Getting in
For Fall 2025, 8,904 first-year students applied to Hamilton, 1,210 were admitted and 478 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 13.6%.
Source: Hamilton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 1,611 | 334 | 20.7% |
| Out-of-state | 3,707 | 780 | 21% |
| International | 3,586 | 96 | 2.7% |
Source: Hamilton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Hamilton's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole college. Students choose a concentration (major) after they enroll, so there is no rate by major.
Source: Hamilton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. The Common Data Set gives one early decision count for the fall 2025 entering class; it does not split Early Decision I from Early Decision II. Hamilton has no early action plan.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early decision | 1,120 | 315 | 28.1% |
Source: Hamilton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
44 majors across 1 school. Every concentration (Hamilton's word for a major) on Hamilton's official Areas of Study list, checked against the 2026-2027 College Catalogue. Every graduate earns a Bachelor of Arts. Minors and language-only programs are left out.
Concentrations44
- Africana Studies (B.A.)
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Archaeology (B.A.)
- Art (B.A.)
- Art History (B.A.)
- Asian Studies (B.A.)
- Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (B.A.)
- Biology (B.A.)
- Chemical Physics (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Chinese (B.A.)
- Cinema and Media Studies (B.A.)
- Classics (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)
- Creative Writing (B.A.)
- Cultural Anthropology (B.A.)
- Dance and Movement Studies (B.A.)
- Data Science (B.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A.)
- French and Francophone Studies (B.A.)
- Geoarchaeology (B.A.)
- Geosciences (B.A.)
- German Studies (B.A.)
- Government (B.A.)
- Hispanic Studies (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Interdisciplinary Concentration (B.A.)
- Japanese (B.A.)
- Literature (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Middle East and Islamicate Worlds Studies (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Neuroscience (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Public Policy (B.A.)
- Religious Studies (B.A.)
- Russian Studies (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Theatre (B.A.)
- Women's and Gender Studies (B.A.)
- World Politics (B.A.)
Source: Hamilton, Areas of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 15, 2026 | By December 19 | Yes |
| Early Decision II | January 4, 2027 | By February 15 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4, 2027 | Late March | No |
Regular Decision applicants may switch to Early Decision II by filing an Early Decision Agreement by 11:59 p.m. on February 1, 2027. Hamilton releases all decisions online, in the applicant portal.
Source: Hamilton Admission, Apply: Important Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Both Early Decision plans are binding; they differ only in timing. You, your parents and your counselor sign the Early Decision Agreement. If admitted, you withdraw all other college applications, file no new ones, and pay an enrollment deposit within two weeks. Students deferred to Regular Decision or offered January admission are released from the commitment, and Hamilton releases admitted students who find it unaffordable.
Source: Hamilton Admission, Early Decision (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Hamilton does not require the SAT or ACT; sending scores is your choice. It superscores both tests and accepts scores you report yourself in the application. If you report your own scores and enroll, you send official results by July 1.
Source: Hamilton Admission, Testing Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted, with scores due by January 15.
Source: Hamilton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Hamilton's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Hamilton Admission, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Hamilton, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $75,210 |
|---|---|
| Required fees | $750 |
| Housing (on campus) | $10,540 |
| Food (on-campus meal plan) | $8,750 |
| Books and supplies | $800 |
| Transportation | $500 |
| Other expenses | $1,000 |
| Total | $97,550 |
For a full-time student living on campus, fall and spring. Tuition, fees, housing and food come to $95,250.
Source: Hamilton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $8,028 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,489 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,863 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,614 |
| Over $110,000 | $46,907 |
| All incomes | $28,985 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Hamilton's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Hamilton College on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY · Private17.5% admitted$28,786 average net price
Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · Private13.9% admitted$41,704 average net price- Barnard CollegeNew York, NY · Private10.1% admitted$28,800 average net price
Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT · Private12.8% admitted$31,483 average net price
Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · Private13.5% admitted$40,815 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.