Core #10 · Full school dossier

Denison University

Economics / Financial Economics + entrepreneurship ecosystem · Granville, Ohio
Portfolio verdict: High conditional affordability and excellent career infrastructure justify the application even though the school type is not his first choice.
Undergraduates
2,500
Business scale
No conventional standalone undergraduate business school
Setting
Small residential college; ~30 min from Columbus
Admission estimate
36% planning estimate
Cost works if admitted
90% planning estimate
Early route
ED I Nov. 15; RD/ED II Jan. 15
Program lens

What business actually looks like here

Program strength: Not a BBA school; strength is liberal arts + economics/financial economics + entrepreneurship/data/career preparation

Major options: Economics, Financial Economics, Data Analytics and entrepreneurship-related opportunities; no conventional undergraduate BBA

Program admission: 22% current Fast Facts admit rate; SAT 1330–1490; no supplemental essay; no application fee

Experiential learning

Work before graduation

Model: Career services is a major institutional strength; internships, consulting experiences and Columbus access

Internship / co-op: Strong career infrastructure but no universal paid business co-op comparable to Cincinnati or Management Fellows

Distinctive feature: 9:1 student/faculty ratio; 100% demonstrated need; very strong career-services reputation

Career outcomes

Where the degree tends to lead

Placement: 92% employed, in graduate school or service within six months in Fast Facts

Compensation: Not used as a headline metric on reviewed official pages

Employment geography: Granville is small, but Columbus access is explicitly positioned as a major internship/entrepreneurship advantage

Money

How this becomes financially usable

Need / institutional aid: Meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; Fall 2025 $50K–$100K families with typical assets averaged $71,751 aid among qualifying recipients

Merit / jackpot route: All applicants considered for merit; Kentucky/Midwest opportunities should be reverified for 2027

Family rule: the relevant question is not “Is there scholarship money?” It is whether tuition + campus living can be solved for all eight semesters with only a small student contribution.
Fit

What matters specifically for him

Financially excellent and academically compelling, but small residential environment and lack of conventional BBA are fit objections.

What could change the ranking: Compare the actual business-career pathway against DePauw Management Fellows and dedicated business schools; Denison may win on aid/career support but lose on program identity.