Admit rate has ranged 6%–9% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Dartmouth College is the smallest Ivy, with a rugged, outdoorsy ethos and a fiercely tight-knit intellectual community. Its signature D-Plan academic calendar—three intense 10-week terms per year—creates a culture of focus and flexibility, while its rural New Hampshire setting fosters a distinctive blend of wilderness adventure and Ivy League rigor. With a 96% graduation rate and median earnings of $111,883, Dartmouth delivers elite outcomes with a decidedly unpretentious vibe.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
4,541
In-state tuition
$68,268
Out-of-state tuition
$68,268
Location
Hanover, NH (pop. 8,636)
Acceptance Rate
5.84% (Class of 2030)
Graduation Rate
96%
Notable Tradition
Winter Carnival (since 1911)
Student-Faculty Ratio
7:1
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
$111,883
Greek Life Participation
60%
Average Financial Aid Package
$71,318
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$97,434
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.3×
Median debt at graduation
$17,500
Graduation rate
96%
First-year retention
98%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
87%
Pell (lower-income) share
38%
First-generation share
17%
Endowment / student
$1,821,915
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$113,015
Mathematics$103,078
Economics$87,604
Engineering Science$78,343
Political Science and Government$62,192
History$50,856
Area Studies
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
44
Per 1,000 students
9.69
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
82
Summer high
78°F
Winter low
15°F
Annual rain
44"
Annual snow
57"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
748
Scholarly works
88,333
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Dartmouth College?
Dartmouth College's acceptance rate is approximately 5% (Hanover, NH), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Dartmouth College?
Admitted students at Dartmouth College typically score 1500–1570 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Dartmouth College cost?
At Dartmouth College, the average net price (after aid) is about $29,519 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Dartmouth College?
Dartmouth College enrolls approximately 4,541 undergraduate students.
Where is Dartmouth College located?
Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, NH.
Admissions
Dartmouth's admissions process is among the most selective in the Ivy League, with a 5.84% acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 (1,687 admits from 28,863 applicants). The middle 50% SAT range is 1510–1560, though rare exceptions (like a QuestBridge admit with a 1330 SAT) demonstrate Dartmouth's Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone. process. Key factors include:
Rigor of secondary school record ("very important" per Common Data Set (CDS)A standardized report most colleges publish each year with admissions, test-score, and financial-aid figures, making schools easier to compare.)
Class rank (85% of enrolled students were in the top 10% of their high school class)
Character/personal qualities (heavily weighted for Dartmouth's close-knit community)
Early Decision applicants have a significant advantage, with roughly 25% of the class admitted through ED (though exact ED rates aren't published). The college meets 100% of demonstrated need, with 53.79% of students receiving financial aid averaging $71,318.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$48,432
Geography and Cartography$46,478
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Mobility rate
1.4%
Bottom → top quintile
50%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Dartmouth's D-Plan (quarter system) defines its academic rhythm—students take just three intensive courses per term, allowing deep focus but requiring disciplined time management. The liberal arts core encourages exploration, with strengths in:
Social Sciences (32% of degrees, the most popular major category)
Engineering (notably hands-on for an Ivy, with BE graduates averaging $102K starting salaries)
Interdisciplinary programs like Environmental Studies and Native American Studies
With a 7:1 student-faculty ratio, Dartmouth emphasizes close mentorship. The college's rural isolation fosters an "all-in" academic culture—one student notes it's "not MIT-level brutal, but you'll pull some all-nighters at Baker-Berry Library." Unique offerings include:
Sophomore Summer (a required on-campus term bonding the class)
80+ study abroad programs (60% participation rate)
Thayer School of Engineering (integrates liberal arts with technical rigor)
Life at Dartmouth revolves around its remote Hanover setting—think hiking the Appalachian Trail by day, debating Kant by night. The social scene blends Ivy tradition with outdoorsy spontaneity:
Greek life dominates (60% participation, though the college is working to diversify options)
Outdoor Programs Office loans gear for skiing, kayaking, and mountaineering
Winter Carnival (a century-old tradition with snow sculptures and polar plunges)
Students describe a "work hard, play hard" vibe where "everyone knows your name." The lack of nearby cities means campus is self-contained—you'll find undergrads harvesting veggies at the organic farm or browsing the Hood Museum between classes. Housing is guaranteed all four years, with 87% of students living on campus.
Dartmouth's 96% graduation rate (top 5% nationally) reflects both student quality and robust support. Alumni outcomes are stellar:
Median earnings: $111,883 (6 years post-grad, per College Scorecard)
Class of 2024 satisfaction: 90.6% satisfied with their education (45.2% "extremely")
Engineering grads average $102K starting salaries (higher for MEM grads at $129K)
The tight-knit alumni network ("Dartmouth Mafia") opens doors in finance, tech, and academia. About 22% pursue grad school immediately, with strong pipelines to top law and med programs.
Dartmouth's sticker price is steep ($86,494 for 2024-25), but its aid policies are among the most generous in the Ivy League:
Free tuition for families earning <$175K (no loans)
$0 parent contribution for incomes under $125K
Average net price: $19,208 after aid (53.79% of students receive assistance)
The aid package typically includes grants (not loans), with the average recipient getting $71,318 in aid. Even upper-middle-class families benefit—those earning $200K may pay only ~$30K.
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