University of Dayton The University of Dayton ( abbreviated and commonly referred to as UD ) is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton , Ohio , United States . The full - time undergraduate student enrollment is around 7 , 500 , and total student enrollment is about 11 , 000 . The University of Dayton is one of the ten largest Roman Catholic schools in the United States and is the largest of the three Marianist universities in the nation . It is also home to one of the largest campus ministry programs in the world . The university offers more than 70 academic programs in arts and sciences , business administration , education and allied professions , engineering and law . It was first in the country to offer an undergraduate degree program in human rights . History . In 1849 , Rev . Leo Meyer purchased the land for the future university from John Stuart with a medal of St . Joseph , and a promise of US $ 12 , 000 during a cholera epidemic . As a condition of purchase , Rev . Meyer promised to maintain the grave site of Stuart ' s daughter . The land , known then as Dewberry Farm , was and was primarily vineyards and orchards . In 1850 the university was founded as a day school and boarding school for boys called St . Mary ' s School for Boys , later St . Mary ' s Institute . In 1913 , the city of Dayton suffered a massive flooding when the Great Miami River overflowed . The university responded by sending faculty , Marianist brothers , and students out in rowboats to rescue Dayton citizens . In 1920 , to reflect UD ' s commitment to its community , it took its current name . In 1935 , the University of Dayton began admitting women , making it the first coeducational Roman Catholic university in the United States . As of 2011 , UD is the largest private university in Ohio . Campus . The University of Dayton main campus is compact and easy to navigate ; one is generally able to cross campus in less than 10 minutes . Many historic buildings survive from the early years of the University ; newer buildings fit in with the established architecture ( with a few exceptions , including ArtStreet , Roesch Library , and Miriam Hall ) . The fields are being used for intramural sports , and the College Park Center houses the UD Department of Public Safety ( 26 - officer Police Department , Parking Services , and Student Volunteer Rescue Squad ) , on - campus maintenance , the University ' s Department of Visual Arts , and Dayton Early College Academy ( DECA ) charter school . Burt - Hill Architecture is developing the long - term plan for the property . Kettering Labs is the home of the Engineering departments . This building includes classrooms , labs , offices , a machine shop , and a wind tunnel . The Science Center ( the joint name for Sherman Hall , Wohlleben Hall , and a connecting central atrium ) is home to the Math and Science departments . This building includes class rooms , laboratories , offices , and auditoriums . Sherman and Wohlleben Halls were independent buildings until renovations in 2003 connected them with an atrium and study space . The Humanities building is home of the English , Foreign Languages , Philosophy , and Religious Studies departments . This building includes classrooms and offices . Campus expansion . In December 2009 , the University of Dayton Research Institute announced that they would be relocating to the former NCR world headquarters building , now the River Campus . The former HQ and came under acquisition of the University of Dayton at a purchase price of $ 18 million . Along with UDRI , the 1700 South Patterson Building that sits on that land will house the Alumni Center envisioned in the University ' s master plan , as well as for graduate classes , executive development programs and conferences . Tuition , fees , and financial aid . As of 2012 annual undergraduate tuition and fees at the University of Dayton were reported to be $ 48 , 000 . According to the university 90 % of its students receive financial aid of some sort , including loans and work - study . Housing . Founders Hall Marianist Hall Marycrest Complex Stuart Complex Upperclassmen Housing The Ghetto and Darkside Athletics . The Dayton Flyers compete in the Atlantic Ten Conference in all sports except football , in which they compete in the Pioneer Football League . The Flyers ' mascot is " Rudy Flyer , " a pun based on the university ' s initials , " U . D . " Rudy is a barnstorming pilot who wears 1930s - 1940s - era goggles and a leather pilot ' s helmet . The nickname " Flyers " is a tribute to the Wright Brothers who began their careers and invented the airplane in Dayton . Flyers basketball is one of the biggest sports attractions in the Dayton area with the Flyers perennially ranking in the NCAA Division I top 30 in basketball attendance . The men ' s basketball team has advanced to the NCAA tournament numerous times and holds a 13 - 15 all time NCAA tournament record . The team reached the NCAA finals against UCLA in 1967 and won the NIT in 1962 , 1968 , and 2010 . Football