Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Elkins, West Virginia
58.2% Acceptance Rate
Davis & Elkins College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
58.2%Acceptance Rate
3.35Avg GPA
985Avg SAT
8Avg ACT
$44,322Annual Cost
$43,411Grad Salary
40.3%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
58.2%
Avg GPA
3.35
Avg SAT
985
Avg ACT
8
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
880–1125
ACT Middle 50%
1–14
Need-Based Aid
40.3% receive Pell
Davis & Elkins College is a private, liberal arts institution in West Virginia known for its focus on student-centered learning, experiential education, and close student-faculty collaboration. Offering a wide range of undergraduate degree programs, the college fosters a supportive and engaged campus community that encourages both intellectual and personal growth. Its commitment to practical career preparation, combined with a traditional liberal arts education, makes it a valuable and high-value path for students seeking a meaningful college experience.
Davis & Elkins College Acceptance Rate
At 58.2%, admission to Davis & Elkins College is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What Davis and Elkins College Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 58.2% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.35 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.15 – 3.34
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.90
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Davis & Elkins College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Davis & Elkins College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
Davis and Elkins College reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
💡 The scholarship deadline (2026/02/01 (Merit scholarship priority)) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Davis and Elkins College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Davis and Elkins College is 3.35. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.05–3.35 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.55–3.75.Davis and Elkins College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Admission here leans heavily on holistic review.
Recommended Strategy: Leans on context — leadership, personal circumstances, or a standout talent.
This range is a rough map — where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.35 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.15 – 3.34
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.95 – 3.14
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.94
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Academic engagement is highly valued.
- Leadership experiences strengthen applications.
- Goal alignment improves application quality.
- Early applications support scholarship success.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself — a 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average — the trajectory tells its own story.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Davis and Elkins College
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Davis & Elkins College's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Davis & Elkins College (Davis and Elkins College) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at Davis and Elkins College — landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into Davis and Elkins College Without SAT or ACT?
Davis and Elkins College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
Davis & Elkins College Average SAT Score: 985
Admitted students at Davis & Elkins College average a 985 SAT (out of 1600).
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 985 — Accessible
A 985 average means even a modest SAT score can strengthen your application.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1125 SAT or 14 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Davis & Elkins College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
Scored under 880? A retake is worth it at Davis and Elkins College — two or three sittings is standard for competitive applicants, and there's no cap on how many times you can test.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 490 | 430 | 550 |
| SAT Reading | 513 | 450 | 575 |
| SAT Composite | 985 | 880 | 1125 |
A score under 880 puts you in the lower quarter of admits; 1125+ puts you ahead of three-quarters of the admitted class. (These percentiles mark where a given share of the admitted class scored at or below.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1000
Can I get into Davis & Elkins College (Davis and Elkins College) with a 1150 SAT?
At 1150, your SAT is squarely in Davis and Elkins College's favor. That said, admissions staff read the full file — GPA, activities, and essays still carry real weight even with a strong score in hand.
Davis & Elkins College (Davis and Elkins College) ACT Requirements
Davis and Elkins College's admitted students average an ACT of 8.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 8 — Accessible
An average of 8 means even a modest ACT score can strengthen your application.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| ACT English | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| ACT Composite | 8 | 1 | 14 |
Can I get into Davis & Elkins College with a 14 ACT?
At 14, you're in the top quarter of Davis and Elkins College's admitted class by ACT score. That's a real advantage, but admissions still reads GPA, essays, and activities alongside it.
The ACT's four sections — English, Math, Reading, Science — are each scored independently on a 1–36 scale, and admissions staff do notice a lopsided breakdown. If one section trails the others significantly, that's worth addressing before you apply, particularly for STEM programs where Science carries extra weight.
Beyond the number itself, Davis and Elkins College weighs your transcript rigor, activities, recommendations, and essays just as heavily — the ACT opens the door, the rest of your file decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Davis and Elkins College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into Davis and Elkins College isn't the hard part — building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Use the Sustainability Studies Program If It Fits Your Goals
D&E offers West Virginia's first Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies - a genuinely field-specific program, not a repackaged environmental science degree. Students in the program have worked directly on Elkins city recycling policy, installed solar panels on campus, developed community gardens, and consulted on a LEED-certified housing project. These aren't hypothetical projects; they're in-town, practical engagements with real outcomes. If sustainability, outdoor recreation management, or Appalachian land stewardship is your intended direction, this program gives you a resume-building argument that most comparable small colleges can't match. Build your application around what you intend to do with it.
Think of the Monongahela National Forest as a Classroom
The D&E campus borders the 900,000+ acre Monongahela National Forest, and the college owns a 300-acre experimental forest outside Beverly, WV. For students in environmental science, outdoor recreation management, biology, or sustainability, this is a working research landscape, not a backdrop. The outdoor recreation management program and the hospitality and tourism management program are specifically designed to leverage this geography. If you're applying into these fields, visit in person, walk the Robert Urban Nature Trails on campus, and name specific parts of the regional landscape - Seneca Rocks, Dolly Sods, the Cheat River - in your application essay. That's the difference between a student who researched D&E and one who copied the college's own website.
