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AlmaSpire

Franklin, MA · Private · 1,089 undergraduates · suburban

Dean College

Moderately selective

The Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance gives Dean a prominent performing-arts presence for a college of its size.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Strongest in academic standing and student experience.
Academic Steady Affordability Emerging Career Emerging Mobility Emerging Experience Emerging
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Emerging
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Emerging
Student experience Emerging
Admission
73.7% admitted

5,382 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
46.2%

$38,109 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Dean College apart

Academic design

Students combine liberal-arts foundations with applied majors, internships, performance work, and individualized academic support.

Campus pattern

The compact Franklin campus has a traditional residential feel while sitting within commuter-rail reach of Boston and Providence.

Defining feature

The Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance gives Dean a prominent performing-arts presence for a college of its size.

Can I get in?

73.7% admitted

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Recent applicant pool

5,382

About 74 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 73.7%
Entering class

Record over scores

No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.

Testingoptional
Return for a second year72%
Finish the degree46.2%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Dean College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Dean College weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Students combine liberal-arts foundations with applied majors, internships, performance work, and individualized academic support.

02

Make the fit specific

The Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance gives Dean a prominent performing-arts presence for a college of its size.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

Early ActionNov 1
Early Action IIDec 1
Regular Decisionrolling
Fee and waiverNo application fee

Check eligibility for a fee waiver

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$72,830
Average annual cost after aid$31,000
Affordability profileEmerging

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Dean College

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

The Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance gives Dean a prominent performing-arts presence for a college of its size.

Complete within 8 years46.2%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one72%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$38,109

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

Recent graduates56
Median earnings$46,897

Dance

Recent graduates34
Median earnings$36,644

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Recent graduates31
Median earnings$36,724

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates28
Median earnings$62,986

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Recent graduates23
Median earnings

What is campus life like?

Dean College beyond the classroom

The compact Franklin campus has a traditional residential feel while sitting within commuter-rail reach of Boston and Providence.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Students combine liberal-arts foundations with applied majors, internships, performance work, and individualized academic support.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The compact Franklin campus has a traditional residential feel while sitting within commuter-rail reach of Boston and Providence.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

The Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance gives Dean a prominent performing-arts presence for a college of its size.

1,089 undergraduatesNew Englandsuburban settingCampus housing available