Admit rate has ranged 12%–18% 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.
Hamilton College is a fiercely intellectual, writing-intensive liberal arts enclave in rural upstate New York, defined by two signature commitments: an entirely open curriculum with zero distribution requirements and a need-blind admission policy that meets full demonstrated financial need. This combination attracts a self-directed, academically adventurous student body who thrive on crafting their own education while being insulated from the sticker shock of a private college. The vibe is collaborative, not cutthroat, with a campus culture that revolves around deep seminar discussions, a stunningly beautiful hilltop setting, and a shared sense of having chosen a distinctive, rigorous path.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
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
2,030
In-state tuition
$68,960
Out-of-state tuition
$68,960
No-Loan Policy
Packages include loans
Graduation Rate
91%
Meets Full Need
Yes
Open Curriculum
Yes, zero core requirements
ED Share of Class
~72%
Demonstrated Interest
Considered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$78,411
First-Year Retention Rate
95%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$78,411
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.7×
Median debt at graduation
$17,000
Graduation rate
91%
First-year retention
95%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
90%
Pell (lower-income) share
18%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
13%
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. divides 10-yr earnings by 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.
Financial health
2.9 / 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.
Economics$63,501
Mathematics$59,045
Political Science and Government$53,894
Chemistry$51,273
Public Policy Analysis$50,856
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$50,439
International Relations and National Security Studies
Applicants here also applied to
The schools that most often appear alongside Hamilton on applicants’ lists, from our self-reported outcomes corpus.
Co-application frequency from self-reported results — directional peer discovery, not a recommendation.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
6
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
86
Summer high
78°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
56"
Annual snow
63.7"
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
157
Scholarly works
4,734
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.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
2.3%
Bottom → top quintile
60%
From bottom quintile
4%
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.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Hamilton College?
Hamilton College's acceptance rate is approximately 14% (Clinton, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Hamilton College?
Admitted students at Hamilton College typically score 1450–1550 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Hamilton College cost?
At Hamilton College, the average net price (after aid) is about $28,985 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Hamilton College?
Hamilton College enrolls approximately 2,030 undergraduate students.
Where is Hamilton College located?
Hamilton College is located in Clinton, NY.
Admissions
Gaining entry to Hamilton is a highly selective proposition, with the college admitting only about one in seven applicants. The process is need-blind for all applicants, meaning a family's ability to pay is not a factor in the admission decision. For the Class of 2029, the middle 50% SAT range was 1450–1550. The college reports that academic factors—rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, and standardized test scores—are "very important" in the selection process, while character/personal qualities and extracurricular activities are "important." Demonstrated interest is "considered."
A defining feature of Hamilton's admissions landscape is the significant advantage afforded to Early Decision applicants. Analysis shows the college fills a substantial portion of its class through ED; one source indicates they fill just under 72% of their class with ED applicants. The for Early Decision applicants is markedly higher than the overall rate—reported as a combined 29.44% for ED I and II for the Class of 2028, compared to a 13.62% overall rate that year. This creates a powerful incentive for students who have identified Hamilton as their clear first choice.
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.
Hamilton's academic identity is built on a radical premise: complete student agency. Its open curriculum has zero core requirements; students are free to choose every course they take, guided by intellectual curiosity and the advice of their faculty advisor. This philosophy demands a high degree of self-motivation and attracts students eager to design their own path across the liberal arts.
The college offers 44 majors (called concentrations) and 58 areas of study. The most popular fields are in the Social Sciences (27% of degrees), Biological and Biomedical Sciences (12%), and Visual and Performing Arts (8%). A hallmark of the Hamilton experience is a college-wide emphasis on developing exceptional writing and communication skills across all disciplines, preparing students for leadership and clear expression in any field.
This is an institution built for close mentorship and discussion. The curriculum and culture prioritize seminar-style classes and independent research, fostering an environment where students are expected to engage deeply, defend their ideas, and write—constantly.
Life at Hamilton unfolds on a stunning, 1,350-acre hilltop campus in Clinton, New York—a setting described by visitors as "beautiful" but undeniably remote. The town is very small; this is not a bustling college town. Consequently, campus becomes the self-contained center of the universe for its approximately 2,037 undergraduates (with a gender distribution of 44.3% male and 55.7% female).
This fosters a tight-knit, residential community where students connect through more than 200 student clubs and organizations. The college provides spaces and support for spiritual and religious life, reflecting the diversity of worldviews on campus. A notable sense of safety pervades the community; one student poll indicated 100% of students feel "extremely safe and secure on campus."
The social scene is largely campus-centric, driven by student-led activities, traditions, and the natural beauty of the surrounding Chenango Valley. Students who thrive here are those who embrace creating their own fun and value deep friendships over urban distractions.
A Hamilton education is a proven launchpad. The college boasts a first-year retention rate of 95% and a six-year graduation rate of 91%, which places it in the top 5% of institutions nationally. This high graduation rate signals a supportive environment where students persist and succeed.
Post-graduation outcomes are strong and diverse. According to the latest data, within six months of graduation:
72.4% of graduates are employed or in an internship.
19% are attending graduate or professional school.
1.5% are pursuing a post-graduate fellowship.
This track record of timely graduation and successful placement, whether in the workforce or further study, underscores the value of Hamilton's writing-intensive, open curriculum in developing adaptable, articulate graduates ready for next steps.
Hamilton makes a powerful promise: it is need-blind in admission for all students and meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for every admitted student. This commitment removes financial barriers for talented students and is central to the college's identity. The average financial aid award is substantial, reported at $63,557, and 97% of families with incomes up to $300,000 per year qualify for some form of aid.
Financial aid packages are built using a combination of scholarships/grants (which do not need to be repaid), work-study or campus employment, and federal student loans. The college provides calculators and tools like MyinTuition to help families estimate their actual cost. The result is that the average net price—the cost after grants and scholarships—is far below the published tuition, making this elite education accessible across a wide economic spectrum.
Hamilton College stands out for its uncompromising dual commitment to academic freedom and socioeconomic accessibility. It is one of only a handful of colleges nationwide to pair a truly open curriculum—with no mandatory classes—with a need-blind, full-need-met financial aid policy. This is not a school for passive students; it's for intellectual entrepreneurs who want to build their own education from the ground up, supported by dedicated faculty mentors.
The culture this creates is distinctive: rigorous yet collaborative, writing-saturated, and intensely communal due to its rural setting. Students aren't competing to check boxes on a preset core list; they're collaborating to explore interdisciplinary questions they themselves have chosen. In a landscape of higher education often defined by constraints, Hamilton offers a rare and potent combination of liberty and support, producing graduates known for their articulate voice, independent thinking, and ability to navigate complex challenges.
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