Hobart William Smith Colleges: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Brooklyn, New York · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025

Acceptance rate
53%
8,457 applicants
Avg SAT
1280
Mid 50: 1160–1380
In-state tuition
$59,683
per year, before aid
Net price (avg)
$50,647
after aid, what families pay
Quick answer

Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private nonprofit university in Brooklyn, New York that admits about 53% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $50,647 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Design and Applied Arts, Architectural Sciences and Technology and Fine and Studio Arts, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 74% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.

Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private institution located in Brooklyn, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Hobart William Smith Colleges admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 53%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1339 and an ACT composite around 30. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $50,647 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Hobart William Smith Colleges is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.

What GPA does my child need for Hobart William Smith Colleges?

Hobart William Smith Colleges admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.

Actual GPA distribution of admitted students
4.00
44.6%
3.75–3.99
16.4%
3.50–3.74
18.6%
3.25–3.49
7.3%
3.00–3.24
5.1%
2.50–2.99
6.2%
Below 2.50
1.7%
From the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Hobart William Smith Colleges.

What does Hobart William Smith Colleges weight in admissions?

Hobart William Smith Colleges reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.

Very Important4 factors
  • Academic GPA
  • Application essay
  • Talent/ability
  • Level of applicant's interest
Important3 factors
  • Rigor of secondary school record
  • Recommendations
  • Character/personal qualities
Considered4 factors
  • Interview
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Volunteer work
  • Work experience
Not Considered7 factors
  • Class rank
  • Standardized test scores
  • First generation status
  • Alumni/ae relation
  • Geographical residence
  • State residency
  • Religious affiliation/commitment

SAT and ACT scores Hobart William Smith Colleges typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 600–720, with an EBRW midpoint near 655. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–32. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.

SAT Composite
25th percentile1160
50th percentile1280
75th percentile1380
% submitting SAT16%
ACT Composite
25th percentile24
50th percentile29
75th percentile31
% submitting ACT3%
Current testing policy
  • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
  • • Policy detail: Considered if submitted

How much does Hobart William Smith Colleges actually cost?

Published tuition is $59,683 for in-state students and $59,683 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,710 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $50,647 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 17% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.

In-state tuition$62,214
Room and board$18,600
Average net price (after aid)$50,647
Application fee$50 (waivers available)

Application deadlines and early decision data for Hobart William Smith Colleges

Regular admission
Regular deadline2024-01-15
Notification date2024-04-01
Reply deadline5/1
Early admission
Offers Early ActionYes
EA deadline2024-11-15

Will my child graduate from Hobart William Smith Colleges?

Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.

Freshman retention
88.3%
returned for sophomore year
4-year graduation
null%
finished on time
6-year graduation
73.95%
finished within 6 years

Most popular majors at Hobart William Smith Colleges

The most popular undergraduate programs at Hobart William Smith Colleges, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Design and Applied Arts, Architectural Sciences and Technology and Fine and Studio Arts. Across all programs, Hobart William Smith Colleges confers roughly 628 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Design and Applied Arts program report a median income of about $67,814 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.

MajorGraduates / yearMedian earnings (5 yrs out)
Design and Applied Arts273$67,814
Architectural Sciences and Technology123
Fine and Studio Arts71$29,782
Graphic Communications66$53,693
Film/Video and Photographic Arts64$34,194
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies16
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis8
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas7
Bachelor's-degree completions from federal IPEDS data; earnings from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Is Hobart William Smith Colleges safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Hobart William Smith Colleges disclosed 10 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 5 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.

Total offenses
10
2.6 per 1,000 students
Violent crime
2
0.51 per 1,000
Sexual assault / VAWA
5
1.28 per 1,000
Burglary
3
reported incidents
Clery Act disclosures (2024) cover on-campus, noncampus, and adjacent public-property incidents; rates use an enrollment of 3,910 students.

What is campus life like at Hobart William Smith Colleges?

About 54% of undergraduates at Hobart William Smith Colleges live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Live on campus
54%
of undergraduates
From the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Hobart William Smith Colleges.

Other colleges in New York parents ask about

How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Hobart William Smith Colleges

Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Hobart William Smith Colleges recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.

Common questions parents ask about Hobart William Smith Colleges

What GPA do I need for Hobart William Smith Colleges?

Hobart William Smith Colleges admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.

What SAT or ACT score does Hobart William Smith Colleges typically admit?

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 600–720, with an EBRW midpoint near 655. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–32.

How much does Hobart William Smith Colleges actually cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Hobart William Smith Colleges after grants and scholarships is $50,647 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.

Is Hobart William Smith Colleges realistic for my child?

Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.

What is the acceptance rate at Hobart William Smith Colleges?

Hobart William Smith Colleges accepts about 53% of applicants out of roughly 8,457 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.

Is Hobart William Smith Colleges test-optional?

Yes. Hobart William Smith Colleges is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.

What is the graduation rate at Hobart William Smith Colleges?

About 74% of students at Hobart William Smith Colleges graduate within six years. 88% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.

What does Hobart William Smith Colleges look for in applicants?

Hobart William Smith Colleges rates GPA, the application essay, talent and ability and demonstrated interest as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.

Is Hobart William Smith Colleges a public or private school, and where is it located?

Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private nonprofit institution located in Brooklyn, New York.

What are the most popular majors at Hobart William Smith Colleges?

The largest undergraduate majors at Hobart William Smith Colleges by annual graduates are Design and Applied Arts, Architectural Sciences and Technology and Fine and Studio Arts. The school awards about 628 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.

Is Hobart William Smith Colleges safe? What is its campus crime rate?

Hobart William Smith Colleges reported 10 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.

What is campus life like at Hobart William Smith Colleges?

At Hobart William Smith Colleges, 54% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.

Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Hobart William Smith Colleges, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.