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The average acceptance rate at Otterbein over the past 10 years is 79.63%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 84.53%. The acceptance rate at Otterbein is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 22.54%, and the 2025 yield is 17.67%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 31.77% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Otterbein applicants increased by 12.15% (425 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 34.49% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 84.53%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that Otterbein is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 17.67%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Otterbein. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Otterbein received approximately 3,923 applications, admitted 3,316 students, and enrolled 586 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Otterbein is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Otterbein 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Otterbein over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 79.63%, while the most recent rate stands at 84.53%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 84.53%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 80.33% and for women is 79.14%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Otterbein have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 75.32% | 74.93% | 75.56% |
| 2016-17 | 72.87% -2.44% |
71.73% -3.21% |
73.55% -2.00% |
| 2017-18 | 76.40% 3.53% |
74.19% 2.46% |
77.67% 4.12% |
| 2018-19 | 81.02% 4.62% |
83.54% 9.35% |
79.60% 1.93% |
| 2019-20 | 80.15% -0.87% |
80.52% -3.02% |
79.93% 0.33% |
| 2020-21 | 76.06% -4.08% |
77.52% -3.00% |
75.25% -4.69% |
| 2021-22 | 83.01% 6.95% |
84.98% 7.46% |
81.00% 5.75% |
| 2022-23 | 83.68% 0.67% |
84.94% -0.04% |
82.88% 1.88% |
| 2023-24 | 83.30% -0.37% |
85.15% 0.22% |
82.21% -0.67% |
| 2024-25 | 84.53% 1.22% |
85.84% 0.69% |
83.79% 1.58% |
| Average | 79.63% | 80.33% | 79.14% |
Otterbein has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 25.90% in 2015 to 17.67% in 2025, representing a 31.77% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 22.54%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Otterbein from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 31.77% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 25.90% | 25.45% | 26.18% |
| 2016-17 | 27.56% 1.66% |
29.65% 4.20% |
26.34% 0.17% |
| 2017-18 | 25.47% -2.08% |
26.48% -3.17% |
24.92% -1.43% |
| 2018-19 | 24.48% -0.99% |
26.88% 0.39% |
23.07% -1.85% |
| 2019-20 | 27.17% 2.69% |
29.06% 2.18% |
26.07% 3.00% |
| 2020-21 | 22.84% -4.33% |
24.09% -4.98% |
22.13% -3.94% |
| 2021-22 | 19.01% -3.84% |
20.97% -3.12% |
18.02% -4.11% |
| 2022-23 | 17.47% -1.53% |
16.60% -4.37% |
18.04% 0.03% |
| 2023-24 | 17.81% 0.34% |
17.43% 0.84% |
18.04% 0.00% |
| 2024-25 | 17.67% -0.14% |
19.32% 1.89% |
16.65% -1.39% |
| Average | 22.54% | 23.59% | 21.95% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 3,261, the average number of admitted is 2,607, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 573.
The number of Otterbein applicants increased by 12.15% (425 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 34.49% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Otterbein University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 2,917 | 2,197 | 569 |
| 2016-17 | 3,222 10.46% |
2,348 6.87% |
647 13.71% |
| 2017-18 | 3,119 -3.20% |
2,383 1.49% |
607 -6.18% |
| 2018-19 | 2,919 -6.41% |
2,365 -0.76% |
579 -4.61% |
| 2019-20 | 2,861 -1.99% |
2,293 -3.04% |
623 7.60% |
| 2020-21 | 2,849 -0.42% |
2,167 -5.49% |
495 -20.55% |
| 2021-22 | 3,537 24.15% |
2,936 35.49% |
558 12.73% |
| 2022-23 | 3,762 6.36% |
3,148 7.22% |
550 -1.43% |
| 2023-24 | 3,498 -7.02% |
2,914 -7.43% |
519 -5.64% |
| 2024-25 | 3,923 12.15% |
3,316 13.80% |
586 12.91% |
| Average | 3,261 | 2,607 | 573 |
The following table compares Otterbein University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otterbein University | 83.30% | 84.53% | 1.48% |
| Case Western Reserve University | 36.54% | 28.68% | 27.41% |
| University of Dayton | 65.45% | 61.65% | 6.16% |
| Franklin University | - | - | - |
| Cedarville University | 65.29% | 62.82% | 3.93% |
| Xavier University | 86.41% | 87.73% | -1.50% |
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