University of Delaware
Delaware's flagship land-grant research university, where American study abroad began in 1923.
- Acceptance rate
- 74%
- Fall 2025 undergraduate admissions (UD Quick Facts 2025-26)
- Students
- 24,564
- 19,385 undergraduates
- International
- 3%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 13:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $42,470
- 2026-27
About UD
The University of Delaware traces its roots to a free school opened in 1743, became Newark College in 1833 and took its current name in 1921. It is Delaware's land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant university, privately governed but state-assisted, with its main campus in Newark and other sites in Wilmington, Dover, Lewes and Georgetown. In fall 2025 it enrolled 24,564 students, including 19,385 undergraduates and 4,252 graduate students.
UD offers 171 bachelor's programs across colleges including Arts and Sciences, Engineering, the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, Health Sciences, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Earth, Ocean and Environment, plus the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and an Honors College. Chemical engineering is its historic strength: UD's first doctorates were in chemical engineering and chemistry, and its STAR Campus, built on a former Chrysler plant, hosts the national biopharmaceutical manufacturing institute NIIMBL.
Admission is broad but program-dependent: UD offered places to 30,773 of 41,505 applicants for fall 2025, and you apply directly to a major, with nursing and some engineering and business majors more competitive. It suits students who want a traditional residential campus with Georgian brick buildings on a large green, strong science and engineering, and easy train access to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington.
Scientia Sol Mentis Est
“Knowledge is the light of the mind” — university motto
Why students choose UD
UD ran the first for-credit study abroad program at an American university in 1923, and World Scholars now spend their first semester in Athens, Auckland, Madrid, Newcastle or Rome.
Delaware residents get the First State Promise: families under $75,000 have full tuition and mandatory fees covered, and those under $35,000 also get standard housing and food.
Early Action applicants by November 1 are automatically considered for the Honors College and its Distinguished Scholar awards, including the full-tuition-plus-housing Eugene du Pont Scholarship.
Strong engineering and applied science on the STAR Campus, where the College of Health Sciences, NIIMBL and industry research labs share a former Chrysler plant site.
Admissions
Fall 2025 undergraduate admissions (UD Quick Facts 2025-26)
30,773 admitted from 41,505 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Delawareans are admitted at a much higher rate: 3,664 of 4,240 in-state applicants (86%) versus 27,109 of 37,265 nonresidents (73%). 4,987 admitted students enrolled. Students apply directly to a major; applicants who do not meet a major's requirements or apply once it is full may be admitted to University Studies (undeclared) instead.
Typical entry requirements
| US high school curriculum (recommended) | 16 units: 4 English, 3 math (Algebra 1 or higher), 3 science (2 labs), 3 history/social science and 3 academic electives |
|---|---|
| Engineering and most business majors | Precalculus (or its international equivalent) completed by high school graduation |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 79 Direct admission minimums: TOEFL iBT 79 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4 on the new scale, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, PTE 53 or Cambridge B2 First (171). SAT reading and writing 550 or ACT English 24 also meet the requirement. Lower scores can lead to conditional admission through the English Language Institute's Academic Transitions pathway. |
Deadlines
- Early Action (and Honors College) Non-binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Non-binding. Decisions by January 31; Honors invitations in late January. Required for Honors College consideration.
- Nursing and School of Music priority Non-binding In 56 daysDecember 1, 2026
Nursing applications must be complete by 11:59 p.m.; nursing decisions by February 15.
- Regular admission (priority) Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
Decisions by mid-March. Applications after this date are considered on a space-available basis.
UD's freshman admissions page lists these annual dates (application opens August 1) without a year; they are applied here to the fall 2027 cycle. International applicants are reviewed on a rolling basis with a January 15 priority deadline for direct admission and June 1 for conditional admission. UD has no Early Decision plan.
How to apply
Common App or Coalition application; required personal essay; $75 fee; self-reported grades through STARS (domestic applicants); optional SAT/ACT; up to two optional recommendation letters; audition for music. No interviews. International applicants send official transcripts and English test scores.
What admissions looks for
- Grades first: UD says grades are the most important part of any application, especially in classes related to your intended major.
- Rigor in context: honors, AP or dual-enrollment courses show you can handle college work, judged against what your school offers.
- Preparation for your chosen major, such as precalculus for engineering and most business programs.
- Quality over quantity in activities: sustained commitment to one or two activities over several years.
Tips for applying to UD
- 1 Apply Early Action by November 1 if you want the Honors College or top merit scholarships; later Honors applications are reviewed only on a space-available basis.
- 2 Choose your major carefully, since you apply directly to it; nursing has its own December 1 deadline, and engineering and business require precalculus.
- 3 Fill in STARS (the self-reported transcript) accurately; UD reviews your grades from it and only needs official transcripts once you enroll.
- 4 If you go test-optional, use My Blue Hen Home to add other evidence of academic skill, such as AP scores, especially for math- or science-heavy majors.
- 5 Consider World Scholars: admitted students in 100+ eligible majors can apply by the March 1 priority deadline to start their first semester abroad.
What are your chances?