Apply Early and Let the Merit Scholarship Do Its Work
D&E has no application fee and accepts both the Common App and its own application. Merit scholarships - the Highlands Scholarship at $11,000?$20,000 per year - are awarded automatically at the time of acceptance based on academic record; no separate scholarship application is required. That means your transcript and GPA are your scholarship application, and submitting early gives you an earlier decision and a clearer aid picture. Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) members should also flag the Presbyterian Scholarship ($5,000) and the Covenant Scholarship - both require active membership, and the college verifies this.
If You're an Athlete, Understand the Division II Athletic Scholarship Landscape
Nearly half of D&E students receive athletic scholarships - a significant proportion for a school of roughly 680 undergrads competing in 21 NCAA Division II sports. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) context matters: D&E competes at a level where dedicated student-athletes who aren't D-I caliber can still earn significant scholarship aid while maintaining genuine academic engagement. If athletics is part of your enrollment equation, contact coaches early - D&E coaches have real scholarship dollars to offer and recruit actively. Don't wait for coaches to find you at a school this size.
Expert Insight:
Davis & Elkins' acceptance rate data is genuinely inconsistent across aggregators: one IPEDS-linked tool reports 94% (essentially open admission), others report 58%, and CollegeRaptor reports ~42%. The most likely explanation is measurement-year variation and how applicant pools are counted. The school's six-year graduation rate of roughly 37% and 58% first-year retention rate are the more consequential numbers - and they're honest signals that D&E works best for students who have a clear plan, a specific program fit, and an enrollment counselor who can walk them through the four-year degree map before they commit.
Davis and Elkins College Profile
Full Name
Davis & Elkins College (Davis and Elkins College)
City
Elkins
State
West Virginia
ZIP Code
26241-3996
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Davis and Elkins College Degree Worth It?
At $44,322/year against a $43,411 median graduate salary, Davis and Elkins College is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation — the numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $46,400, and graduates see a 3.78% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from Davis and Elkins College Cost?
Listed tuition runs $44,322/year at Davis and Elkins College; factor in Pell and federal grant aid and most students land typically much lower.
At Davis and Elkins College, 40.3% receive a Pell Grant and 65.4% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming Davis and Elkins College on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a Davis and Elkins College Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, Davis and Elkins College graduates report a median income of $43,411, about 7% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Davis & Elkins College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A & M University | Normal, AL | 947 | 17 |
| Johnson University Florida | Kissimmee, FL | 940 | NA |
| Warner University | Lake Wales, FL | 937 | 17 |
| Clayton State University | Morrow, GA | 973 | 18 |
| Gordon State College | Barnesville, GA | 950 | 18 |
| University of Hawaii-West Oahu | Kapolei, HI | 973 | 18 |
| Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | Saint Mary of the Woods, IN | 966 | 17 |
| Baker University | Baldwin City, KS | 950 | 17 |
| Union Commonwealth University | Barbourville, KY | 965 | 18 |
| Grambling State University | Grambling, LA | 955 | 17 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Davis & Elkins College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, AL | 977 | 18 |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 980 | 20 |
| University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, CT | 985 | NA |
| Delaware State University | Dover, DE | 984 | 24 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Tifton, GA | 994 | 19 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Davis & Elkins College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faulkner University | Montgomery, AL | 1016 | 20 |
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, AL | 1055 | 21 |
| University of West Alabama | Livingston, AL | 1015 | 20 |
| Marion Military Institute | Marion, AL | 1043 | 20 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 1049 | 21 |
Degree Programs at Davis and Elkins College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Davis and Elkins College Admissions
Davis & Elkins College graduates earn a lower median salary of $43,411/year, especially outside technical fields.
Tuition at Davis & Elkins College is moderate, around $44,322/year; many students supplement with aid.
40.3% of Davis & Elkins College students get a Pell Grant. Your odds depend mostly on household income — filing FAFSA early still helps maximize what you're offered.
Davis & Elkins College's acceptance rate is 58.2%, comparatively higher than most selective universities — admission is more attainable here.
The average GPA of admitted Davis & Elkins College students is 3.35, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 3.05 puts you in the standard applicant pool at Davis & Elkins College. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 2.95 or below makes admission tougher at Davis & Elkins College, but strong test scores, activities, and essays — plus AP/IB coursework — can still keep you in contention.
Davis & Elkins College weighs the SAT heavily. Scoring above 985, and within the 880–1125 range, keeps you competitive.
Davis & Elkins College follows Rolling Admissions — applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before 2026/02/01 (Merit scholarship priority) — that's Davis & Elkins College's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out — plus a solid test score where the school considers one.
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