University of Delaware

Public · Moderately Selective · DE

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith (Public Domain)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationDE · South

SettingSuburban

Undergrads19,071

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate74%

6-yr grad rate80.5%

Drop-out rate8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$17k

Out-of-state tuition$41k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity33.1%

Gender diversity60.2%

International3.1%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Delaware is a mid-sized public flagship in Newark, Delaware, positioned conveniently between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Its green, colonial-style campus anchors a classic college-town setting, and the university carries a genuine historical claim as home to the nation's first study-abroad program, founded in 1923 — a tradition that has stayed central to the university's identity rather than fading into founding-era trivia.

Academics

Chemical engineering is the standout program, with deep, longstanding ties to the DuPont company that have shaped both curriculum and research funding for decades, reflecting Delaware's broader identity as a chemical-industry state. The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics is another solid, well-resourced program. Study abroad remains a strong institutional priority beyond its historical origin, with a wide range of programs, including short winter-session trips, still central to the undergraduate experience.

Campus & student life

The Newark campus has a traditional, brick-and-green quad feel, walkable and centered on campus life, with easy day-trip access to Philadelphia and Baltimore for students who want a bigger city occasionally. Greek life has a notably strong presence relative to many public flagships, shaping a real slice of the social scene. Blue Hens athletics compete at the Division I FCS level, and football games and Homecoming carry real weight in the campus social calendar.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic with solid weight on academic preparation, particularly for the more competitive engineering and business programs, though the university remains accessible relative to peer flagships in the mid-Atlantic region. Demonstrated interest and fit with specific programs can matter for the most selective majors, and the application weighs extracurricular involvement and community engagement meaningfully, not just grades and test scores.

After graduation

Chemical engineering graduates have an unusually direct pipeline into DuPont and the broader chemical and materials industry clustered in the mid-Atlantic corridor. Business graduates place well into Philadelphia's and the broader mid-Atlantic's finance and corporate sectors, and graduate school placement is solid across the sciences and humanities as well, aided by the university's research-university status.

Worth knowing

The study-abroad tradition is not just historical trivia — a large share of students actually go abroad at some point, which is a real and current part of the university's identity rather than an origin story it has outgrown. Delaware's small-state setting also means the university's alumni network functions almost like an informal statewide network for career connections, well beyond Newark itself.

udel.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate70.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1190–1370 · ACT 28–32

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

Regular decisionJan 15

Applying