I had the good fortune of being able to visit UD on an unusually warm and beautiful February day. I was extremely impressed with the campus and I think you would be as well. The University of Dayton is a Catholic, Marianist institution with a mission to educate through "service, justice, and peace." Only about 50% of the student body identifies as Catholic and they are welcoming of students from all backgrounds.
Here are 5 fun facts about UD:
1) Students looking to study business have access to tremendous experiential opportunities, including Flyer Enterprises, one of the largest exclusively student-run businesses in the world. UD students run 12 different divisions of Flyer Enterprises, including coffee shops, smoothie bars and a digital marketing agency. From sales associate to CEO, students run it all.
2) The Flyers compete in the NCAA Division I and their fans have been recognized for superior fan attendance at athletic events. If you aren't playing at the varsity level, UD is ranked in the top 25 for participation in intramural sports according to Princeton Review. Almost 60% of UD students participate in IM sports and there are plenty of options for everyone. If climbing is your thing, the RecPlex has an indoor rock climbing wall among other amazing amenities.
3) UD is unique in that 80% of undergraduate students live on campus for all four years. This is because of their student neighborhood, a community-based approach to residential life. 330 upperclassmen live in apartments and houses that are owned by the university - if you need help changing a lightbulb or you have a leaky pipe, UD employees will be over to help you fix it. The university maintains the grounds and housing units, while students get the experience of living independently and amidst their peers.
4) UD's ETHOS Center offers engineering students the opportunity to engage in humanitarian projects around the country and around the world. Students have traveled to 20 different countries to work on service-learning projects, like improving roads in Malawi, designing an irrigation system in rural Bolivia, and researching food insecurity in rural Peru.
5) UD has an outstanding transparent approach to tuition. A student's cost is locked in for four years - they offer a guarantee of no net tuition increase and no additional fees or surcharges. Should tuition go up, so would a scholarship to cover the difference. Prospective students who visit campus and file a FAFSA with UD will qualify for a $500 textbook scholarship each semester!
It was clear to me that UD was a place filled with happy, kind students and highly supportive faculty and staff who were working together to help students achieve their potential. Go Flyers!