Liberal arts college
#13 Best colleges in PennsylvaniaDickinson College
Carlisle, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $37,607 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for business in America#78 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#73 of 1,318
- Best colleges in America#130 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#109 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#116 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#111 of 1,358
Show 16 more
- Best colleges for English in America#111 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#114 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#111 of 1,187
- Best mid-size colleges in America#63 of 667
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#115 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#114 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#114 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#109 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#78 of 750
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#207 of 1,829
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#53 of 430
- Best colleges for economics in America#112 of 788
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#119 of 690
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#137 of 684
- Most selective colleges in America#137 of 683
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#150 of 693
In Pennsylvania
- Best colleges for business in Pennsylvania#8 of 108
- Best colleges for education in Pennsylvania#7 of 85
- Best colleges in Pennsylvania#13 of 118
- Best colleges for psychology in Pennsylvania#12 of 105
- Best test-optional colleges in Pennsylvania#13 of 113
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Pennsylvania#7 of 60
Show 17 more
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Pennsylvania#7 of 60
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Pennsylvania#12 of 98
- Best colleges for English in Pennsylvania#12 of 87
- Best colleges for history in Pennsylvania#12 of 80
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Pennsylvania#12 of 80
- Best colleges for chemistry in Pennsylvania#12 of 77
- Best colleges for mathematics in Pennsylvania#12 of 77
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Pennsylvania#19 of 118
- Best colleges for art and design in Pennsylvania#12 of 74
- Best mid-size colleges in Pennsylvania#7 of 43
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Pennsylvania#10 of 60
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Pennsylvania#12 of 62
- Best colleges for computer science in Pennsylvania#9 of 44
- Best colleges for economics in Pennsylvania#11 of 53
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Pennsylvania#14 of 60
- Most selective colleges in Pennsylvania#14 of 60
- Best colleges for music in Pennsylvania#12 of 51
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.80%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,391 · ACT 31.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$19,764
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $82,902 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 2,204 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 40% · Women 60% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 12% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 74% |
| Total students | 2,217 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $37,607 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $82,902 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 80% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 87% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 87% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 88% |
| First-year retention | 92% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $70,204 |
| Admission rate | 42% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 13% |
| Average SAT | 1391 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 670–740 |
| SAT math | 640–720 |
| ACT composite | 30–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| International business | |
| Economics | |
| Area studies | |
| International relations | |
| Political science | |
| Romance languages | |
| Psychology | |
| History | |
| English | |
| Biology | |
| Natural resources and conservation |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Archeology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Classics, Computer science, Computing and information science, Dance, Data Analytics, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ethnic and gender studies, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Mathematics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-law and legal studies, Public Policy Analysis, Religious studies, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education, Sociology, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Business | |
| Natural resources | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $17,100 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Centennial Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 21%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 81%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $268,721IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 94% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Harrisburg International Airport (MDT)About 23 miles away |
| Nearest major airport | Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)About 76 miles away |
| Town population | 21,852Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BaltimoreAbout 70 miles away |
| Typical weather | 29°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Carlisle Wtp, PA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.95 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.17 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.43 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Dickinson College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 8% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Dickinson College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $37,607 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Dickinson College?
- Dickinson College admitted 42% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Dickinson College’s graduates do?
- 80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $70,204; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 212009
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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