The School of Business Administration at the University of Dayton finished No. 49 on Poets&Quants’ 2026 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S. In our three methodological categories, it finished No. 70 in Admission Standards, No. 39 in Career Outcomes, and No. 32 in Academic Experience. The B-school’s acceptance rate for the fall 2025 incoming class was 65.2%, and the class reported an average SAT score of 1,233. Its six-year graduation rate was 82.8%.
In career data, 87.24% of Class of 2025 graduates and 93.47% of Class of 2024 grads completed at least one business-specific internship before graduation. Some 98.49% of 2025 grads found jobs within three months, compared to 97.86% of 2024 grads. Average salary for the most recent graduates was $62,738, with 22.44% of them reporting an average signing bonus of $4,657. The top employers included EY, Reynolds & Reynolds, TEKsystems, Plante Moran, Fifth Third Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Arrive Logistics, Fidelity, and Amazon.
THE DAYTON EXPERIENCE
The University of Dayton’s undergraduate business program blends a values-driven education with structured professional development and hands-on learning. The School of Business Administration offers nine undergraduate degree programs, and its BSBA curriculum is built around four pillars: the Common Academic Program, the business core, the major, and BWISE. Students follow a shared first- and second-year curriculum before diving more deeply into their major in years three and four.
A defining feature of the program is the Career Flight Plan, a four-course professional-development sequence totaling 50+ hours. BIZ 101 helps students identify strengths, build a first resume, develop AI competencies, and connect with advising resources. BIZ 103 adds networking fairs, CEO speakers, a formal business etiquette meal, LinkedIn development, and career-interest assessment. BIZ 202 focuses on internship readiness through a mock virtual alumni interview, AI-powered prep tools, and community service, while BIZ 301 covers job-offer evaluation, compensation, cost of living, and financial literacy. Students also must complete BIZ 497, a pre-approved professional work experience of 120+ hours before graduation.
Dayton also leans into personalized support. In the school’s 2025 submitted profile materials, first-year students are described as meeting with holistic academic advisors at least 28 times during the year, with those same advisors teaching BIZ 101 and BIZ 103. Beyond the classroom, BWISE pushes students into intercultural, service, and experiential learning, reinforcing the school’s Marianist emphasis on leadership, service, and the common good.
HOME OF THE INCREDIBLE FLYER FUND
Dayton is perhaps best known for the Flyer Investments Fund. Housed in the Davis Center for Portfolio Management, the fund was established in 1999 with a $1 million grant and ranked as the largest student-managed portfolio in the U.S. in 2024. The Davis Center says the fund now boasts $85 million in assets under management.
That real-world ethos extends well beyond investing. The school promotes study abroad and away opportunities, requires an internship before graduation, and makes experiential learning a defining part of the business student journey. In business analytics, for example, 100% of students complete a client-based capstone project, and the school says 100% of UD students complete a high-impact experiential learning opportunity before graduation.
The broader portfolio has expanded and sharpened, too. Dayton now offers nine undergraduate business degrees, including business analytics, and the school’s 2025 submitted profile materials say seven of the nine majors require semester- or year-long capstone work with real organizations. That combination of scale, structure, and mission helps explain why Dayton continues to resonate with both employers and alumni.
ALUMNI SAY
“I was heavily involved in the student run business. This opened up many doors for me and gave me the opportunity to sharpen my communication skills, leadership skills, and learn how to manage a business.”
“Our capstone project was very important to me because it allowed me to have real-world experience but in a setting where feedback was continuously given. It also allowed me to take on a leadership role amongst my peers which is an invaluable experience.”
“If you want to learn about business, go to a business school–there are many. But if you want to be a better business leader, be a more well-rounded person, approach business situations in a more wholesome, empathetic, thoughtful, and smart way–go to UD and become a servant leader. It will expand your thinking and allow you to deliver back to the greater good of society. You will get more out of and experience and an education like this than the piece of graduation paper will attest to. Also, Dayton Alum love Dayton Alum. The networking is impeccable, post grad.”
“The professors at UD, particularly within the accounting department, truly care about their students. I always felt like they truly cared about both my growth and development as a student, individual, and young business professional. I feel like UD’s school of business set me up for success in the “real world” and I will always remember all of the faculty and staff who helped me get to where I am today.”
