Davidson College Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 Admissions Statistics

Davidson College admitted 1,127 students out of 8,933 applicants for the Class of 2029, yielding a 12.62% overall Davidson College acceptance rate, one of the lowest in the college’s recent history.

Davidson has welcomed its Class of 2030, with decisions now out for both Early Decision and Regular Decision applicants. Full cycle data, including application counts, admit numbers, and the overall acceptance rate, will be published once Davidson releases it later this year.

In this blog, we walk through Davidson’s latest overall, early and regular decision, waitlist, and transfer acceptance rates and how they have changed over time.

• Davidson College Acceptance Rates
• Davidson Early Decision Acceptance Rate
• Davidson Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
• Davidson Transfer Acceptance Rate
• Davidson Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Davidson College Acceptance Rates

Davidson College’s acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 is 12.62%, a slight dip from 13.37% for the Class of 2028. Davidson received 8,933 applications and admitted 1,127 students for its most recent complete admissions cycle.

Over the past several years, Davidson’s overall acceptance rate has trended downward as applications have grown while class sizes have remained relatively stable. The table below gives you a full picture of that trend.

Note: Data sourced from Davidson College’s Common Data Set and institutional reporting.

Application volume at Davidson climbed from 5,621 for the Class of 2024 to 8,933 for the Class of 2029, a 59% surge in six years. Admitted class sizes, by contrast, have stayed in a narrow band between roughly 1,064 and 1,127. That widening gap between the number of students applying and the number of seats available is what has driven Davidson College’s acceptance rate from 20% down to 12.62% over that stretch.

Davidson College Early Decision Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2029, Davidson received 1,232 Early Decision applications and admitted 337 students, producing Davidson College’s early decision acceptance rate of 27.35%, down from 31.58% for the Class of 2028.

Davidson College Early Action acceptance rate trends

Early Decision applicants have historically enjoyed a significant advantage over Regular Decision applicants. For the Class of 2029, the Early Decision acceptance rate of 27.35% was nearly three times the Regular Decision rate of 10.26%. Here’s an overview of how ED rates have changed through the years:

Note: Data sourced from Davidson College’s institutional reporting.

Early Decision applications at Davidson have grown from 713 for the Class of 2023 to 1,232 for the Class of 2029, a 73% increase in volume. Over that same stretch, the number of students admitted through this round has stayed relatively similar, ranging from 307 to 360. That combination of surging demand and tightening supply pushed Davidson college’s early decision acceptance rate from 48.67% down to 27.35%.

Davidson College Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

The Class of 2029 is the most recent cycle with complete Regular Decision data: 7,701 applicants competed for 790 spots, producing a 10.26% acceptance rate, a marginal improvement from 10.40% for the Class of 2028.

The Class of 2030 decisions are out, but full cycle figures are still pending.

Davidson Regular Decision acceptance rate trends

Davidson’s RD data shows consistently low rates compared to ED. Here’s the full breakdown:

Note: RD figures are estimated from the difference between Davidson College’s publicly released overall admissions statistics and its ED numbers.

Regular Decision applications at Davidson climbed from 4,966 for the Class of 2024 to 7,701 for the Class of 2029, a 55% surge in volume over five cycles. The number of students admitted through this round, however, barely moved, staying in a narrow band between 725 and 817.

That widening gap between supply and demand is what drove the acceptance rate from 16.45% for the Class of 2024 down to 10.26% for the Class of 2029. More students are competing for essentially the same number of seats, and that math is unlikely to shift in the near term.

Davidson College Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent available Davidson College’s transfer acceptance rate is 18.42%  from Fall 2025. Here’s the full breakdown:

Note: Fall 2025 transfer data from Davidson College’s institutional reporting.

Davidson’s transfer process is selective, though notably more accessible than its first-year admissions process. The 18.42% transfer acceptance rate is higher than the 12.62% overall first-year rate for the Class of 2029, which reflects the smaller and more targeted transfer applicant pool.

Davidson College Waitlist Acceptance Rate

The most recent waitlist data comes from the Class of 2029. Here is the breakdown:

Note: Waitlist data from Davidson College’s institutional reporting for the corresponding admissions cycle.

For the Class of 2029, the transfer acceptance rate is 2.94%. That figure becomes more telling in context: 35 admitted from 860 confirmed for the Class of 2028, and just 14 from 710 confirmed for the Class of 2027. Waitlist outcomes at Davidson come down entirely to how many enrolled students Davidson needs in a given year, and that number changes every cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Davidson College’s current acceptance rate?

The most recently confirmed Davidson College’s acceptance rate is 12.62% for the Class of 2029. Davidson received 8,933 applications and admitted 1,127 students.

2. Is it better to apply Early Decision or Regular Decision to Davidson?

Historically, Early Decision applicants have fared significantly better than Regular Decision applicants. For the Class of 2029, the Early Decision rate was 27.35% compared to 10.26% for Regular Decision, more than two and a half times higher. That said, Early Decision applicants also tend to be among the most prepared and committed in the pool.

3. How selective is the Davidson College transfer process?

Davidson College’s transfer acceptance rate for Fall 2025 was 18.42% with 28 admitted out of 152 applicants. While this rate is higher than first-year admissions, the transfer pool is small and Davidson looks for students with strong college academic records and a genuine fit with its mission.

4. What are my chances of getting off Davidson’s waitlist?

Your chances depend on Davidson’s enrollment yield in a given year. For the Class of 2029, Davidson admitted 28 students from a confirmed waitlist of 953, a 2.94% rate among confirmed waitlist students. Sending a strong letter of continued interest with meaningful updates can help, but it is important to treat the waitlist as uncertain and pursue your other options seriously.

5. Why has Davidson’s acceptance rate dropped so much in recent years?

Davidson’s declining acceptance rate reflects a significant increase in applications, up nearly 59% from the Class of 2024 to the Class of 2029, while admitted class sizes have remained relatively stable. Growing national recognition, test-optional policies, and Davidson’s reputation for strong post-graduation outcomes have all contributed to rising application volume.

Takeaways

• Davidson’s acceptance rate has declined sharply over a short period, falling from 29.39% for the Class of 2023 to 12.62% for the Class of 2029. That trajectory makes Davidson considerably more competitive today than it was just a few years ago.
• Early Decision remains the strongest statistical pathway. Davidson College’s early decision acceptance rate of 27.35% for the Class of 2029 was nearly three times the Regular Decision rate of 10.26%, a gap that has been consistent across recent cycles.
• Transfer and waitlist admission are both low-probability pathways. Davidson College’s transfer acceptance rate of 18.42% is the more accessible route compared to the waitlist’s 2.94% rate among confirmed students, but both require a strong, targeted application.
• Davidson’s admissions landscape has shifted fast. If you want a clear-eyed read on where you stand and how to position yourself, a college admissions expert can map out exactly where Davidson fits in your list, sharpen how you present your story, and help you decide whether Early Decision is the right move for you.