Skidmore: the complete school report for parents
Skidmore puts the most weight on course rigor, GPA and personal qualities. A second tier of the essay, extracurricular activities and recommendations carries real weight too. It does not consider legacy and the interview, so family connections carry no weight. With a 23.7% admit rate and 63% of enrolled students at a 3.00 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Transfer applicants are admitted at 39.4% against 23.7% for first-years, so the transfer route is materially wider.
Skidmore is officially Skidmore College. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Skidmore a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Skidmore against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Skidmore actually weigh in admissions?
Skidmore rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, personal qualities. It does not consider 4 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Skidmore's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Skidmore rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Important |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Important |
| class rank | Important |
| demonstrated interest | Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Important |
| work experience | Important |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Skidmore consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Skidmore consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Skidmore consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Skidmore consider the application essay?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Skidmore consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider class rank?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider demonstrated interest?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Skidmore consider an interview?
No. Skidmore does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does Skidmore consider legacy status?
No. Skidmore does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Skidmore consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Skidmore consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Skidmore consider state residency?
No. Skidmore does not consider it.
Does Skidmore consider volunteer work?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider work experience?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Skidmore consider religious affiliation?
No. Skidmore does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
63% of enrolled students had a 3.00 GPA or above. . This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | Not reported |
| 3.75–3.99 | Not reported |
| 3.50–3.74 | Not reported |
| 3.25–3.49 | Not reported |
| 3.00–3.24 | 63% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 29% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 8% |
What is the Skidmore waitlist really like?
Skidmore offered a place on its waiting list to 2,360 applicants and 675 accepted one. 35 were ultimately admitted. That is 5.2% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Skidmore admitted 39.4% of 160 transfer applicants, against 23.7% 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: 42.4% of ED applicants were admitted against 23.7% overall, a gap of 19 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.
| Regular application deadline | January 8 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | April 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 1 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 8 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $0 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Skidmore sets no fixed course requirements, but recommends 4 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | Not stated | 4 years |
| Mathematics | Not stated | 4 years |
| Science | Not stated | 4 years |
| Foreign language | Not stated | 4 years |
What will Skidmore actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $32,297 a year at Skidmore after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $69,210. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 4 merit awards averaging $20,000 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
44% of Skidmore graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $29,458 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $207 a month in repayment. Skidmore’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Skidmore pay off?
Graduates earn a median $69,363 ten years after entering, and $46,923 at six years. 80% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 86% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$96,378 to $41,054, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Skidmore:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $96,378 | 26 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $74,487 | 87 |
| Psychology, General | $64,061 | 78 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $61,804 | 42 |
| Political Science and Government | $53,623 | 42 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $52,273 | 33 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $51,622 | 16 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $41,054 | 31 |
College Scorecard, by field of study.
Will my child actually graduate?
94% of first-years return for a second year. 74% graduate within four years and 82% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 86.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 80.0% of everyone else, a gap of -6.0 points.
How big are the classes?
76% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 8:1, and 77% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at Skidmore like?
5,410 undergraduates, 64% of first-years from out of state. 99% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 83% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women a sorority. 15% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $78,806.
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. Skidmore recommends 4 academic units.
- 63% of enrolled students are at a 3.00 GPA or above. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Early Decision is worth 19 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 35 of 675 who waited were admitted, about 5%.
- 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 $96,378 five years out against $41,054 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 Skidmore
What GPA do you need for Skidmore?
63% of enrolled students at Skidmore had a high school GPA of 3.00 or above, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Skidmore waitlist move?
675 students accepted a place on the Skidmore waiting list and 35 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Skidmore graduates earn?
Skidmore graduates earn a median $69,363 ten years after entering, and 80% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Skidmore
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Skidmore’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.