1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Kenyon College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Kenyon College OH · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #1017 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/kenyon-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/kenyon-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/kenyon-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/kenyon-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/kenyon-college/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Kenyon College #1,017 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Kenyon College is a private nonprofit university in Gambier, Ohio, where the degree mix is led by Social Sciences and English Language & Literature. Return is above average, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study. Graduates earn above the median at comparable schools, but the earnings picture is mixed. The largest program pays less than the highest-earning one, and the spread between the two is wide. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and the price case turns on income. The lowest income band pays a fraction of the published cost, while the highest band pays much more, creating a wide spread between the two ends. The admission rate is well below the median for comparable schools, and access is below the levels seen at many peers. A student drawn to the humanities should go in knowing that the largest departments are not the best-paid ones. ## Kenyon College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 31.0% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 82.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $57,786 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $19,156 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $18,527 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $56,500 ## Kenyon College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Kenyon College enrolls 1,732 undergraduates at its campus in Gambier, Ohio, where it operates as a private nonprofit university. Its composite standing sits in the lower third among nonprofit four-year institutions (31st percentile). At Kenyon College, applicants are admitted at a rate of 31.0%. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 75.7%. Of students who start full time, 91.6% return for a second year, against a peer median of 74.2%. 82.3% finish within six years, against 54.9% for the same peer group. An estimated 2.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year graduation figure describes the experience of the large majority who start here. The four pillars sit far apart: return is the strongest, at the 73rd percentile, while affordability is the weakest, at the 8th percentile. Access and mobility fall in between, at the 15th and 61st percentiles respectively. Kenyon's Azimuth profile is anchored by a strong return pillar and very weak affordability. Return sits in the 73rd percentile, while affordability is in the 8th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is in the 61st percentile and access in the 15th percentile. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the college #1,017 overall. The Pell share is a financial-access measure. 9.5% of undergraduates at Kenyon College receive Pell Grants, which are federal awards for students from low- and moderate-income families. Azimuth ranks the college #1,245 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar measures how well a school admits and supports students who receive federal need-based aid. Azimuth ranks Kenyon College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is the higher-ranking of the two pillars in this block. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Kenyon College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #1,017 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 15 **[Affordability](/school/kenyon-college/cost/)** National percentile: 8 **[Return on investment](/school/kenyon-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 73 01 / Kenyon College briefing ## [Kenyon College cost & financial aid](/school/kenyon-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Kenyon College is $87,590. That figure includes $71,520 in tuition and fees and $15,640 in room and board. For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships cut the sticker price by $49,078. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $38,512. That net price sits $16,165 above the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #1,306 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 8th percentile. The published cost of attendance at Kenyon College is $87,590. Azimuth ranks the university #1,306 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $18,242, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,156, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $51,432. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $33,190. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $38,512. That figure is $16,165 above the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $18,527 in federal student loans. That is $6,473 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $56,500. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $211 a month. It estimates a personalized net price and payment scenario that includes [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$19,156** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Kenyon College The median federal student debt for borrowers who complete a degree at Kenyon College is $18,527. That is $6,473 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). About 90.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $211 a month. Parents who borrow through the separate [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a median of $56,500. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 41% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $28,833 per borrower. Of those graduates, 35% held federal loans averaging $20,842, including some who also held private loans. A smaller share, 6%, held private loans averaging $52,872. The median earnings figure for Kenyon College is $57,786, measured four years after completion, at the 43rd percentile nationally. That is $1,871 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $50,934 at the lower end to $102,283 at the upper end, with a typical scenario of $57,786. Median federal debt at completion is $18,527, which is $6,473 below the median for comparable institutions. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $211 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $56,500. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $211 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $18,527 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $56,500 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $211/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $718/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=kenyon-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/kenyon-college/cost/) 02 / Kenyon College briefing ## [Kenyon College career outcomes & earnings](/school/kenyon-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Azimuth places the return pillar for Kenyon College in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,786. That figure is $1,871 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The median sits in the 43rd percentile nationally. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Kenyon College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,786. That figure is $1,871 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places it in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort is 248 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the college's program mix, range from a downside of $50,934 to an upside of $102,283, with the typical scenario matching the observed median. The spread between the downside and upside is wide. An estimated 43.