has similarly experienced considerable success throughout its history at Dayton . UD has won two NCAA Division III titles ( in 1980 & 1989 ) and advanced to the title game three other times . Since moving to NCAA Division I - AA ( now FCS ) in 1993 , the Flyers have won eight PFL championships and in 2002 and 2007 were the NCAA Division I - AA / FCS Consensus Mid - Major Football National Champion . Dayton ' s historic rivalries in most sports have involved fellow Southwest Ohio schools — the University of Cincinnati , Miami University , and Xavier University . Dayton and Xavier play for the Blackburn / McCafferty Trophy during their regular season home - home men ' s basketball matchups . UD offers a wide variety of varsity athletic opportunities to men ( baseball , basketball , cross country , football , golf , soccer , tennis ) and women ( basketball , cross country , golf , rowing , soccer , softball , tennis , track and field , volleyball ) . Many of these varsity athletic teams are supported by the Red Scare , UD ' s spirit group made up of 1 , 300 undergrads . From its inception in 1996 until 2006 , Red Scare was focused primarily on men ' s basketball . In 2007 , the focus of Red Scare expanded to other sports including baseball and softball in the spring , football , men ' s and women ' s soccer , and volleyball in the fall , and men ' s and women ' s basketball in the winter . The Red Scare expanded other sports ' fan base with the creation of a points system called " Spirit Points . " Students are given points for each sporting event they attend . These points are then used to obtain a quality seat at the men ' s basketball game . In addition to varsity athletics , there are numerous club and intramural sports available to students including ice hockey . In January 2006 , the university opened its new RecPlex , a $ 25 million state of the art sports and recreational facility for students of the university . Intercultural and Study Abroad programs . University of Dayton students have the opportunity to study at either of the other Marianist universities in the United States : Chaminade University of Honolulu ( Honolulu , Hawaii ) or St . Mary ' s University ( San Antonio , Texas ) . These intercultural exchange opportunities allow students experience with majority Asian - American culture in Honolulu and Latino - American culture in San Antonio . The University of Dayton participates in exchange agreements with several overseas institutions for a semester or year of study . These locations are as follows : Nanjing , China ; Shanghai , China ; Helsinki , Finland ; Bourges , France ; Angers , France ; Lille , France ; Nice , France ; Paris , France ; Augsburg , Germany ; Maynooth , Ireland ; Rome , Italy ; Seoul , Korea ; Ifrane , Morocco ; Nijmegen , The Netherlands ; Madrid , Spain ; and San Sebastián , Spain . UD also offers many study - abroad summer programs , which typically last about one month . These locations are as follows : Quito , Ecuador ; London , England ; Winchester , England ; Paris , France ; Leipzig , Germany ; Delhi , India ; Bangalore , India ; Dublin , Ireland ; Florence , Italy ; Rome , Italy ; and Sorrento , Italy . Greek life . Dayton has fourteen fraternities and nine sororities on campus . 12 % of students participate in Greek Life . Fraternities Alpha Nu Omega , Beta Theta Pi , Delta Tau Delta , Phi Kappa Psi , Phi Mu Alpha , Phi Sigma Kappa , Pi Kappa Alpha , Pi Kappa Phi , Sigma Chi , Sigma Nu , Sigma Phi Epsilon , and Kappa Alpha Psi Sororities Alpha Kappa Alpha , Alpha Phi , Chi Omega , Delta Sigma Theta , Phi Sigma Rho , Pi Beta Phi , Sigma Alpha Iota , Theta Phi Alpha , Zeta Phi Beta , and Zeta Tau Alpha Rankings . In the 2010 edition of U . S . News and World Report ' s annual " America ’ s Best Colleges " issue , The University of Dayton broke the top 100 and ranked 99th of the top " national universities . " However in the 2011 edition , the university fell down to 101 . It also ranked 85th among private schools and 5th among Catholic institutions . Research . The University of Dayton Research Institute ( UDRI ) employs nearly 400 full - time researchers . Established as the research arm of the University of Dayton in 1956 , UDRI broke the $ 1 billion mark in sponsored research at the end of 2003 . In fiscal year 2005 , sponsored research at UDRI topped $ 70 million . In 2004 and 2005 , the Research Institute was ranked number two in the nation in federal - and industry - funded materials research by the National Science Foundation . In Ohio , UDRI is the top nonprofit institution that receives contracts from the Department of Defense . Along with UDRI , The Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton ( TREND ) is another research center located at the University of Dayton . In 2010 General Electric announced that it would be locating a new $ 51 million research center on the University of Dayton ' s campus . The center will be used for collaboration between University Researchers and GE to create new electrical power technologies .