

25–31

U. Dayton

25–31

Axis runs 21–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Elon23%

U. Dayton9%

Submitted ACT

Elon17%

U. Dayton27%

Test policy

ElonRequired for some applicants
U. DaytonTest-optional

How they read a record

Elon
and GPA are both very important; class rank is considered. 70% 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.
U. Dayton
GPA and the high school record are required; a college-prep program is considered.

What they look at

Factor	Elon	U. Dayton
High school GPA	Very important	Required
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Considered	Not considered
College-prep program	Considered	Considered
Recommendations	Very important	Required
Essay	Very important	Considered
Legacy status	Important	Not considered
Work experience	Very important	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:Elon University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Elon University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Elon University 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