University of Dayton (UD) is a private catholic marianist research university based in Dayton, Ohio. The University of Dayton is a private Catholic Marianist research university with programs across arts and sciences, business, education and health sciences, engineering, law, nursing, and interdisciplinary professional fields. The institution traces its development to 1850, and its present academic identity reflects a long pattern of growth rather than a single modern expansion. The university began in 1850 when Marianist priest Leo Meyer purchased Dewberry Farm and opened St. Mary’s School for Boys. The institution expanded into collegiate study, professional education, engineering, business, and graduate work and adopted the University of Dayton name in 1920. Academically, UD supports a broad mix of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, certificate, and interdisciplinary study. Representative undergraduate choices include Computer Science B.S., Mechanical Engineering B.M.E., Civil Engineering B.C.E., Electrical Engineering B.E.E., Chemical Engineering B.Ch.E., Biology B.S.. Graduate study includes options such as Biology M.S., Public Administration M.P.A., Theological Studies M.A., Engineering Management M.S., Computer Science M.S., while doctoral education extends into fields including Biology Ph.D., Theology Ph.D., Engineering Ph.D., Electro-Optics and Photonics Ph.D.. Research includes aerospace and materials engineering, electro-optics and photonics, energy, sustainability, human rights, biology, education, theology, autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, and applied industry partnerships. Dayton’s aerospace ecosystem and proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base shape many technical collaborations. The Dayton campus combines a residential Catholic university environment with engineering laboratories, business and health facilities, student organizations, athletics, service, research, entrepreneurship, and a metropolitan region with major aerospace, defense, healthcare, and manufacturing employers. For current cost planning, For 2026–27, full-time undergraduate tuition for 12–18 credits is $25,955 per semester, or $51,910 for fall and spring. A $300 Health and Wellbeing Fee is charged each semester, bringing tuition plus that standard fee to $52,510 before housing, food, insurance, books, transportation, and course-specific charges. These published amounts are planning figures and can change with residency, program, credit load, housing, insurance, or board action at University of Dayton. The University of Dayton uses a holistic undergraduate admissions process and became test optional on June 1, 2026. Applicants may choose whether SAT or ACT scores are considered, while academic preparation, coursework, achievement, and the requirements of specialized programs remain important. Career opportunities are closely tied to aerospace and defense, engineering, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, business, finance, education, nonprofits, government, law, and technology employers throughout southwest Ohio. Taken together, University of Dayton is best understood as an institution whose academic portfolio, research mission, student support, and regional setting are closely connected. UD also uses certificates, accelerated pathways, online options, and other nontraditional formats to extend selected academic areas beyond the standard four-year or graduate sequence. The university’s location in Dayton gives students access to the civic, research, cultural, health, business, and public-sector networks that shape its surrounding region.