Admissions
Getting in, fall 2025
Kenyon admits about 1 in 3 applicants (30%). That puts it in the "Very selective" tier, more selective than 93% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.
Out of every 100 applicants…
The funnel
No application fee
Grants credit for AP exams
Men and women
Men were admitted at 25%, women at 37%.
Yield
19% of admitted students enroll, in the typical range nationally.
Wait list: 1,439 offered a place, 808 accepted, 63 admitted (7.8% of those who accepted)
Applying early
Early decision: 35% admitted
231 of 663 early applicants; 30% of all applicants
Apply by Nov 15; decisions by Dec 15
Second round: apply by Jan 15; decisions by Feb 1
Early decision is binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll. Recruited athletes and other applicants with an edge often apply early, so the early rate overstates the gain for a typical applicant.
No early action plan.
Where you stand
How Kenyon reads a record
and GPA are both very important; class rank and tests are both considered. This college reports (average 4.15), so its GPA figures can't show how crowded unweighted GPAs are. Scores are optional. 11% of first-years sent an SAT and 10% an ACT. Most first-years were admitted without scores. Recommends 3 years of history and 4 of science. See the years by subject
What they look at
Considers whether an applicant's parent attended (legacy status).
| Very important | Important | Considered | Not considered | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | |||||
| Rigor of high school record | Very important | ||||
| Class rank | Considered | ||||
| Academic GPA | Very important | ||||
| Test scores | Considered | ||||
| Essay | Important | ||||
| Recommendations | Important | ||||
| Personal | |||||
| Interview | Considered | ||||
| Extracurricular activities | Important | ||||
| Talent or ability | Important | ||||
| Character and personal qualities | Important | ||||
| First generation | Considered | ||||
| Alumni relation (legacy) | Considered | ||||
| Geographic residence | Considered | ||||
| State residency | Considered | ||||
| Religious affiliation | Not considered | ||||
| Volunteer work | Considered | ||||
| Work experience | Considered | ||||
| Demonstrated interest | Important | ||||
From the federal survey: high school record required; college-prep program required; English proficiency test required
Transferring in
53% of transfer applicants were admittedvs. 30% of first-year applicants
77 applied · 41 admitted · 11 enrolled
Transfers may start in the fall and spring.
Minimum college GPA: 3.0
Grants credit for course work completed at another college
Dates
- Fall entry: priority date April 1, apply by April 1, decisions by May 1, reply by May 31
What the application needs
- High school transcript
- Required
- College transcripts
- Required
- Essay or personal statement
- Required
- Interview
- Recommended
- Standardized test scores
- Recommended
- Statement of good standing from a prior college
- Required
Applying
The regular round, as the college reports it. Early rounds have their own dates.
- Apply by January 15 for fall 2026.
- The housing deposit is non-refundable.
- Admitted students may postpone enrollment for a gap year. Longest postponement: 1 yr.
What you'll need in high school
Requires a high school diploma; accepts the GED.
Requires a college-preparatory program in high school.
| Years of | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 4 | 4 |
| Science (lab: 3 / 3) | 3 | 4 |
| Foreign language | 3 | 4 |
| Social studies | 3 | 3 |
| History | – | 3 |
| Academic electives | 3 | – |
| Total | 20 | 23 |
A unit is a year of the subject; lab science is part of science.
Recent change: Started requiring an essay in fall 2024.
On the admissions map
↑ SAT midpoint (higher = higher scores)
Fall 2025 first-years
First-years' high school GPA
Average GPA 4.15, weighted
This average gives extra points for honors and AP courses, so it runs above 4.0 and can't be compared with an unweighted GPA.
High schools grade differently, and colleges recalculate or weight GPAs their own way, so compare this college only with itself.
First-years by high school GPA (4.0 scale)
At colleges with a weighted average, the “4.0” band seems to hold every GPA of 4.0 or more.
- 4.044%
- 3.75–3.9919%
- 3.50–3.7420%
- 3.25–3.4910%
- 3.00–3.245%
- below 3.02%
The middle half had GPAs of 3.50–4.0.
All nine bands
| GPA | All |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 44.3% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 19.4% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 19.7% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 9.6% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 5.4% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 1.0% |
| 2.0–2.49 | 0.3% |
| 1.0–1.99 | 0.3% |
| below 1.0 | 0.0% |
Source:Kenyon College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Test scores
What enrolled first-years scored
The typical enrolled first-year who sent scores is around 1431 on the SAT, 261 points above the median for colleges that report scores.
Optional
Scores are considered if you send them. For students entering in fall 2027.
Where would you land?
Middle 50% of enrolled first-years who sent scores This college's median National median midpoint
Who submitted scores?
submitted SAT
submitted ACT
Read with care: fewer than half of enrolled students submitted either test, so these ranges may run high. Learn about admissions.
Sources:Kenyon College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;Kenyon College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Kenyon College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;Kenyon College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 cycleAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)