Clinton, NY
Hamilton College traces its origins to 1793, when missionary Samuel Kirkland proposed a school for the children of the Oneida Nation and of white settlers in central New York, with Alexander Hamilton lending his name as a trustee. It was chartered as a college in 1812 and is among the three dozen oldest colleges in the country, per its own account. Hamilton is known for its open curriculum, in which students design their own course of study rather than following set distribution requirements.
Admissions
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from Hamilton College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 35% submitted SAT scores, 13% submitted ACT scores.
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Early Decision I: Nov 15, 2026
- Early Decision II: Jan 4, 2027
- Regular Decision: Jan 4, 2027
Confirm on Hamilton College's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against Hamilton College's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow Hamilton College weighs your application
From Hamilton College's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What applicants who posted their results listed
23 self-reported applicant profiles from public posts, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles: 13 admitted, 10 rejected or waitlisted. Figures read admitted vs. rejected or waitlisted.
Most common activities
Most common awards among admits
Who posted
How this compares across selective liberal arts colleges: Liberal Arts College Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not Hamilton College's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Hamilton College weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hamilton College look for in applicants?
Per Hamilton College's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is Hamilton College's acceptance rate?
Hamilton College in Clinton, NY admits approximately 14% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What SAT score do I need for Hamilton College?
Per Hamilton College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1440–1510 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
What ACT score do I need for Hamilton College?
Per Hamilton College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 33–35 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
How much does Hamilton College cost?
Hamilton College's total cost of attendance is reported at $84,230 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
When is the application deadline for Hamilton College?
Hamilton College's deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 15, 2026; Early Decision II Jan 4, 2027; Regular Decision Jan 4, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.
Does Hamilton College require students to live on campus?
Yes -- Hamilton College requires students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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