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Dartmouth College

#1 Best Colleges in New Hampshire
Private nonprofit Hanover, NH · Town · New England · 100% data
A+ Earnings A+ Graduation A+ Selectivity
Graduation Rate
96% A+
Most students who enroll finish their degree here
Earnings (10yr)
$97,434 A+
Top 1% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$29,519 F
72% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
5% A+
Rejects about 95 of every 100 applicants
Earnings +139% vs avg
Graduation +68% vs avg
Net Price 72% vs avg
Mobility Top 55%

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 20.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $20.2 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Colleges in New Hampshire.

20.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $20.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,265,016.

What The Data Says

  1. A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduates earn 139% more than the national college median.

  3. A 96% graduation rate — 68% above the national average.

  4. Inventor rate in the top 13% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.

  5. A top feeder school for 8 major employers.

Economic Footprint

Inventor Rate
2.0%
Top 13%
Patents
369
Linked to graduates
World Rank
#99
Times Higher Education
Employer Pipelines
8
Top feeder programs
Patent Citations
2,202
Downstream influence
Research Score
49/100
Times Higher Education

Why Dartmouth College Matters

Dartmouth College is a private research university in Hanover, NH ranked #99 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity, a top-tier research enterprise, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 1% of all U.S. colleges.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private Research University
Carnegie Class
R1 · Very High Research
Enrollment
4,541
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Social Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science & IT, Biology & Biomedical

Why students choose Dartmouth College

Elite STEM ecosystem
Engineering, computing, and the sciences dominate its programs
Top-tier research university
R1 status: undergraduates work alongside leading researchers
Entrepreneurial, inventive students
Above-average inventor and patent activity
Patent powerhouse
369 patents tied to its people
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Highly selective peer group
Surrounded by exceptionally high-achieving students

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

B-
Top 29% overall
A+
Earnings
$97,434 median
C+
Value
3.3× net price
F
Affordability
$29,519/yr net
A+
Graduation
96% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.4% climb Q1→Q5
A+
Selectivity
5% admit rate
A-
Diversity
0.75 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →
1
Can I Get In?

Admissions

Highly selective
5% admit rate

Highly selective — admits about 5% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1500–1570. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.

Check your odds →
2
Can I Afford It?

Net price + aid

F
$29,519/yr net

Students pay about $29,519 a year after grants and scholarships — 72% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.

See cost & aid →
3
What Happens After?

Earnings + debt

A+
$97,434 median

Graduates earn a median of $97,434 ten years after enrolling — 139% above the typical college, against $17,500 in median debt.

See outcomes →
4
Does It Change Lives?

Mobility + social capital

C
1.4% climb

Moves 1.4% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 55% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.83 economic connectedness).

See mobility →

Overview

With an acceptance rate of just 5%, Dartmouth College attracts students who are not only academically gifted but also eager to engage deeply in their studies. The student body, numbering around 4,541, tends to gravitate toward popular fields like Social Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Biology. This creates a vibrant intellectual community where collaboration and exploration are at the forefront. If you thrive in a competitive environment and are looking for a college experience that emphasizes both rigorous academics and a tight-knit community, Dartmouth might be a good fit for you.

Looking ahead to life after graduation, students from Dartmouth see impressive earnings, averaging $97,434 within ten years of graduating. This financial trajectory speaks volumes about the value of a Dartmouth degree in the job market. Affordability is also a consideration, with a net price of $29,519 after financial aid, making it somewhat accessible for many families. While the Pell Grant rate is relatively low at 14%, those who do receive aid can significantly lessen their financial burden, setting them up for a more secure future.

When it comes to the practicalities, the median debt for graduates is $17,500, which is manageable compared to many institutions. This financial landscape suggests that students who thrive here are often those who are ambitious and ready to engage with both the academic and extracurricular opportunities available. Dartmouth fosters a culture that encourages personal growth and professional success, making it a great place for driven individuals looking to make their mark.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Dartmouth College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Dartmouth College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 5%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,534. The graduation rate is roughly 96%.

Acceptance Rate
5%
Retention Rate
98%
SAT Average
1534
ACT Midpoint
34
SAT Range
1500–1570
ACT Range
33–35
Full-Time Faculty
81%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$19,770
Student–Faculty Ratio
7:1
Diversity Index
0.75
First-Gen Students
17%
Applicants
28,336
Admitted
1,808

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26

The acceptance rate tells you how hard Dartmouth College is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 71% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school very few admitted students turn down.

