About

About Hamilton College

liberal arts collegehighly selective admissionssmall class sizesopen curriculumwriting intensive focus

Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, NY, known for its liberal arts college, highly selective admissions, and small class sizes. With an acceptance rate of 12%, Hamilton College is highly selective, typically enrolling around 478 students each year. Hamilton College is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1440–1510, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. Hamilton College meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; the average net price for families earning under $30,000 is $8,028.

Admissions

Hamilton College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

highly selective

12%
Overall Accept Rate
1475
Median Admitted SAT
SATSubmitted score range: 1440 – 1510 (test optional)

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ED advantage at Hamilton College: ED acceptance rate is 28% vs 12% regular decision, more than double. If Hamilton Collegeis your first choice and you've confirmed the financial fit, Early Decision is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make.

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Hamilton College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Essay Strategy
Hamilton has no core curriculum, so your essays should show that you are a self-directed learner who knows why you want to design your own academic path. Reference specific Hamilton courses, concentrations, or faculty research that align with your intellectual interests to make this concrete.
Essay Strategy
When writing your Why Hamilton essay, go beyond the open curriculum and name specific professors, the writing-intensive program, or opportunities like the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center that connect directly to your goals. Admissions readers want to see that you have done real research, not just read the homepage.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Hamilton College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Meets 100% of demonstrated need: Hamilton College meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. Hamilton College's sticker price of ~$77k/year bears almost no resemblance to what most families pay.
Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$77k/yr$8.0k
30k-48k~$77k/yr$9.5k
48k-75k~$77k/yr$10.9k
75k-110k~$77k/yr$20.6k
110k+~$77k/yr$46.9k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

91%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$60k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
9:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
2,124
Undergrad Enrollment
Hamilton College Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch