Hamilton College
About
Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Kirkland, New York. It was established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and received its charter as Hamilton College in 1812, in honor of Alexander Hamilton, one of its inaugural trustees, following a proposal made after his death in 1804. Since 1978, Hamilton has been a coeducational institution, having merged with its sister school, Kirkland College.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 35 Title IV programs, 5 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 30 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing5 · 14.3%
- No Data30 · 85.7%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
New England Commission of Higher Education
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Action history · 4
- Sep 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Sep 2023Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Jun 2021Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Aug 2020Approved for Distance EducationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 418 students received $2.6M in Pell grants, alongside $5.6M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 243 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Hamilton College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 17
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus12
Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Hamilton College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Hamilton College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectHamilton College | 91% | — | 2,031 | $28,314 | Baccalaureate |
Amherst College | 94% | 9.0% | 1,914 | $18,246 | Baccalaureate |
Bates College | 90% | 13.3% | 1,760 | $30,703 | Baccalaureate |
Bowdoin College | 95% | 7.1% | 1,881 | $20,786 | Baccalaureate |
Carleton College | 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $27,320 | Baccalaureate |
Colby College | 89% | 7.1% | 2,412 | $23,939 | Baccalaureate |
Colgate University | 91% | 13.9% | 3,211 | $29,107 | Baccalaureate |
Colorado College | 88% | 18.5% | 2,056 | $31,678 | Baccalaureate |
Connecticut College | 82% | 37.0% | 1,990 | $33,998 | Baccalaureate |
Davidson College | 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $18,127 | Baccalaureate |
Grinnell College | 88% | 14.5% | 1,788 | $15,608 | Baccalaureate |
Haverford College | 90% | 12.4% | 1,431 | $25,210 | Baccalaureate |
Lafayette College | 88% | 31.4% | 2,775 | $32,496 | Baccalaureate |
Middlebury College | 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $25,934 | Baccalaureate |
Mount Holyoke College | 84% | 36.0% | 2,275 | $29,562 | Baccalaureate |
Oberlin College | 81% | 34.2% | 2,909 | $39,184 | Baccalaureate |
Pomona College | 93% | 7.1% | 1,700 | $19,424 | Baccalaureate |
Skidmore College | 83% | 21.1% | 2,704 | $34,581 | Baccalaureate |
Smith College | 89% | 21.0% | 2,857 | $26,181 | Baccalaureate |
Swarthmore College | 92% | 7.5% | 1,623 | $18,686 | Baccalaureate |
Trinity College | 84% | 29.2% | 2,238 | $35,009 | Baccalaureate |
Vassar College | 91% | 18.6% | 2,462 | $38,182 | Baccalaureate |
Washington and Lee University | 94% | 14.0% | 2,241 | $23,911 | Baccalaureate |
Wellesley College | 92% | 14.0% | 2,407 | $25,008 | Baccalaureate |
Wesleyan University | 93% | 16.5% | 4,011 | $27,888 | Baccalaureate |
Williams College | 94% | 8.3% | 2,164 | $14,852 | Baccalaureate |
| Peer group median | 91% | 14.0% | 2,201 | $26,751 |
Hamilton College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment is responsible for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and reporting historical and current data about Hamilton College and peer institutions to support college planning, assessment, and overall effectiveness.
Visit IR office page- Jasmine Yang, Ed.D.Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
- Haochen SunInstitutional Research Analyst
Common Data Set (21)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionData Governance Glossary - Hamilton CollegeThe Data Governance Glossary page at Hamilton College provides definitions and explanations of various terms and concepts related to the management and governance of data within the institution. This includes specific roles, systems, laws, and practices involved in ensuring data is used effectively and securely across functional areas.hamilton.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFacts & Statistics - Hamilton College2026The Hamilton College Facts & Statistics page provides detailed insights into various aspects of the institution. Hamilton College meets 100% of the financial needs of its students and boasts a highly selective acceptance rate of 13.5% for the class of 2029. Located in Clinton, NY, the college has a robust academic offering with 59 areas of study and a 9:1 student-faculty ratio. The financial aid covers 50% of the student body with an average award of $63,557. Details of student diversity, athletic participation, faculty credentials, and alumni success offers a comprehensive perspective of the college's impact and community. The information highlights a commitment to diversity and education without financial barriers, supported by a significant $1.47 billion endowment.hamilton.edu
- Strategic planStrategic Plan - Hamilton College2018Hamilton College's strategic plan aims to enhance its academic and extracurricular offerings to further prepare students for future challenges. The plan focuses on integrating learning experiences, expanding experiential programs, and fostering a diverse and inclusive campus environment. By pursuing these initiatives over the next five years, Hamilton aspires to strengthen its community and educational impact.hamilton.edu
Notable alumni of Hamilton College (10)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- James S. ShermanPolitics
- Tom VilsackPolitics
- Ezra PoundLiterature
- Paul GreengardNeuroscience
- Marc RandolphBusiness
- B. F. SkinnerPsychology
- Paul LiebersteinArts and Entertainment
- Sarah RaffertyArts and Entertainment
- David M. SolomonBusiness
- Gerrit SmithPolitics
Frequently asked questions about Hamilton College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Hamilton College.
What is the graduation rate at Hamilton College?
How many students attend Hamilton College?
What is the average net price at Hamilton College?
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Where is Hamilton College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Hamilton College?
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