Dartmouth: What the Numbers Actually Say
Two numbers define Dartmouth and neither appears in a ranking. A family earning under thirty thousand dollars pays about forty-one dollars a year — one of the two most generous low-income prices in American higher education. And more than a quarter of its students are in fraternities and sororities, the largest Greek presence in the Ivy League. Cheapest for the poorest, and the most social campus in its league: that is the school, in two lines.
Dartmouth admitted 6% of 28,230 applicants — the smallest applicant pool of the Ivies profiled here, for its smallest college. A family earning under $30,000 pays about $41 a year, and students from the lowest-income third are earning a mean $109,000 ten years after entry.
At a glance
| Dartmouth College | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Hanover, NH | |
| Undergraduates | 4,715 | |
| Acceptance rate | 6% | |
| Applicants / admits | 28,230 / 1,699 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1440–1560 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 32–35 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 7.9:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $29,519 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $97,434 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $17,500 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Cost: among the most generous low-income pricing anywhere
The sticker is about $93,450; the average net price after grants is $29,519. Dartmouth meets 100% of demonstrated need with an average first-year grant of $71,873.
| Family income | Dartmouth College | US median |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $41 / year | $15,238 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $489 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $2,695 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $8,534 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $52,036 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
That first row — about $41 for a year — is effectively free tuition, room and board, and it is matched only by Princeton among the schools profiled here. The generosity narrows as income rises: above $110,000 the average is $52,036, and 27% of students borrow, leaving with a median $17,500.
Admissions: what Dartmouth says it weighs
Dartmouth drew 28,230 applications and admitted 1,699 — 6% — with 70.9% of admits enrolling, one of the higher yields in the Ivy League. The early round is binding Early Decision.
| Application factor | Dartmouth College says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Important | only 22% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Important | 47% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Important | 29% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Important | only 10% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Important | 37% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Important | only 24% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Considered | 40% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Considered | 65% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Considered | 41% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Not considered | 62% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 362 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
The standout is demonstrated interest, rated important — only about one school in ten declares that — so engaging seriously with Dartmouth is worth your time. Character and talent sit a notch below the top of its scale, which is unusual among peers who put both at the very top.
The admitted middle 50% runs 720–770 on SAT reading and 720–790 on maths, with 69% of enrolled first-years having submitted an SAT score — a share that describes the class, not the current submission rules.
Campus: the Ivy League’s Greek flagship
26% of Dartmouth men join a fraternity and 29% of women join a sorority — the largest Greek presence in the Ivy League, and the single most predictable difference between four years here and four years at Brown or Yale. 100% of first-years live on campus, in the smallest undergraduate body of the Ivies profiled here at 4,715.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
Median earnings reach $97,434 ten years after enrolling, and the mobility figure is the striking one: $109,000 for students from the lowest-income third of families. 98% of first-years return and 95% graduate within six years.
How Dartmouth College compares
Frequently asked questions
What is Dartmouth’s acceptance rate?
6%. Dartmouth received 28,230 applications — the smallest pool of the Ivies profiled here — and admitted 1,699 students.
How much does Dartmouth cost for a low-income family?
About $41 a year for a family earning under $30,000 — effectively free. From $75,000 to $110,000 the average is $8,534. Dartmouth meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.
How big is Greek life at Dartmouth?
The biggest in the Ivy League: 26% of men are in fraternities and 29% of women in sororities. It shapes social life well beyond its members, and is the clearest difference between Dartmouth and its peers.
Does demonstrated interest matter at Dartmouth?
Yes — it rates an applicant’s level of interest important, a weight only about one school in ten declares. Visits, interviews and genuine engagement carry real signal here.
What SAT scores do you need for Dartmouth?
The admitted middle 50% scored 720–770 on reading and 720–790 on maths. A quarter of admitted students scored below those ranges.
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