Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College remains highly selective while maintaining a stable standing among the country's top universities. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, Dartmouth placed 12th nationally, returning toward its earlier positions after ranking 18th in 2024. Gaining admission is rigorous, as the college admitted only 5.4% of applicants in 2025. Compared with private research universities with similar rankings, Dartmouth's acceptance rate is higher than 37% of peers, placing it among the more demanding institutions in its peer group. Once admitted, students demonstrate a strong commitment to attending rather than choosing competing offers. Dartmouth recorded an enrolled yield rate of 69.1% in 2025, which is higher than 80% of peer schools. For prospective applicants, these figures mean that admission is exceptionally competitive, and the college successfully enrolls a large majority of the students it selects, leaving minimal room for waitlist movement.

Applicants to Dartmouth must present stellar academic credentials to compete effectively in its selective admissions pool. In 2025, the college reported a median SAT score of 1540, which is higher than 41% of peer private research universities. High school grade point averages among enrolled students are uniformly strong, with the overwhelming majority of students maintaining top marks in demanding honors or advanced classes. According to unofficial applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway, international applicants who received admission offers held a median unweighted GPA of 3.96 and a median SAT of 1485, whereas denied applicants typically presented lower scores. Standardized tests and transcript rigor remain essential benchmarks for evaluating readiness. For prospective candidates, gaining admission requires pairing near-perfect high school grades with standardized test performance that places them near the top percentiles nationally.

Dartmouth blends strong liberal arts education with highly compensated quantitative and professional degrees. In 2025, the college awarded bachelor degrees across diverse fields, though undergraduate study shows moderate concentration, with the top three majors accounting for 28.8% of all bachelor graduates. The most popular programs are Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and General Engineering. These popular departments correspond closely to the institution's academic reputation: in 2027 U.S. News program rankings, Dartmouth placed 11th in undergraduate International Economics and 19th in Economics. At the graduate level, the university features elite programs, including a medical school ranked 1st in primary care and an MBA program ranked 8th in 2026 U.S. News lists. Labor market outcomes for high-demand majors are lucrative. According to 2023 earnings data, median earnings one year after graduation reached $137,406 for Computer Science graduates and $115,308 for Economics graduates, demonstrating that Dartmouth's largest academic programs deliver immediate financial returns.

Dartmouth College maintains an undergraduate-focused campus community alongside selected graduate programs, enrolling 6,938 students across all levels in 2025. Diversity within the student body is evident in the incoming undergraduate cohort, where 170 international students made up 14.4% of first-year enrollees, and Asian students numbered 150, accounting for 12.7%. Continuing undergraduates show comparable demographic patterns, with White students forming the largest group alongside Hispanic and Black peers. At the graduate level, overseas representation is higher than in undergraduate cohorts, with international students making up a significant proportion of advanced degree candidates alongside domestic Asian students. For families evaluating the campus environment, these enrollment figures demonstrate that undergraduates complete their studies within an environment that pairs broad domestic racial representation with a consistent international presence across degree levels.

Dartmouth College displays a clear demographic separation in age between its undergraduate college and its graduate programs. In 2025, the undergraduate population was concentrated almost entirely within traditional college ages, with students aged 18 to 19 accounting for 44.3% of undergraduates and those aged 20 to 21 making up 40.9%. Undergraduates aged 22 and older constitute a minor fraction of the college. In contrast, the graduate division consists predominantly of students in their mid-to-late twenties, led by the 25 to 29 age bracket at 53.6% of graduate enrollment. For prospective applicants, this age profile means undergraduate campus activities revolve around peers progressing through degree requirements directly from secondary school, while graduate students form an older, career-focused population.

International enrollment at Dartmouth has expanded over the past decade, especially within the undergraduate college. In 2025, international students made up 15.7% of all undergraduates, a share that is higher than 80% of peer private research universities. Graduate programs also maintain a substantial global footprint, with international students comprising 32.3% of total graduate enrollment in 2025. When looking at degrees awarded, international graduates are particularly concentrated in analytical and technical disciplines. At the bachelor's level, international students earned a notable share of degrees in Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and General Engineering. At the master's level, concentration is even more pronounced in technical fields: international scholars earned 83.9% of master's degrees awarded in Computer Science, while representing large majorities in Management Science and General Engineering, compared to a very small fraction in the general business administration program.

Applicants considering Dartmouth College can explore several high-ranking colleges and universities within driving distance. Located 48.9 kilometers away in Vermont, Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college ranked 19th in the 2027 U.S. News Liberal Arts College rankings. Further northwest, University of Vermont sits 69.8 kilometers from Dartmouth and is ranked 133rd among National Universities. To the east, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is located 78.6 kilometers away and ranked 109th among National Universities. Additionally, Williams College lies 82.5 kilometers southwest in Massachusetts, holding the 1st position in the 2027 U.S. News Liberal Arts College rankings. These nearby institutions offer diverse academic environments ranging from flagship state universities to top-tier rural liberal arts colleges.

Campus safety records at Dartmouth indicate that reported infractions are predominantly driven by institutional policy violations rather than violent crime. In 2025, Forward Pathway's crime rate per 1,000 students stood at 23.9, down from earlier years. An examination of campus records from 2023 to 2025 shows that disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations formed the single largest category by far, totaling 359 incidents. Property offenses and other non-violent infractions account for most remaining cases over those three years. Motor vehicle theft was the most common criminal category with 76 incidents, followed by 55 reports of theft, while interpersonal offenses such as stalking and domestic violence occurred in smaller numbers. Families reviewing Dartmouth's safety environment should understand that security reports largely reflect administrative enforcement of alcohol regulations rather than widespread violent threats on campus.