Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is an Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, and the smallest of the Ivies — known for its intense focus on undergraduate teaching, its rural campus on the edge of the White Mountains, and the year-round 'D-Plan' quarter calendar that sends students off-term to study, intern, or travel. Admission is extraordinarily selective: Dartmouth admitted about 6% of roughly 28,200 applicants, and enrolled first-years posted a middle-50% SAT of 1440–1550. The college has reinstated its SAT/ACT requirement, and the social sciences are its single most popular field, accounting for nearly a third of degrees. Dartmouth is need-blind for domestic applicants and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.
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Dartmouth admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Dartmouth offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~5.7× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Dartmouth requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Dartmouth's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 44% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Dartmouth does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Dartmouth weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Dartmouth's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Dartmouth admissions
Is it hard to get into Dartmouth?＋
Yes, Dartmouth is extraordinarily selective. In the most recent cycle it admitted about 6.0% of applicants, taking roughly 1,699 students from a pool of around 28,230 and enrolling about 1,205 first-years. That places it among the most competitive colleges in the country, with admitted students earning top grades in the most demanding courses available to them.
Does applying Early Decision to Dartmouth improve your chances?＋
Dartmouth offers a binding Early Decision plan and no Early Action option. In the early round it received about 3,552 ED applications and admitted roughly 768 of them, an admit rate well above the roughly 6.0% overall acceptance rate. Because ED is binding, you can apply early to only one school and must enroll if accepted.
Is a 1500 SAT good enough for Dartmouth?＋
A 1500 is competitive at Dartmouth, sitting right at the median for enrolled students. The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored between 1440 and 1550 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT, with a median SAT of 1520. Dartmouth has reinstated its testing requirement, so first-year applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.
Does Dartmouth require the SAT or ACT?＋
Yes. Dartmouth has reinstated its standardized testing requirement, so first-year applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered. Test scores are rated a very important factor in its holistic review, alongside the rigor of your coursework, GPA, essays, and recommendations.
What GPA and class rank do you need to get into Dartmouth?＋
Dartmouth does not collect or report an average high school GPA. Among the roughly 44% of enrolled first-years who submitted a class rank, about 96% ranked in the top tenth of their graduating class and 99% in the top quarter. In practice, admitted students earn near-perfect grades in the hardest courses their school offers.
How much does Dartmouth cost, and does it give financial aid?＋
Annual tuition and required fees run about $71,525, with on-campus food and housing adding roughly $20,900 more. Dartmouth is need-blind for domestic applicants and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need: about 49% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, with an average aid package near $73,208.
What are the most popular majors at Dartmouth?＋
The social sciences are by far the most popular area at Dartmouth, accounting for about 30% of degrees conferred. They are followed by computer science (about 10%), interdisciplinary studies (about 9%), engineering (about 8%), and the biological sciences (about 7%), with engineering housed at the undergraduate Thayer School.
Does the application essay matter at Dartmouth?＋
Yes, a great deal. Dartmouth rates the application essay as a very important factor in its admissions review, on the same tier as your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and recommendations. With an admit rate around 6.0%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand out.
Source: Dartmouth College Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Dartmouth. Banner photo by Gunnar Klack, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).