Academics
There are many reasons to attend the University of Dayton, but the one mentioned above all is its experiential learning. “We have opportunities for real world experience in every major” (and sometimes even further independent expertises by department), like “the Sophomore Experience Entrepreneurship Program that gives students a $5,000 grant to run their own microbusiness.” Engineers have space, time, and resources to build rigs and run experiments, “the music program is phenomenal,” and minicourses in subjects like microeconomics utilize the Dayton area to show “the interaction between economics and the environment through outdoor excursions that were often very informative.” All of this is backstopped by the professors, whom students give high marks. “Most of my professors have been extremely nice, approachable, and engaging.” They “challenge you but also really want you to succeed, especially if you participate in discussions and provide quality work on assignments and exams.” Indeed, “they want to show each student that they have potential to be great, but they have to unlock it.”
Student Body
Undergrads at the University of Dayton overwhelmingly agree that their peers are “very sweet,” and “super welcoming and approachable” people who foster a strong sense of community and school spirit. Given the “relatively small class sizes, it’s easy to get to know a lot of people in your major” and others more simply describe it as common to see “strangers quickly become friends and friends become like family.” As for finding a balance between school work and social lives: “we aren’t just book worms, and we are not just party animals. We are both.” The student body remains “predominantly white,” though “there are [now] more POC and LGBTQ+ students than there have ever been before.” Moreover, students feel strongly about inclusion, noting that “students never need to be told to work together to create a safe and inclusive campus, they just do.”
Campus Life
At the University of Dayton, learning and excitement extend far beyond the classroom: “there are activities going on everywhere, on-campus jobs to partake in, as well as a variety of organizations and clubs.” As one undergrad elaborates, “I’ve been in Bella Voce (the women’s choral ensembles), Opera Workshop (a musical theater class)...and Javanese Gamelan ensemble (a percussion tradition from Indonesia).” Additionally, “intramural sports are very active on campus…[along with] professional organizations that align with your major, ethnicity, or gender.” Of course, there’s plenty of casual fun to be had as well; students mention sledding in winter, hanging out at Kennedy Union and “[playing] pool or [going] bowling at the Hangar.” And eating is a serious activity at Dayton, given that “the food is awesome.” Some students describe “a lot of partying” on the weekends, but also suggest that “people do not pressure you into drinking if you don’t want to.”
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