Acceptance Rate
21%
Avg. SAT
1490
75th percentile
“Hillsdale College shapes principled patriots through a rigorous classical curriculum, fiercely independent from federal strings.”
Hillsdale, MI
Location
Town
Campus Setting
You'll step into a bastion of classical liberal arts founded in 1844 amid Michigan's frontier, when abolitionists reimagined it as Hillsdale College after graduating women and Black students decades before most peers—yet today, it stands apart by rejecting every dime of federal funding, including student loans and grants, to dodge bureaucratic mandates on speech and admissions. This 1,500-student enclave draws self-reliant achievers who relish debating the Federalist Papers over dorm-room pizza, thriving in its unyielding commitment to Western heritage and free markets amid a sleepy town of 8,000 where cornfields outnumber chain stores. The personality radiates earnest conservatism: think flag-lined walks and guest lectures from Supreme Court justices, but tradeoffs loom in the isolation—no urban buzz, harsh Midwest winters that bury campus under snow for months, and a worldview that clashes if you lean progressive or crave vocational training over timeless texts.
Photo Gallery
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Hillsdale's intimate seminars capped at 15 students (thanks to that 8:1 ratio tighter than 90% of liberal arts colleges), professors like Civil War historian Allan Guelzo challenge you to dissect original sources, fostering a Socratic grind where politics, economics, and classics majors parse Hayek or Locke weekly. The fixed core curriculum devours a third of your degree in Great Books, rhetoric, and Constitution studies, powering standout programs like the Davenant Institute for political theology—yet undergrad research skews light compared to research giants, and absent majors in engineering or film mean pre-med hopefuls transfer out if labs feel sparse. Expect lively debates in the Allen Building, but brace for a merit-only grind: no grade inflation, and that 20.6% acceptance (tougher than Notre Dame's early pool) weeds out all but the intellectually combative.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
1,649 undergrad • 143 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
Other / Multi-racial
100%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Hillsdale, MI
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week pulses with morning chapel echoes (optional, nondenominational), afternoons dissecting Thucydides, and evenings at intramural flag football or the 150-plus clubs—from Pipe & Cigar Society to Sailing (yes, on nearby lakes). Residential life clusters freshmen into quad-style dorms fostering lifelong bonds, while traditions like the Liberty Walk's founder statues and raucous Homecoming bonfires knit the Greek-free scene into a wholesome, service-saturated vibe—think volunteering at local farms alongside tailgates. Socially tight-knit yet chaste (no co-ed dorms, hookup culture scarce), it suits outgoing debaters but challenges introverts or party-seekers in this distant town where Friday nights mean bonfires over bars; blizzards strand you indoors, amplifying the bubble.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Great Midwest Athletic Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Veteran’s Programs Available
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
97%
4 Years Graduation Rate
77%
6 Years Graduation Rate
87%
97% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Hillsdale College and return in the fall. 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 87% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
77%
4-6 years
10%
Non-grad
13%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$29,590
Acceptance
21%
Undergrads
1,649
4-Year Grad Rate
77%
Endowment
$1.3B
Hillsdale, MI 49242
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