Clinton, NY · Private · 2,030 undergraduates · suburban
Hamilton College
Highly selective
Hamilton pairs an open curriculum with explicit writing expectations, individualized advising, and a senior project in every concentration.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in academic standing, and strong in career outcomes.- Admission
- 11.8% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 91.8%
9,643 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$78,411 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Hamilton apart
Academic design
The open curriculum has no distribution checklist, but includes writing-intensive and quantitative-reasoning expectations.
Campus pattern
Every student has faculty, career, and ALEX advising channels.
A signature opportunity
Open Curriculum and Senior Project
Can I get in?
11.8% admitted
The strongest case shows why this structure fits a student ready to shape an academic plan who values structured advising, writing practice, and a required capstone.
Recent applicant pool
9,643About 12 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 34% submitted an SAT, and 17% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Hamilton, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Hamilton 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
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The open curriculum has no distribution checklist, but includes writing-intensive and quantitative-reasoning expectations.
Make institutional fit specific
A student ready to shape an academic plan who values structured advising, writing practice, and a required capstone.
Use the application route carefully
Keep the academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
Give commitments a clear through-line
Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Use the application to show a clear academic direction and a specific reason this institutional structure fits.
Fee waiver: accepted
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.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Hamilton
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+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read the outcomes panel as a whole: completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together matter more than one headline number.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
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.
Economics
Mathematics
Biology, General
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Political Science and Government
What is campus life like?
Hamilton beyond the classroom
Every student has faculty, career, and ALEX advising channels. Adirondack Adventure gives incoming students a five-day pre-orientation outdoor experience.
The academic structure
The open curriculum has no distribution checklist, but includes writing-intensive and quantitative-reasoning expectations.
How the community is organized
Every student has faculty, career, and ALEX advising channels.
Daily campus life
Adirondack Adventure gives incoming students a five-day pre-orientation outdoor experience.
What shapes an ordinary week
Every student has faculty, career, and ALEX advising channels. Adirondack Adventure gives incoming students a five-day pre-orientation outdoor experience.
Use the campus beyond class
A student ready to shape an academic plan who values structured advising, writing practice, and a required capstone.
Fit the community in practice
Freedom in course selection places responsibility on students to create breadth.