Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH, USA

A top-ranked medical program and business school crown Dartmouth College’s liberal arts education. This Ivy League school, the second youngest but also the smallest, is located in Hanover, NH, where it’s easily the main attraction in town. 

The Flexible D-Plan Class Structure

With a 10 percent acceptance rate, it’s a hard-earned victory to receive an admissions letter from this Ivy. In return, Dartmouth College arguably rewards its students with a multitude of opportunities, many of which are made available through the institution's unique D-Plan class structure. Dartmouth offers 45 majors through six departments, as well as minors and a format to customize majors, either called “Modified” or “Special.” 

Dartmouth runs courses throughout the entire year and students can choose which quarters they want to spend on the Hanover campus. To graduate, students must complete twelve 10-week quarters, but only seven of them are required to be spent on the physical campus. This flexibility provides a number of opportunities for students to study abroad, resulting in more than half of Dartmouth’s student body studying abroad during their tenure at the college. Financial aid also follows students anywhere they go, making it easy to venture off-campus. 

The D-Plan also allows students to pursue internships during any quarter of the year, with help from the Dartmouth Center for Professional Development, the Alumni Career Network, Center for Social Impact, Dickey Center for International Understanding, and more. 

Undergraduate Advising and Research (UGAR)

Undergraduates at Dartmouth can take advantage of their Robust Research Infrastructure to get involved in research. Undergraduate Advising and Research (UGAR) pairs students with professors to work 1-on-1 and foster mentoring relationships, while the Women in Science Project (WISP) focuses on women interested in STEM fields. Students can also take advantage of research grants for a variety of reasons, including to do full-time research, part time assistantships, and thesis research. 

The Dartmouth Great Outdoors

With a river on one side and mountains on the other, Dartmouth takes advantage of its location with long-standing programs like the Dartmouth Outdoors Club (DOC), which also plays a key role in Dartmouth’s commitment to bonding classmates through First-Year Trips. This emphasis on unity flows neatly into the institution’s drive to foster leaders who create a community based on scholarship and life-long learning. 

The 237-acre campus boasts “The Green” at the apex, the famous box of lawn criss-crossed with walkways, where this institution holds its popular carnivals—four a year that let students loosen up and come together. For those attending classes in the summer, it’s also home to a weekly farmer’s market. It’s all overlooked by the Baker Tower which features that Baker Bells, which play the Alma Mater at 6 pm. Reportedly, the bells also take requests and have been heard to play “Hogwarts Forever” from Harry Potter. 

"The Big Green"

Throughout the years, “The Green” became more than a gathering place. In 1970, it also inspired the nickname for Dartmouth’s 35 athletic teams, known officially as “The Big Green.” Playing in NCAA Division 1, the campus features a number of facilities to support the teams, including the Boss Tennis Center, Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse, Berry Center squash courts, and McLane Skiway Lodge.  

Finding it difficult to dress up as “The Big Green,” though, an unofficial mascot was chosen in 2003: Keggy the Keg (which, yes, is a very large beer keg). Unsurprisingly, it was chosen by the humor mag of the institution, the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, which was once headed by Theodore Geisel, class of 1925, more commonly known by his pseudonym, Dr. Suess. 

Admissions

Key Admissions Stats

Institution Type
Private
  • Not for Profit
  • Coed

Need Aware

This school may consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission

Level of Institution
4 Year
Campus Setting
Suburb or town
0
100
6%
Acceptance Rate

Admissions Requirements

SAT
SAT is not checked
No
ACT
ACT is not checked
No
Transcript
Transcript is checked
Yes

Important Deadlines

Application Type Application Deadline Reply Deadline
Early Decision Acceptance is binding so student must attend college if accepted. November 1
Fall Regular Decision January 3 May 1

Admitted Student Stats

In-State Students
2%
Out-Of-State Students
97%
30%
Submitting ACT
47%
Submitting SAT
Average ACT Composite: 35
0
36
Average SAT Composite: 1500
0
1600

Academics

Key Academic Stats

Highest Degree Offered
Doctorate
Total Number of Students
6,761
Total Number of Undergrads
4,556
Academic Calendar

Quarter

See your fit
Classroom Sizes

2-19 Students
63%
20-39 Students
25%
40-99 Students
10%
0
100
87%
Graduate in 4 Years US National: 28%
0
100
95%
Graduate in 6 Years US National: 52%
Student:Faculty Ratio
7:1
US National: 21:1

Tuition, Cost & Aid

Key Financial Stats

Average Net Price
$24,525
Calculate your net cost
Tuition
In-State Tuition In-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who meet the state's or institution's residency requirements. In-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students residing in the locality in which they attend school and may be a lower rate than in-state tuition if offered by the institution.
$62,430
Out-of-State Tuition Out-of-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who do not meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements. Out-of-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students not residing in the locality in which they attend school.
$62,430
Additional Costs
Room and Board The weighted average for room and board and other expenses is generated as follows:
  • (amount for on-campus room, board and other expenses * # of students living on-campus.
  • + amount for off-campus (with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus with family
  • + amount for off-campus (not with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus not with family)
divided by the total # of students. Students whose living arrangements are unknown are excluded from the calculation. For some institutions the # of students by living arrangement will be known, but dollar amounts will not be known. In this case the # of students with no corresponding dollar amount will be excluded from the denominator.
$18,099
Books and Supplies
$1005

Aid & Grants

0
100
100%
Need Met
Students Receiving Gift Aid Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal gift aid. Federal gift aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
16%
Average Aid Per Year
$52,627
Students Receiving Grants Percent of undergraduate students awarded grant aid. Grant aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
16%
Average Federal Grant Aid Per Year
$6,984
Average Institution Grant Aid Per Year
$50,411

Student Loans

Students Borrowing Loans Loans to students - Any monies that must be repaid to the lending institution for which the student is the designated borrower. Includes all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally- and privately-sponsored loans. Does not include PLUS and other loans made directly to parents.
41%
Average Loan Amount Per Year
$5,960
Average Debt at Graduation The median federal debt of undergraduate borrowers who graduated. This figure includes only federal loans; it excludes private student loans and Parent PLUS loans.
$12,906
Median Monthly Loan Payment The median monthly loan payment for student borrowers who completed, if it were repaid over 10 years at a 5.05% interest rate.
$143

Campus Life

Key Campus Stats

Student Gender
Male
Female
51%
49%
Student Organizations
147
Size of Town
Suburb or town
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups is checked
Yes
On Campus Women's Center
On Campus Women's Center is checked
Yes

Housing

0
100
85%
Undergrads Living on Campus
On-campus living required of freshman
Yes

Athletics

Divisional Sports Nickname
Big Green
School Colors
green and white
Varsity Athletics Association
NCAA
Varsity Athletics Conference Primary
Ivy Group

Campus Safety

24-HR security patrol
24-HR security patrol is checked
Yes
Campus emergency phones
Campus emergency phones is checked
Yes

After Graduation

Post Grad Stats

Top 5 Cities
New York
San Francisco
Boston
Washington
Chicago
Employed
6 mos. after graduation
64%
Average Salary
6 years after graduation
$110,200

What Students Are Saying

I'm so happy to be at Dartmouth. It wasn't my first choice school, but I can't imagine a better place for me now that I'm there. Dartmouth people are some of the least pretentious and yet most talented people in the country, and they constantly amaze me and push me to amaze myself.
'16 from ME
Dartmouth Creates a welcoming atmosphere during orientation and then, unlike other schools, mantains it. Administration is approachable due to the small size. The students are accepting and encouraging of one another.
Big Green!
I loved the welcoming atmosphere from the moment I stepped on campus, which I noticed during an admissions tour and certainly holds true. Be prepared for the fast pace of a ten-week term since Dartmouth uses the quarter system instead of semesters, but it gives students more flexibility to pursue multiple study abroad, internship and leave-term options over their student careers. Dartmouth students are very involved in extracurriculars, perhaps even over-committed, and Greek life is a big deal here.
Sarah from PA
Dartmouth College has a large campus that is great for all students - 5 stars on location/campus. It's medical department is WONDERFUL, and it even runs its own hospital, which has doctors from all around the world, including ones that have graduated from Dartmouth (5 stars for employment opportunities)!!!! Also, it has a great department for medical studies, which is great for those looking for a degree in those fields (5 stars)!
Brianna from New Hampshire
Dartmouth has some of the most welcoming professors, friendly student, and most comprehensive yet entertaining classes.
Brian from Cedar Knolls, NJ
Biggest problem with the school is that it doesn't cater to non mainstream students (wannabe investment bankers, fratstars, big drinkers). It can be extremely difficult to find individuals against the grain, especially since this school is in the middle of nowhere. Education quality is generally very high, and help is readily available.
Current Student