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. This estimate is based on the program mix, not on observed enrollment. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,786, at the 43rd percentile. That is $1,871 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Kenyon College #404 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Degrees are concentrated in the social sciences, English language and literature, and the visual and performing arts. The typical earnings scenario, estimated from the program mix, is $57,786, with a downside scenario of $50,934 and an upside of $102,283. An estimated 43.4% of students continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread, from a downside of $50,934 to an upside of $102,283. At the upper end, Economics graduates earn a median of $103,791 four years after completion, from 61 degrees awarded. International/Globalization Studies follows at $72,305, with 21 degrees awarded. The largest program, English Language and Literature, reports $52,945 from 70 degrees awarded. The published cost of attendance is $87,590, but aid covers about 56% of that for the average aid recipient. After aid, the lowest income band (under $30,000) averages $18,242, while the highest band (over $110,000) averages $51,432. The spread between the two ends is $33,190. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $18,527 in federal student loans, $6,473 below the $25,000 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $211 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $56,500 in Parent PLUS loans. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/kenyon-college/outcomes/) 03 / Kenyon College briefing ## [Kenyon College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/kenyon-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Kenyon College admits 31.0% of applicants, well below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 7,091 first-year applicants and 2,138 admitted applicants, with 412 enrolling. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 31.0% **25th percentile** 1400 **Median** 1430 **75th percentile** 1495 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/kenyon-college/admissions/) 04 / Kenyon College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Kenyon College?](/school/kenyon-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The four programs with published earnings data show a wide spread four years after completion. Economics leads at $103,791, from 61 degrees awarded. English Language and Literature, the largest program at 70 degrees awarded, sits at the other end with $52,945. Between them, International/Globalization Studies graduates earn $72,305 from 21 degrees awarded, and Fine and Studio Arts reports $53,620 from 23 degrees awarded. The median for the largest program, English Language and Literature, is roughly half that of the highest-earning one, Economics. Both are large, but the earnings picture points in different directions. Social Sciences accounts for 23.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded at Kenyon College, followed by English Language & Literature at 12.6% and Visual & Performing Arts at 11.0%. The largest single program is English Language and Literature, with 70 degrees awarded a year. Economics is both the second-largest program and the highest-earning program with published four-year earnings, with 61 degrees awarded and median earnings of $103,791 four years after completion. The program mix at Kenyon College is anchored in the humanities and social sciences. Social Sciences accounts for 23.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by English Language & Literature at 12.6% and Visual & Performing Arts at 11.0%. The college has 4 programs with published four-year earnings data. English Language and Literature is the largest single program, awarding 70 degrees a year. Its graduates earn a median of $52,945 four years after completion, which is 1.09x the national median for the field. The highest-earning program is Economics, with median earnings of $103,791 from 61 degrees awarded. That figure is 1.25x the national median for its field. International/Globalization Studies follows at $72,305, from a smaller cohort of 21 degrees a year. The pattern here is a liberal arts college where the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. The earnings leader, Economics, is the second-largest program, while the largest, English Language and Literature, sits at the lower end of the earnings range. A student drawn to the humanities should know that the earnings figures for fields that commonly precede graduate study may understate later-career paths. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **English Language and Literature, General 70 degrees awarded** $52,945 **Economics 61 degrees awarded** $103,791 **Psychology, General 48 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Political Science and Government 44 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **History 33 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 25 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/kenyon-college/majors/) 05 / Kenyon College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Kenyon College?](/school/kenyon-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/kenyon-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Kenyon College. Admissions peerOberlin College34.2% admitted+ Comparison with Kenyon College | Measure | Kenyon College | Oberlin College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,786 | $51,715\-$6,071 vs Kenyon College | | Average annual net price | $38,512 | $38,645+$133 vs Kenyon College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 31.0% | 34.2% | [Explore Oberlin College →](/school/oberlin-college/) Higher-admission alternativeThe College of Wooster59.5% admitted+ Comparison with Kenyon College | Measure | Kenyon College | The College of Wooster | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,786 | $57,840+$54 vs Kenyon College | | Average annual net price | $38,512 | $23,458\-$15,054 vs Kenyon College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 31.0% | 59.5% | Nearby alternativeThe College of WoosterNearby option · OH+ Comparison with Kenyon College | Measure | Kenyon College | The College of Wooster | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,786 | $57,840+$54 vs Kenyon College | | Average annual net price | $38,512 | $23,458\-$15,054 vs Kenyon College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 31.0% | 59.5% | Higher-earnings alternativeCase Western Reserve University$94,237 earnings+ Comparison with Kenyon College | Measure | Kenyon College | Case Western Reserve University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,786 | $94,237+$36,451 vs Kenyon College | | Average annual net price | $38,512 | $41,190+$2,678 vs Kenyon College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 31.0% | 36.5% | [Explore Case Western Reserve University →](/school/case-western-reserve-university/) Lower-cost alternativeThe College of Wooster$23,458 average net price+ Comparison with Kenyon College | Measure | Kenyon College | The College of Wooster | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,786 | $57,840+$54 vs Kenyon College | | Average annual net price | $38,512 | $23,458\-$15,054 vs Kenyon College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 31.0% | 59.5% | Similar profileThe College of WoosterMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Kenyon College | Measure | Kenyon College | The College of Wooster | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,786 | $57,840+$54 vs Kenyon College | | Average annual net price | $38,512 | $23,458\-$15,054 vs Kenyon College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 31.0% | 59.5% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/kenyon-college/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)