BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·smith.edu
6-yr Graduation
89%
+1.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
2,857
peer median 2,541
Avg net price
$27,579
+$569 vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
8,666
8,666 candidates competed
Admitted
1,820
21.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
645
35.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
89%+1.0pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
70%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
89%
Full-time retention
94%

Pell equity

0.0pp gap
Pell recipients
89%99 of 111
Non-Pell (all)
89%446 of 501
Subsidized loan, no Pell
93%124 of 134
No Federal Aid
88%322 of 367

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 66 Title IV programs, 15 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 51 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
66
Passing
15
22.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

66programs
  • Passing15 · 22.7%
  • No Data51 · 77.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
13
No data
51

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.

15
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+11.1%
$57,262 vs $51,545
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+24.6%
$43,354 vs $34,808
Ethnic Cultural Minority Gender and Group Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+32.5%
$46,136 vs $34,808
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+34.9%
$46,960 vs $34,808
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+38.4%
$48,183 vs $34,808
Area Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+46.9%
$51,131 vs $34,808
Research and Experimental Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+47.3%
$51,267 vs $34,808
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+49.3%
$68,927 vs $46,158

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

14
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
82%
$56,203 debt · $68,927 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
44%
$19,000 debt · $43,354 earn
Ethnic Cultural Minority Gender and Group Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
41%
$19,000 debt · $46,136 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
41%
$19,000 debt · $46,960 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
39%
$19,000 debt · $48,183 earn
Area Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
37%
$19,000 debt · $51,131 earn
Research and Experimental Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
37%
$19,000 debt · $51,267 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
36%
$19,000 debt · $52,938 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1929Next review Jun 2028

Action history · 2

  1. Apr 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  2. Apr 2008Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$1,363
$30–48k$3,737
$48–75k$6,559
$75–110k$11,750
$110k+$40,477

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$27,579
+$569vs Baccalaureate median $27,010
Federal loans
14.1%
In-state tuition
$65,178
Out-of-state
$65,178

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 598 students received $3.5M in Pell grants, alongside $10.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
598
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.5M
$3,497,118 total
Direct Loans
$10.1M
815 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$607K
165 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.4M
292 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.3M
194 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.8M
119 loan awards
Grad PLUS$991K
45 loan awards

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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 583 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (1.2%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
583
Defaulted
7
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.3%
2017
1.1%
2018
1.1%
2019
1.2%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* 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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Smith College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs56
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

824 total completions
01Social Sciences
14517.6%
02Public Admin
12915.7%
03Biological Sciences
8710.6%
04Visual/Performing Arts
789.5%
05Computer Sciences
769.2%
06Physical Sciences
718.6%
07Foreign Languages
698.4%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
617.4%
09Psychology
556.7%
10Area/Ethnic Studies
536.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
2,857
12-mo unduplicated
3,236
Undergraduate
2,657
Graduate
579

Gender split

Men
3%91
Women
97%3,145

Race / ethnicity composition

White
50.4%
Non-resident
13.7%
Hispanic
12.2%
Asian
9.2%
Two or more
6.5%
Black
5.1%
Unknown
2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.0%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.89
11 offenses · 2,830 students

3-year trend

3.422 yrs ago2.091 yr ago3.89Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
27
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
22
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
4
Rape
3
Aggravated assault
2
Burglary
1
Fondling
1

By location

11total
  • On campus10
  • Non-campus1

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
3
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs06
Liquor010

Residence-hall fires

  • Talbot House1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
8.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
351

Smith College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Smith College selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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
SubjectSmith College
89%2,857$27,579Baccalaureate
87%17.6%3,126$38,782Baccalaureate
76%66.3%2,674$33,016Baccalaureate
84%36.0%2,275$26,441Baccalaureate
92%14.0%2,407$25,496Baccalaureate
94%8.3%2,164$17,716Baccalaureate
Peer group median88%17.6%2,541$27,010

Institutions like Smith College

Explore the federal data for institutions in Smith College's comparison group.

Smith College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Email
institutionalresearch [at] smith.edu
Phone
413-585-3021
Address
200 Stoddard Annex, 23 Elm Street, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063

The Office of Institutional Research enables data-informed decision-making through survey research, assessment support, and analytic infrastructure development, providing consistent, reliable, and accessible information about Smith College while supporting faculty governance and enabling stakeholders to track and measure their success.

Visit IR office page
Team
7 members
  • Cate Rowen
    Associate Vice President for Analytics & Institutional Research
  • Kathleen Foley
    Associate Director for Analytics
  • Minh Ly
    Associate Director for Assessment
  • Jayne Mercier
    Associate Director for Faculty Analytics
  • Kate Aloisio
    Associate Director of Institutional Research
  • Liz Kamerer
    Research and Program Assistant
  • Lidia Ortiz Zamora
    Equity and Inclusion Analyst

Common Data Set

Smith College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
21.0%
Highly selective
Yield
35.4%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
2,857
2,549 UG · 308 grad
6-yr graduation rate
89%
First-year retention
94%
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
8,666
Admitted
1,820
Enrolled
645

8,666 applied → 1,820 admitted (21.0%) → 645 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
21.0%

Highly selective — 21.0% acceptance rate.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1450
Median
1480
75th
1520

Middle 50% SAT 1450–1520 (median 1480).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
32
Median
34
75th
35

Middle 50% ACT 32–35 (median 34).

High-school class rank

C10
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class0.79%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class0.97%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class1%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

Waitlist outcome

C2
Offered
1,531
Accepted spot
803
Admitted
43

1,531 offered a waitlist spot, 803 accepted it, 43 admitted (5.4% of those who stayed on).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important5
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPAApplication EssayRecommendation(s)Character/personal qualities
Important4
Class rankInterviewExtracurricular activitiesTalent/ability
Considered7
Standardized test scoresFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest
Not Considered2
State residencyReligious affiliation/commitment

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Institutional94.0%
Federal4.3%
External1.0%
State0.6%

94% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
51%
Avg debt
$14,697

51% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $14,697 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
89%
Retention
94%

6-year graduation rate 89%; first-year retention 94%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students89%
Pell recipients89%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 0 pts above the overall rate (89% vs 89%).

04

Academic Experience

Degrees by discipline

J
Social sciences15.18%
Biological/life sciences10.89%
Psychology9.42%
Visual and performing arts8.57%
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics7.83%
Area, ethnic, and gender studies6.85%
Interdisciplinary studies6.24%
Physical sciences5.75%

STEM-dominant: ~30% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic50.4%
Nonresidents13.7%
Hispanic/Latino12.1%
Asian, non-Hispanic9.2%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic6.5%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic5.1%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown2.8%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.0%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
349
Share
14%

14% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
2,54989%
Graduate
30811%

2,549 undergraduates and 308 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
383
Admitted
79
Enrolled
41

383 transfer applicants → 79 admitted (20.6%) → 41 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Smith College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Smith College.

What is the graduation rate at Smith College?

Smith College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 89% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Smith College?

Smith College reports a total enrollment of 2,857 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Smith College?

The average net price at Smith College is $27,579 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Smith College?

Smith College's yield rate is 35.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Smith College located?

Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts 01063.

Who runs Institutional Research at Smith College?

Smith College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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