Admit rate has ranged 20%–37% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. 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.
Smith College is a fiercely intellectual women's college where the open curriculum meets radical affordability—free tuition for families earning under $150k—and where nearly one-fifth of graduates major in STEM fields. With a 22% acceptance rate and a 90% graduation rate, Smith combines the intimacy of a liberal arts college with the resources of the Five College Consortium, all set against the progressive backdrop of Northampton, Massachusetts.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
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
2,544
In-state tuition
$65,178
Out-of-state tuition
$65,178
STEM Majors
18.8%
Acceptance Rate
22%
Graduation Rate
90%
On-Campus Housing
98%
Median Early Career Salary
$36,427
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$64,027
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.3×
Median debt at graduation
$17,550
Graduation rate
89%
First-year retention
94%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
82%
Pell (lower-income) share
45%
First-generation share
19%
Endowment / student
$1,007,910
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$71,957
Economics$47,650
Chemistry$42,682
Political Science and Government$39,153
Sociology$35,416
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$34,603
Area Studies
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
4
Per 1,000 students
1.57
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
82°F
Winter low
23°F
Annual rain
53.1"
Annual snow
34.6"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
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
226
Scholarly works
11,787
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 Smith College?
Smith College's acceptance rate is approximately 21% (Northampton, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Smith College?
Admitted students at Smith College typically score 1420–1540 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Smith College cost?
At Smith College, the average net price (after aid) is about $27,579 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Smith College?
Smith College enrolls approximately 2,544 undergraduate students.
Where is Smith College located?
Smith College is located in Northampton, MA.
Admissions
Smith's admissions process is highly selective, with a 22% acceptance rate for the Class of 2029. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1420–1540, and ACT scores typically fall between 32–34. Notably, only 33% of admitted applicants submitted SAT scores in the most recent cycle, reflecting Smith's Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policy. The college enrolled 703 first-years and 31 transfer students in Fall 2025, drawing from a pool of over 8,200 applicants. Smith meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students.
Smith's open curriculum requires only a single writing-intensive course, freeing students to explore 1,200+ courses across 65 departments. Standout programs include:
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.
$34,420
English Language and Literature, General$32,925
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
1.9%
Bottom → top quintile
37%
From bottom quintile
5%
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.
STEM fields (18.8% of graduates)
Computer Science (5% of majors)
Engineering Science (5%)
Neuroscience (3%)
Students can cross-register at Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and UMass Amherst through the Five College Consortium, dramatically expanding academic options. The Princeton Review notes Smith's emphasis on academic freedom, with particularly strong undergraduate research opportunities—unusual for a liberal arts college.
Life at Smith revolves around its residential house system, where 98% of students live on campus in 41 distinctive houses. Each functions as a self-governing community with traditions like weekly teas and house dinners. The college's location in Northampton—a progressive hub with vibrant LGBTQ+ culture—provides off-campus cafes, bookstores, and music venues. Students describe the social scene as collaborative rather than competitive, with active participation in:
Over 100 student orgs (from a cappella groups to robotics teams)
Five College events (shared parties, lectures, and film screenings)
Outdoor programs (hiking the nearby Berkshires or skiing at local resorts)
Smith boasts a 90% six-year graduation rate—placing it in the top 5% nationally—and 95% of 2025 graduates secured employment, graduate school admission, or fellowships within six months. Early-career alumni earn a median salary of $36,427, though this varies widely by major (STEM graduates often outpace humanities peers). Notable post-graduate opportunities include:
Fulbright Scholarships (Smith is a top producer)
PhD programs (strong pipeline to elite universities)
Wall Street recruitment (via the Lazarus Center for Career Development)
Smith's Next 150 Pledge guarantees free tuition for families earning under $150,000/year, with no loans in financial aid packages. Even beyond this threshold, the college meets 100% of demonstrated need through grants and work-study. Key details:
Total cost of attendance (2024-25): ~$88,000 (tuition + room/board)
Average need-based scholarship: $22,500
Net price calculator: Available for personalized estimates
This commitment—funded by a $110M+ annual aid budget—makes Smith one of the most affordable elite liberal arts colleges for middle-income families.
Smith defies expectations: a women's college that leads in engineering, a liberal arts school with PhD-level research opportunities, and an elite institution accessible to middle-class families. Its combination of: 1. Unmatched affordability (free tuition at income levels where peers still charge $30k+) 2. Academic flexibility (open curriculum + Five College resources) 3. Fierce intellectual community (debates over coffee in the Neilson Library café)
...makes it a singular choice for students who want rigor without pretension, tradition without stuffiness, and empowerment without compromise.
Smith College logo · sourceSmith College | Visit the Campus · sourceSmith College | Visit the Campus · sourceSmith College Campus Center - Projects - Weiss/Manfredi · source
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