Bennington College vs Hamilton College

Bennington College and Hamilton College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Bennington, known for its progressive approach, boasts an acceptance rate of 58%, while Hamilton's selectivity is reflected in its 15% acceptance rate. Bennington's student body is predominantly female (70%), while Hamilton's is more evenly balanced (52% female, 48% male). In terms of majors, Bennington emphasizes the arts, with popular choices including visual and performing arts, while Hamilton offers a wider range of options, including economics, government, and psychology. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Bennington at 82% and Hamilton at 93%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bennington College	Hamilton College
Overview
Location	Bennington, Vermont	Clinton, New York
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	94.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.9%	14.1%
Application fees	$85	$60
SAT range	N/A	1410 - 1540
ACT range	N/A	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		32.0%
Students submitting ACT score		20.0%
Total number of applicants	1,726	9,380
Total number of admissions given out	1,155	1,320
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	533
Yield rate	21.6%	40.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,648	$76,700
Average net price	$35,569	$26,803
Tuition	$58,848	$59,380
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,350 Meal plan: $7,860	Room/dormitory: $8,320 Meal plan: $6,910
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $43,739	55.0% Average amount $47,867
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,083	35.0% Average amount $4,331
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $33,561	4.0% Average amount $25,195

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	771 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	2,055 Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
Graduate students	113 Men 20.4% Women 79.6%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	15.5%	6.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	769	2,057
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures English Language and Literature Public Administration and Social Service	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.8%	91.5%
Dropout rate	7.5%	0.8%
Transferred out	24.8%	6.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,354 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,127 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,867 Year 2: $17,950 Year 3: $15,066 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,202 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,302 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,599 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,571 Year 2: $63,501 Year 3: $84,359 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,593 Year 2: $59,045 Year 3: $74,628 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,577 Year 2: $53,894 Year 3: $56,960 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,772 Year 3: N/A International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: N/A Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: N/A Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,978 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: N/A Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A

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