Denison University provides its students with a rigorous, high-quality liberal arts and sciences education. Beyond the classroom, students benefit from a wide range of diverse co-curricular opportunities that foster personal growth and development. At Denison, academic excellence is a priority, and cultivating leadership potential is actively encouraged.
For Denison student-athletes, participation in intercollegiate athletics is a vital part of their comprehensive educational experience. Denison's athletic teams consistently compete at high levels within the conference and nationally. This tradition of athletic excellence is rooted in more than a century of competition, creating a winning heritage that continues to inspire. Even more importantly, the true measure of success lies in how these programs prepare student-athletes to become organizational leaders, engaged citizens, and collaborative team players in their professional and community lives after graduation.
Denison's strong competitive tradition remains vibrant today. Since the establishment of the 10-team North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in 1984, Denison has earned a conference-record 21 All-Sports trophies and amassed 188 total conference championships.
The university supports a comprehensive intercollegiate athletics program, sponsoring 26 varsity sports—14 women's and 12 men's. Over the past decade, more than two-thirds of Denison's sports programs have achieved NCAA national rankings, postseason tournament appearances, or championship meet qualifications. Notably, Denison's swimming & diving program has secured seven NCAA Division III national championships, and eight programs—including women's soccer, field hockey, women's tennis, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, women's cross country, men's swimming & diving, and women's swimming & diving—have earned top-eight national finishes.
Denison student-athletes are also dedicated scholars. The university proudly claims 55 NCAA Postgraduate Scholars—an honor recognizing outstanding academic and athletic achievement. These scholarships provide $10,000 for postgraduate study to exceptional scholar-athletes across all NCAA divisions.
As an NCAA Division III institution, Denison does not offer athletic scholarships. Instead, financial aid for athletes is determined using the same criteria applied to all students at the university.
