Dartmouth: the complete school report for parents

What does Dartmouth actually weigh in admissions?

Dartmouth rates 8 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, test scores, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, class rank. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Dartmouth's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Dartmouth admitted 9.9% of 689 transfer applicants, against 6.0% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 21.6% of ED applicants were admitted against 6.0% overall, a gap of 16 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.

What will Dartmouth actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $29,519 a year at Dartmouth after grants and scholarships. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average.

27% of Dartmouth graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $24,255 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $186 a month in repayment. Dartmouth’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Dartmouth pay off?

Graduates earn a median $97,434 ten years after entering, and $82,541 at six years. 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 87% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$192,848 to $71,866, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Dartmouth:

College Scorecard, by field of study.

Will my child actually graduate?

98% of first-years return for a second year. 95% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 92.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 96.0% of everyone else, a gap of 4.0 points.

How big are the classes?

61% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 1% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1, and 81% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education.

What is life at Dartmouth like?

4,715 undergraduates, 97% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 85% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 26% of men join a fraternity and 29% of women a sorority. 17% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $79,834.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• Dartmouth rates test scores Very Important, so a score at or above its middle-50 range is close to expected rather than optional.
• Early Decision is worth 16 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
• If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
• Its highest-earning major returns $192,848 five years out against $71,866 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Dartmouth

Other schools families compare with Dartmouth

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• Rice University
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• Carnegie Mellon
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