Yield Rate
71%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
69%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
33%
of enrolled freshmen
Early Decision Admit Rate
21.6%
vs 6.0% overall

Applying early pays off here. Of 3,552 Early Decision applicants, 768 were admitted — a 21.6% admit rate, roughly 3.6× the 6.0% rate for the overall pool. That binding round alone filled about 64% of the entering class (768 of 1,205 first-years). The catch: Early Decision is a commitment you make before you can compare aid offers.

Source: Dartmouth College's Common Data Set, 2025-26 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Dartmouth College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Dartmouth College is $68,268, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $29,519. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $41 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $17,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$68,268
Out-of-State
$68,268
Avg Net Price
$29,519
Median Debt
$17,500
Pell Grant Rate
14%
Federal Loan Rate
12%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$41
Family Income $30K–$48K
$489
Family Income $48K–$75K
$2,695
Family Income $110K+
$52,036

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Dartmouth College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Dartmouth College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Dartmouth College earn a median of $97,434, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

6 Years After Entry
$82,541
8 Years
$97,905
10 Years
$97,434
Debt-to-Earnings
0.18x
Earning > $25K
83%

Earnings Trajectory

$82,541 6yr $97,905 8yr $97,434 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (1,006)
88%
100% (1,006)
88%
100% (1,006)
88%
100% (1,006)
88%

Where Grads Go

Dartmouth College is a top feeder for:

Rank among programs feeding each employer.

Top employers of Dartmouth College’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.

Explore the Career Destination Guide → Source: Dartmouth College — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

How Dartmouth Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation96%Earnings 10yr$97KNet Price$30KRetention98%Median Debt$18KPell Grant Rate14%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$0K$0-30K$0K$30-48K$3K$48-75K$52K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%2.8%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%49.7%MOBILITY1.38%

College ROI Calculator

Is Dartmouth College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Dartmouth College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $29,519/year ($118,076 total). Graduates earn $97,434 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,383,092 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,265,016 (20.2× your investment). The median debt is $17,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 96% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$118,076
Projected 20yr Earnings
$2,383,092
Net Return
$2,265,016
ROI Multiple
20.2×
Cost Per Year
$29,519
Median Debt
$17,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
96%
Explore all Dartmouth College ROI scenarios

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Dartmouth College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Dartmouth College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.38%, well above the typical college. Access is narrower: only about 2.8% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 49.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $185,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.38%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
49.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
2.8%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$252,030
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Dartmouth College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Dartmouth College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.83, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.83
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
9.2%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Research & Teaching

Data: Times Higher Education World University Rankings

How Research-Intensive Is Dartmouth College? World Rank, Teaching & Citations

Times Higher Education places Dartmouth College at #99 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 49/100, teaching at 45/100, and citation impact of 80/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.

World Rank
#99
Teaching
44.7
Research
49.2
Citations
79.7
International
31

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

Dartmouth College produces inventors at an above-average rate (top 13% nationally), with 369 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 49/100 research score.

Inventor Rate
2.00%
Top 13% nationally
Patents Produced
369
Linked to graduates
Patent Citations
2,202
Downstream influence
Research Score
49/100
Times Higher Ed
Academic Influence
80/100
Citation impact (THE)
Inventors From Low-Income
0.61%
Bottom-20% families

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$-329,542,626

Top Programs

The fields Dartmouth College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Top Careers

Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Dartmouth College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Dartmouth College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 5%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,534. The graduation rate is roughly 96%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Dartmouth College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Dartmouth College is $68,268, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $29,519. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $41 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $17,500 in federal student loans.

Is Dartmouth College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Dartmouth College earn a median of $97,434, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

Does Dartmouth College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Dartmouth College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.38%, well above the typical college. Access is narrower: only about 2.8% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 49.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $185,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Dartmouth College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Dartmouth College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.83, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

How Research-Intensive Is Dartmouth College? World Rank, Teaching & Citations

Times Higher Education places Dartmouth College at #99 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 49/100, teaching at 45/100, and citation impact of 80/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.

Does Dartmouth College offer Early Decision, and does it improve admission chances?

Yes. Dartmouth College offers a binding Early Decision plan, and it carries a real advantage: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 22%, about 3.6 times the overall 6% acceptance rate, and ED filled roughly 64% of the entering class. Because ED is binding, it makes sense only if Dartmouth College is a clear first choice and you can commit before comparing aid offers (2025-26 Common Data Set).

Is Dartmouth College really test-optional?

Dartmouth College reports test-optional admission, but most enrolled students still submit scores: about 1% of first-year students sent an SAT or ACT (2025-26 Common Data Set). Submitting strong scores is the norm here.

What percentage of admitted students enroll at Dartmouth College?

About 71% of admitted students choose to enroll at Dartmouth College — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

Compare Dartmouth College

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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