Mount Holyoke College vs Colgate University

Mount Holyoke College and Colgate University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Mount Holyoke, a women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on liberal arts education. Colgate, a coeducational university in Hamilton, New York, emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and experiential learning. With acceptance rates of 34% and 26%, respectively, both institutions are highly selective. Mount Holyoke's student body is predominantly female, while Colgate's is more evenly balanced. Popular majors at Mount Holyoke include psychology, English, and biology, while Colgate students often pursue economics, political science, and biology. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Mount Holyoke's at 88% and Colgate's 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.
Colgate University logo

Colgate University

Mount Holyoke College logo

Mount Holyoke College

Overview

Location Hamilton, New York South Hadley, Massachusetts
Campus setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate 93.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.2% 52.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1350 - 1500 1300 - 1510
ACT range 32 - 34 31 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 29.0% 24.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 17,540 3,971
Total number of admissions given out 3,015 2,077
Admitted students who chose to enroll 887 608
Yield rate 29.4% 29.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,160 $73,438
Average net price $24,500 $29,218
Tuition $61,594 $56,300
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,496

Meal plan: $8,028
Room/dormitory: $8,320

Meal plan: $8,260
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

41.0%
Average amount $53,718
100.0%
Average amount $30,351
Students receiving federal student loan 11.0%
Average amount $4,253
42.0%
Average amount $4,906
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $34,492
7.0%
Average amount $4,982

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,164
Men 45.0% Women 55.0%
2,220
Men 0.1% Women 99.9%
Graduate students 12
Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
122
Men 13.1% Women 86.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 75.2% N/A
International students 8.8% 23.1%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,972 2,171
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Connecticut California Pennsylvania Mississippi New York California Connecticut Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Physical Science
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 90.3% 85.0%
Dropout rate 2.8% 2.9%
Transferred out 6.7% 11.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,196
  • Year 2: $67,995
  • Year 3: $86,742
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,775
  • Year 3: $67,401
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,813
  • Year 2: $53,358
  • Year 3: $60,399
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,179
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $57,947
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,895
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $51,701
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,416
  • Year 3: $50,739
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,610
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: $43,419
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,641
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $40,037
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,181
  • Year 2: $24,421
  • Year 3: $21,648
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,942
  • Year 3: N/A
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,377
  • Year 2: $45,696
  • Year 3: $46,206
Education, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,986
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $46,152
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,150
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $44,038
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $37,403
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,356
  • Year 2: $36,852
  • Year 3: $35,497
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: $34,113
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,168
  • Year 2: $30,409
  • Year 3: $33,868
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,960
  • Year 3: $30,295
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $24,035
  • Year 3: $30,137
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,160
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: $29,034

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