5.4%
Acceptance Rate
$68,268
Avg Cost (In-State)
$68,268
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
95.8%
Graduation Rate
4,541
Total Enrollment
We're showing you this because it offers your suggested major.
← Back to political science collegesBy the numbers
Dartmouth College, at a glance
Graduation rate is the standard federal 6-year completion rate (students often take longer than four years). Earnings & selectivity rankings are computed across every US college in our catalog. Figures from College Scorecard / IPEDS; sticker cost is before financial aid.
What they weigh most
Source: Common Data Set
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
January 2
Early Deadline
November 1 (Early Decision)
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
3
Application Fee
$80
Interview
Available
Essays: Common App personal essay plus Dartmouth-specific supplemental essays including why Dartmouth and additional short response questions
Note: Peer recommendation required in addition to 2 teacher recommendations
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$82,541
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$97,434
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
96%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Science and Government. | $72,618 | $106,153 | 134 |
| Economics. | $94,675 | $152,929 | 123 |
| Computer Science. | $132,919 | $201,702 | 73 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology. | $42,947 | $99,344 | 54 |
| Anthropology. | $40,071 | $70,846 | 43 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences. | $41,673 | $143,067 | 42 |
| Biology, General. | $36,525 | $87,026 | 38 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research. | $47,671 | $67,020 | 36 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Dartmouth College
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Dartmouth College
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
UNH Presidential Scholarship
Up to $20,000/year
universityTop UNH freshmen with 3.7+ GPA + strong SAT/ACT.
Deadline: February 1
Learn more ↗NH UNIQUE Annual Allocation Program
Varies (allocated by school)
stateNH residents at NH colleges; allocated to colleges based on enrollment.
Deadline: Through school
Learn more ↗Dartmouth Financial Aid (Need-Met)
100% need met; loans replaced for families under $125k
universityAll admitted Dartmouth students with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗Plymouth State (NH) Presidential Scholarship
$5,000-$15,000/year
universityTop Plymouth State incoming freshmen via tiered automatic merit.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗University of New Hampshire Granite State Scholarship
$500-$8,000/year
universityNH HS seniors at UNH with academic merit + financial need.
Deadline: Through admission
Learn more ↗New Hampshire Charitable Foundation North Country Funds
$500-$10,000 across named funds
localHS seniors from NH's North Country (Coos / Grafton / Carroll counties).
Deadline: Mid-April
Learn more ↗NH Charitable Foundation Statewide Scholarships
$1,000-$10,000 across many awards
stateNH residents with documented financial need attending postsecondary programs.
Deadline: Mid-April
Learn more ↗NH Foundation Common Application Scholarship
$500-$3,000
stateNH HS seniors at NH/out-of-state institutions via NHCF.
Deadline: April 15
Learn more ↗NH State Postsecondary Tuition Tax Credit (STAR)
Up to $1,000/year
stateNH residents at NH 2-year institutions enrolled in STEM tracks.
Deadline: Through institution
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $41 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $489 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $2,695 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $8,534 |
| $110,001+ | $52,036 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Dartmouth College →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 5.4% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Early Decision I
17%
acceptance
ED edgeBinding ED. ED admit ~17% Class of 2028.
Source ↗Regular Decision
5.3%
acceptance
Overall admit ~5.4%.
Source ↗Regular Decision
5.4%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
17.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
16.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
3.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
24.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
67.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
98.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
96.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Not considered
Visits, info sessions and opening emails don't move the needle here.
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