Hamilton College vs Hillsdale College

Hamilton College and Hillsdale College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Hamilton, a private liberal arts college in Clinton, New York, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 13.6%. Its student body is diverse, with 48% female and 52% male students. Popular majors include Economics, Government, and English. Hillsdale, a private liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan, has a more open admissions policy, with an acceptance rate of 84.6%. Its student body is predominantly male (58%) and white (86%). Popular majors include Business, Economics, and Political Science. Both colleges offer excellent graduation rates, with Hamilton at 94% and Hillsdale at 88%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting the key differences between these two outstanding institutions.
Hamilton College logo

Hamilton College

Hillsdale College logo

Hillsdale College

Overview

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

Admission

Acceptance rate 14.1% 23.7%
Application fees $60
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $25
SAT range 1410 - 1540 1340 - 1510
ACT range 33 - 35 30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 32.0% 22.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0% 38.0%
Total number of applicants 9,380 2,994
Total number of admissions given out 1,320 709
Admitted students who chose to enroll 533 397
Yield rate 40.4% 56.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,700 $45,382
Average net price $26,803 $24,057
Tuition $59,380 $28,730
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,320

Meal plan: $6,910
Room/dormitory: $6,020

Meal plan: $6,120
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

55.0%
Average amount $47,867
100.0%
Average amount $20,535
Students receiving federal student loan 35.0%
Average amount $4,331
0.0%
Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $25,195
34.0%
Average amount $10,497

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,055
Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
1,515
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
Graduate students N/A 87
Men 67.8% Women 32.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
N/A
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 6.8% N/A
Campus local/setting Suburb: Midsize Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 2,057 1,124
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
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
  • Physical Science
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.5% 87.6%
Dropout rate 0.8% 8.3%
Transferred out 6.8% 3.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
N/A

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