Great LakesTownPrivate4-yearSocial & Science

Hillsdale College

Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation.

Hillsdale, MI1,573 students
Acceptance Rate
21%
selective
Median SAT
1,405
Middle 50%: 1320–1490
Net Price After Aid
$26.0k
Sticker $31.8k
Graduation Rate
85%
6-year, full-time

Hillsdale College is a private institution in Hillsdale, MI with an acceptance rate of 21% and 1,573 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score 1320–1490 on the SAT and present an average GPA near 3.93. The average net price after financial aid is $26,030 per year.

About Hillsdale College

A private 4-year town university in Hillsdale, MI.

Hillsdale College campus
Campus · Hillsdale

Hillsdale College is a college in Hillsdale, MI. It enrolls roughly 1,573 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 21%. Admitted students typically score between 1320 and 1490 on the SAT.

Great LakesTownPrivate4-yearSocial & Science
Acceptance Rate
21%
Selective
Total Enrollment
1,573
Small
Retention
97%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
85%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

What admitted students look like here. Sign in to see how your own profile compares.

Acceptance Rate
21%
21 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
Sign in to see your personalized chances.
Admitted Student GPA
3.93
Average across admitted students

Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation.

What strengthens an application here

  1. SAT scores of 1320 to 1490
    The middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A score in the upper part of it strengthens an application.
  2. A GPA near 3.93 or higher
    This is the average across admitted students.
  3. Depth in one or two activities
    Sustained commitment, a leadership role, or a result in a few activities says more than a long list of memberships.

Your chances estimate is based on your academic profile and activities — it is a guide, not a guarantee of admission. Decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into Hillsdale College. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Admitted student profile

Range shown is the middle 50%.

SAT
composite, 1600 scale
1,3401,470
1,405
average
ACT
composite, 36 scale
3033
32
average
GPA
weighted, 4.5 max
3.924.00
3.93
average

This school doesn't require test scores, so these ranges reflect only students who chose to submit — applicants who submit tend to have higher scores. The real admitted range likely runs lower. Don't rule yourself out on scores alone.

Application requirements

  • Personal essay required
  • Test-optional
  • No application fee

Deadlines (2026-27)

Early Decision
Nov 1, 2026
Regular Decision
Mar 15, 2027

Source: Common App 2026-27 requirements grid (verified Aug 2026). Always confirm on the college's own site.

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at Hillsdale College after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
—
Tuition $31,780
Average net price after aid
$26,030
42% of students receive financial aid
Pell Grant Recipients
0%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
0%
Avg Grant Aid
—
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at Hillsdale College concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
8:1
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Social & Science
20% of degrees awarded
Retention
97%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends Hillsdale College. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Gender

  • Female51%
  • Male49%
International
0%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
—
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
1,573

Outcomes after graduation

What Hillsdale College graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
—
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
—
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
—
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
85%
6-year, full-time

Is it worth it?

Earnings, debt, and price side by side — context for the cost-vs-payoff question, not a ranking.

Median earnings
—
10 yrs after entry
Typical debt
—
median, borrowers only
Avg. net price
$26.0k/yr
after aid
  • These numbers reflect who enrolls, not the value the school adds. A college's earnings can look high simply because it admits wealthier, higher-scoring students — not because of what happens there.
  • Earnings vary far more by major and career path than by school. A school-wide median blends engineers and artists into one number that may match no real student.
  • Federal earnings and debt figures cover only students who received federal aid, so they leave out full-pay students and can skew the picture.
  • Net price is an average across aided students and debt is the median for borrowers only — many students borrow nothing. Your actual cost depends on your own aid package.

What this means

A 85% graduation rate puts Hillsdale College in the top tier nationally.

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