Admit rate has ranged 14%–20% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Davidson College is a fiercely selective liberal arts powerhouse where Southern charm meets intellectual rigor. With an 89% med school acceptance rate (more than double the national average) and a no-loan financial aid policy, Davidson attracts brainy, driven students who thrive in its intimate, discussion-heavy classrooms. The college's Presbyterian roots still show in its honor code and emphasis on service, but don't mistake tradition for stodginess—this is a place where 96% of students live on campus, Greek life dominates social scenes, and basketball fever runs deep.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,867
In-state tuition
$64,410
Out-of-state tuition
$64,410
Endowment
$900M
Notable Alumni
Stephen Curry (NBA), Anthony Foxx (Former US Transportation Secretary), Patricia Cornwell (Author)
Acceptance Rate
12.6%
On-Campus Housing
96%
Student-Faculty Ratio
9:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
92%
Average Need-Based Aid
$62,393
Medical School Acceptance Rate
89%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$81,400
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
4.7×
Median debt at graduation
$18,688
Graduation rate
91%
First-year retention
95%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
84%
Pell (lower-income) share
42%
First-generation share
16%
Endowment / student
$736,210
Financial health
2.7 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
7
Per 1,000 students
3.75
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
109
Summer high
86°F
Winter low
37°F
Annual rain
44.7"
Annual snow
2.4"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
140
Scholarly works
5,168
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
0.4%
Bottom → top quintile
30%
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Davidson College?
Davidson College's acceptance rate is approximately 13% (Davidson, NC), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Davidson College?
Admitted students at Davidson College typically score 1400–1530 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Davidson College cost?
At Davidson College, the average net price (after aid) is about $17,379 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Davidson College?
Davidson College enrolls approximately 1,867 undergraduate students.
Where is Davidson College located?
Davidson College is located in Davidson, NC.
Admissions
Getting into Davidson is a feat—the college admitted just 12.6% of applicants for the Class of 2029, with an enrollment YieldThe share of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. Colleges watch it closely, which is why some weigh how interested you seem. of 47.1%. Early Decision applicants (1,232 for the same class) have a significant edge, comprising over a quarter of enrolled students. Middle 50% test scores land between 1360-1490 SAT or 31-34 ACT, though Davidson remains Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight.. The admissions office emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone., with particular attention to academic rigor (over 90% of admitted students rank in the top 10% of their high school class) and character alignment with the college's honor code.
Davidson's academic intensity is legendary—students describe a culture where 'people hit the books regularly' but collaborate rather than compete. The college offers 31 majors and over 40 minors, with particularly strong programs in political science (26% of graduates), biology (15%), and computer science. Every student completes a rigorous core curriculum including writing, foreign language, and distribution requirements across arts, humanities, and sciences. Signature opportunities include:
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
From bottom quintile
1%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
The Dean Rusk International Studies Program: One of the nation's top undergraduate international relations programs
Undergraduate research: 60% of students complete faculty-mentored research, with dedicated summer funding
The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies: For designing custom majors like Medical Humanities or Data Science
With a 9:1 student-faculty ratio and no graduate students, professors know undergraduates by name—Reddit threads overflow with praise for faculty accessibility.
Davidson's 2,000 students create a tight-knit community where 96% live on campus all four years. Social life orbits around:
Eating houses: 8 selective co-ed groups (like a toned-down Greek system) that host weekly dinners and parties
Wildcat basketball: Games against Atlantic 10 rivals are campus-wide events
The Alvarez College Union: Hub for 200+ clubs from Quidditch to investment banking
The college actively promotes diversity through its Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, though some students note the campus leans 'upper-middle class.' Traditions run deep, from the Freshman Cake Race (a 1.7-mile dash where winners get cake) to Lake Campus bonfires. With Charlotte just 20 minutes away, students balance small-town charm with big-city access.
Davidson's outcomes are staggering: 95% of 2025 graduates were employed or in grad school within six months, with 80% planning advanced degrees. The college boasts a 92% six-year graduation rate (top 5% nationally) and an 89% medical school Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants.—more than double the national average. Alumni networks run deep in Southern law firms, DC policy circles, and Wall Street, with McKinsey, Deloitte, and Teach For America among top employers. The Career Development office reports average starting salaries of $65,000, though this likely undercounts liberal arts graduates pursuing fellowships or service work.
At $90,524 total annual cost, Davidson is pricey—but 60% of first-years receive Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements. averaging $62,393. The college meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans through grants and work-study, a policy rare among liberal arts colleges. Even families earning over $250,000 may qualify for aid thanks to Davidson's generous thresholds. The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculator shows typical aid packages reducing costs to $26,510 for middle-income students. Merit scholarships are scarce (the college awards just 15 per class), reinforcing its commitment to need-based support.
Davidson pulls off a magic trick: combining the intimacy of a small liberal arts college (seniors present their theses to hometown audiences) with the resources of a research university (see: its $900M endowment). The honor code—where students schedule their own finals and leave laptops unattended in the library—creates remarkable trust. Its location in a wealthy Charlotte suburb attracts recruiters but maintains a distinct campus culture. Most strikingly, Davidson produces graduates who excel in both corporate jobs (25% go into finance/consulting) and public service (it's a top feeder for Peace Corps). This is a college for students who want rigorous academics without cutthroat competition, where Division I basketball coexists with poetry slams.
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