Kenyon College

Gambier, OH
Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022
740-427-5000

Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. Founded in 1824 by Philander Chase, Kenyon College is the oldest private college in Ohio and one of the fifty oldest in the United States. The campus is situated on 110 acres (0.45 km2) of rolling hills and features seventeen buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The college enrolls approximately 1,700 students from over forty states and more than fifty countries. Kenyon offers over fifty majors and concentrations, and awards bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees.

Kenyon is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The college is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, the Five Colleges of Ohio, and the Council of Independent Colleges. Kenyon has produced fifteen Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, seventeen Fulbright Scholars, one Marshall Scholar, and nine Watson Fellows. Kenyon alumni include two Pulitzer Prize winners, prominent businessmen, politicians, and a former first lady of the United States.

Kenyon College was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase, the Episcopal Bishop of Ohio. Bishop Chase purchased the land for the college in 1822 for $1,250. The first buildings were erected in 1825, and the first students were enrolled in 1826. The college was chartered by the Ohio General Assembly in 1829 and officially opened in 1830. In 1851, the college moved to its current location in Gambier, Ohio.

The college experienced significant growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1892, the college established a School of Music, and in 1899, the first class of women was enrolled. In 1906, the Kenyon Review, a literary magazine, was founded. In 1924, the college established a School of Fine Arts.

The Great Depression and World War II led to a decrease in enrollment and financial difficulties for the college. In the postwar years, the college experienced significant growth, and in 1966, the Kenyon Inn, a hotel and conference center, was opened.

The college has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1913. Kenyon is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, the Five Colleges of Ohio, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

Kenyon offers over fifty majors and concentrations, and awards bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. The college has an active Honors Program, and students can also choose to study abroad through Kenyon's affiliated programs in England, France, Italy, Spain, and China.

Kenyon has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 17. The college offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including more than fifty clubs and organizations, and a wide range of intramural and varsity sports.

Kenyon is home to fifteen Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, seventeen Fulbright Scholars, one Marshall Scholar, and nine Watson Fellows. Kenyon alumni include two Pulitzer Prize winners, prominent businessmen, politicians, and a former first lady of the United States.



Quick Facts

Enrollment: 1615

Acceptance Rate: 36.89%

Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

Main Website: https://www.kenyon.edu/

Financial Aid: https://www.kenyon.edu/admissions-aid/

Annual Costs

Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $71480

Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $71480

Return on Investment Rating

rating stars

The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Kenyon College is $257758.75. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.

We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Kenyon College. For graduates of Kenyon College, we saw an average early-career income of $58800.00 and mid-career income of $117400.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.