University of Akron Main Campus

In the 2027 US News Best Colleges rankings, the University of Akron placed at 342, reflecting a downward trajectory from its position of 230 in 2019. Despite this decline in national standing, the admissions process has become comparatively selective against its institutional cohort. In 2025, the university posted an acceptance rate of 59.7%, which was higher than only 7% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similarly ranked public research universities. This indicates that Akron turns away a larger share of applicants than the typical peer institution. However, the university encounters difficulty in drawing admitted students to enroll. Its 2025 yield rate was 18.3%, meaning less than one-fifth of accepted candidates decided to attend. For prospective applicants, Akron offers a reasonably accessible admissions target relative to elite institutions, but its selectivity remains tighter than most direct peers while its modest yield shows many admitted students consider other alternatives.

Undergraduate admissions at the University of Akron are test-optional, meaning standardized test scores are considered if submitted. For the 2025 entering class, the middle score range on the ACT composite spanned from 17 to 25. Standardized test reporting in 2025 shows that 64% of enrolled students submitted ACT scores, while a much smaller portion provided SAT results, reflecting a clear student preference for the ACT. Across SAT examinations that same year, the university recorded a median SAT score of 1040. When compared against a peer group of similarly ranked public universities, this median SAT score was higher than 16% of peer schools. These figures show that the institution maintains accessible testing criteria for admitted undergraduates relative to other public universities. For prospective students evaluating their application profile, scoring within or above these published ranges aligns well with the typical academic qualifications of the enrolled student body.

Undergraduate studies at the University of Akron are diverse rather than heavily concentrated, with the top three bachelor's majors accounting for 20.1% of all degrees awarded in 2025. These popular undergraduate fields include registered nursing and mechanical engineering. However, the university's strongest academic reputations appear primarily at the graduate level. In the 2026 US News graduate program rankings, the law school earned notable positions, ranking 47th for intellectual property law and 50th for trial advocacy, while nurse anesthesia achieved a rank of 78. In terms of post-graduation outcomes, technical and engineering fields deliver the highest compensation. According to 2023 earnings data measured one year after graduation, chemical engineering bachelor's recipients led all undergraduate programs with median earnings of $81,821, closely followed by computer engineering graduates at $79,070. Prospective students can therefore find well-regarded professional training in legal and healthcare studies, alongside lucrative career outcomes in undergraduate engineering disciplines.

The student body at the University of Akron is largely domestic, with overseas and minority populations representing relatively small portions of the undergraduate cohort. Across the institution in 2025, total enrollment stood at 13,332 students, with degree seekers spread across undergraduate and graduate levels. Among first-year undergraduate freshmen, international students formed a small contingent of 38 individuals, representing 1.9% of the entering class. Asian students also constituted a modest presence, numbering 79 individuals to make up 4% of the freshman group. At the graduate level, overseas students hold a noticeably more substantial presence, whereas Asian participation remains comparatively limited across advanced programs. For prospective applicants and families comparing institutions, these metrics reflect a campus community centered primarily on regional and domestic undergraduates. Students seeking an environment characterized by heavy undergraduate global diversity may want to weigh these proportions carefully when building their college list.

Undergraduate enrollment at the University of Akron is heavily centered on traditional college-age youth, with students aged 18 to 19 forming the single largest cohort at 30.1% of the undergraduate population. Together with peers in their early twenties, they create a conventional undergraduate environment. By comparison, graduate enrollment leans toward young working professionals and continuing scholars. In the graduate school, students aged 25 to 29 represent the largest segment at 32.5%, followed closely by those aged 22 to 24 at 29.9%. This clear demographic separation means undergraduate campus life is shaped by young full-time learners, whereas graduate programs cater to students progressing directly from college or balancing early-career responsibilities.

International student enrollment at the University of Akron has trended downward over the past decade across both study levels, though it remains concentrated in advanced degree programs. In 2025, international undergraduates comprised 2.1% of the undergraduate population, a share that was higher than 70% of peer schools in its comparison group of public research universities. At the graduate level, international enrollment has likewise contracted from earlier peaks, accounting for 14.3% of all graduate students in 2025. Among graduating classes, international representation is virtually absent in primary undergraduate fields such as registered nursing and mechanical engineering, where foreign students made up less than two percent of degree recipients. In contrast, international presence is notably higher in specialized master's curricula, with programs like business analytics seeing international graduates reach 11.1%. Prospective international applicants will therefore find their peers largely focused in graduate technical and business tracks rather than undergraduate programs.

Prospective applicants considering the University of Akron can examine a range of public and private colleges located within commuting or regional distance. Just 10 kilometers away, Kent State University at Kent offers a neighboring large public university option, ranked 236 among National Universities in the 2027 US News rankings. For students seeking smaller liberal arts settings, The College of Wooster is located 28.7 kilometers away and holds the 91 spot on the National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, while Oberlin College sits 39.6 kilometers from campus with a ranking of 59 in the same category. Additionally, Case Western Reserve University, a private research university positioned 30.2 kilometers away, was ranked 44 among National Universities in 2027. Together, these nearby alternatives present families with varied academic environments, campus cultures, and institutional types throughout northeast Ohio.

Campus safety records at the University of Akron show that the vast majority of documented offenses stem from policy infractions rather than violent crime. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate per 1,000 students of 7.2. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, disciplinary referrals for substance use formed the primary category of recorded incidents, led by 216 disciplinary referrals for liquor violations and 190 disciplinary referrals for drug violations. Law enforcement arrests were substantially less frequent, though the university did log occurrences of stalking and dating violence across those same years. For students and families evaluating the campus environment, these safety figures indicate that student conduct issues involving alcohol and drugs represent the primary security challenge on campus, while serious violent incidents remain comparatively uncommon.