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Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
UD is a public university and offers no need-based aid to international students, but international first-years are automatically considered for merit scholarships of $10,000-$15,000 a year and for Distinguished Scholar awards. Delaware residents qualify for the First State Promise (full tuition and fees under $75,000 family income) and merit awards of $2,000-$7,000 a year. Honors College Distinguished Scholars include the Eugene du Pont Scholarship (full tuition, room and board) and Valencia Scholars ($32,000 a year for non-residents).
- $39,154
- 2026-27 cost of attendance, Delaware resident on campus
- $65,884
- 2026-27 cost of attendance, out-of-state or international on campus
- $10,000-$15,000 per year, no separate application
- Merit scholarships for international students
- 60.6%
- Average share of need met for full-time undergraduates (CDS 2024-25)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring) plus winter and summer sessions
Chemical Engineering
UD's first doctoral programs were in chemical engineering and chemistry (approved 1946), and its first doctorate, in 1948, was in chemical engineering.
World Scholars Program
Students spend their first semester in Athens, Auckland, Madrid, Newcastle or Rome, live in the International House in year two and go abroad again in year three.
Nursing (College of Health Sciences)
Reviewed separately with an earlier December 1 deadline; part of the College of Health Sciences, which is based on the STAR Campus.
Art Conservation
One of six undergraduate art conservation programs in North America.
Marine Science (College of Earth, Ocean and Environment)
The School of Marine Science and Policy runs programs in marine biosciences, oceanography, physical ocean science and engineering, and marine policy.
Medical Scholars Program
An eight-year early admission pre-medical pathway with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.
Research
- The Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, on a 272-acre former Chrysler plant, houses the UD-led National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL).
- The Institute of Energy Conversion, founded in 1972, is the oldest solar energy research institute in the world.
- $343.7 million in expenditures for externally sponsored activities in fiscal year 2025.
Schools & faculties
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics
- College of Earth, Ocean and Environment
- College of Education and Human Development
- College of Engineering
- College of Health Sciences
- Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration
- Honors College
- Graduate College
94% of 2023 bachelor's graduates were employed or pursuing further education six months after graduation (UD). College Scorecard: median earnings of $72,950 ten years after entry (and $58,846 six years after entry) for federally aided students.
Student life
UD's Newark campus is organised around The Green, a long lawn lined with Georgian brick buildings with Memorial Hall at its centre, and Main Street runs through the north end of campus. University housing holds about 7,200 students. The Fightin' Blue Hens, with mascot YoUDee, compete in NCAA Division I and joined Conference USA in 2025-26 as the football team moved up to FBS. The Fightin' Blue Hen Marching Band has 300-350 members, and students run their own radio station, WVUD, and an emergency medical service, UDECU.
- Fightin' Blue Hens: 21 NCAA Division I varsity sports, now in Conference USA.
- Fightin' Blue Hen Marching Band, 300 to 350 members, which performed in the 2009 presidential inaugural parade.
- Student-run UD Emergency Care Unit, which operates an ambulance for campus and the surrounding community.
- About one-third of undergraduates study abroad before graduating.
Housing. University housing has capacity for about 7,181 students (October 2025).
Location
Newark is a college town in northern Delaware where Main Street's restaurants and shops run right through the north end of campus. It sits on the Northeast rail corridor between Philadelphia and Baltimore, and a new Newark Regional Transportation Center on the STAR Campus serves Amtrak and regional rail. UD also has campuses in Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown and Lewes on the Delaware coast.
Nearest airport: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Notable alumni
- JB Joe Biden46th President of the United States (BA 1965)
- JB Jill BidenFirst Lady of the United States (BA 1976)
- DN Daniel NathansNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (BS 1950)
- CC Chris ChristieFormer Governor of New Jersey (BA 1984)
- LM Louise MushikiwaboRwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MA 1988)
- DP David PlouffePolitical strategist and presidential campaign manager (BA 2010)
- JF Joe FlaccoNFL quarterback and Super Bowl XLVII MVP
- RG Rich Gannon2002 NFL Most Valuable Player
Frequently asked questions
What is the University of Delaware's acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, UD offered admission to 30,773 of 41,505 applicants, about 74%. Delaware residents were admitted at about 86% and out-of-state applicants at about 73%.
Is the University of Delaware test-optional?
Yes. All applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores, and applying without them does not affect merit scholarship or Honors College consideration. Admitted students' middle-50% SAT range is 1240-1390.
Does UD have Early Decision?
No. UD offers non-binding Early Action with a November 1 deadline, which is also the Honors College deadline, and a January 15 priority deadline for regular admission. Nursing applicants must apply by December 1.
How much does the University of Delaware cost?
For 2026-27, tuition is $15,740 for Delaware residents and $42,470 for out-of-state and international students, plus $2,550 in fees. The total cost of attendance on campus is $39,154 in-state and $65,884 out-of-state.
Does UD give financial aid to international students?
UD does not offer need-based aid to international students, but all international first-year applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships of $10,000-$15,000 a year and for the Distinguished Scholar awards.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- UD Undergraduate Admissions: Freshmen Admissions
- UD Undergraduate Admissions: International Admissions
- UD Undergraduate Admissions: Preparing to Apply
- UD Undergraduate Admissions: Honors College
- UD Undergraduate Admissions: World Scholars
- UD Financing Your Degree: In-State Freshmen (2026-27 rates, First State Promise)
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