College Profiles/ Dartmouth College
College Profile · Fall 2027 Entry
Dartmouth College Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Cost, Financial Aid and Deadlines
Hanover, NH · 4,715 undergraduates. Everything families need to apply to Dartmouth College for fall 2027, verified against the school’s own Common Data Set, cost of attendance and admissions pages, with ConnectPrep’s strategic read.
By Jeremy Fine, Founder of ConnectPrep
Updated October 11, 2026 · Data verified against official sources
✓ Every figure cited
Quick answer
Dartmouth College admitted 6.0% of 28,230 first-year applicants in the 2025-2026 Common Data Set.[1] Early Decision applicants were admitted at 21.6%.[1] The middle 50% SAT range for enrolled first-years is 1440 to 1550.[1] The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $98,427.[2] First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $71,873.[1] For fall 2027 entry, deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 1, Regular Decision Jan 1.[3]
6.0%
Overall admit rate[1]
21.6%
Early Decision admit rate[1]
1440 to 1550
Middle 50% SAT[1]
$98,427
Cost of attendance, 2026-2027[2]
$71,873
Average need-based grant[1]
Dartmouth College at a Glance
- Location
- Hanover, NH
- Type
- Private nonprofit
- Student to faculty ratio
- 7.9:1[1]
- Endowment
- $9 billion (FY2025)[4]
- SAT/ACT, fall 2027
- Required[3]
- Application
- Common App, QuestBridge[3]
- First-year retention
- 98.0%[1]
The ConnectPrep Take on Dartmouth College
The ConnectPrep take
Dartmouth says the whole person counts, along with the circumstances each applicant has navigated, and it treats contextualized testing as one factor but never the primary one. Even so, the SAT or ACT is required for applicants from U.S. high schools. The middle 50% SAT runs from 1440 to 1550, so 1550 is the target and a retake below 1495 makes sense. Early Decision is a strong lever: 21.6% of 3,552 ED applicants were admitted against 6.0% overall, about 3.6 times the overall rate. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies, so the true advantage is smaller than that multiple. Dartmouth is need-blind for all applicants, international students included. The mistake we see is late aid paperwork, since ED financial aid materials are due Nov 1, the same day as the application.
What to do this fall
- Submit ED financial aid materials by Nov 1, together with the application.
- Plan a fall retake if your student's SAT is below 1495; 1550 is the 75th percentile.
- Respond quickly to an alumni interview invitation; ED applicants should reply by mid-November.
- In the essays, show the circumstances your student has navigated, since Dartmouth says the whole person counts.
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Dartmouth College Admissions Statistics
| Applicant pool |
Applied |
Admitted |
Admit rate |
| All first-year applicants[1] |
28,230 |
1,699 |
6.0% |
| Early Decision[1] |
3,552 |
768 |
21.6% |
- Early Decision admits made up about 45% of all admitted students, so a large part of the class is filled before Regular Decision applications are read (ConnectPrep calculation from the figures above).
- The Early Decision admit rate is about 3.6 times the overall rate. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacy applicants, so the true advantage for a typical applicant is smaller.
- Yield, the share of admitted students who enrolled, was 70.9%.[1]
Testing and academic profile
| Academic profile of enrolled first-years |
Middle 50% or share |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing[1] |
720 to 770 |
| SAT Math[1] |
720 to 790 |
| SAT composite[1] |
1440 to 1550 |
| ACT composite[1] |
32 to 35 |
| Enrolled students who submitted the SAT[1] |
69% |
| Enrolled students who submitted the ACT[1] |
33% |
| Ranked in top 10% of high school class[1] |
96% |
ConnectPrep score target
Aim for 1550 on the SAT, the 75th percentile here, or 35 on the ACT. A higher score is always better, and the test can be retaken. Not there yet? Take a free practice test and we will build the plan to close the gap.
What Dartmouth College looks for
In its own words: Dartmouth says it practices holistic admissions in which 'the whole person counts,' along with the environmental factors each applicant navigates, and contextualized testing is one factor but never the primary one.[5]
Dartmouth College Application Deadlines 2026-2027
| Round |
Deadline |
Decision |
| Early Decision I |
Nov 1 |
mid-Dec |
| Regular Decision |
Jan 1 |
late Mar or early Apr |
Insider deadlines families miss
These scholarship, honors, program, interview and aid deadlines come from Dartmouth College’s own pages. Anything tagged Before RD is due before the Regular Decision deadline.
| Program or rule |
Deadline |
What to know |
| Financial aid (ED) |
Nov 1 (ED); Feb 1 (RD) |
ED financial aid materials are due Nov 1, the same day as the application, earlier than many peers.[3] |
| Alumni interview |
See note |
Optional alumni interviews are offered by invitation; respond by mid-November (ED) or January to February (RD).[3] |
See how Dartmouth College compares with other colleges in the Northeast deadlines database or the full 2026-2027 college application deadlines hub.
Dartmouth College Cost and Financial Aid
| Cost and aid |
Figure |
| Cost of attendance (2026-2027)[2] |
$98,427 |
| Tuition[2] |
$71,697 |
| First-years awarded need-based aid[1] |
49.5% |
| Average need-based scholarship or grant[1] |
$71,873 |
| Average total financial aid package[1] |
$73,208 |
| Average share of need met[1] |
100.0% |
Undergraduate on campus, three-term academic year: tuition $71,697, fees $2,157, housing $13,032, food $8,496, books $1,005, personal $2,040.[2]
- For a family that qualifies for need-based aid, the average grant would bring the $98,427 cost of attendance down to roughly $26,554 before loans and work-study. This is a ConnectPrep calculation for illustration; your student’s number depends on your family’s finances, so run the school’s net price calculator.
- Dartmouth College states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.[6]
- Aid packages are loan-free.[6]
- Families with total annual income below $125,000 (typical assets) have no expected parent contribution; families earning $125,000 to $175,000 (typical assets) may receive grants covering full tuition.[6]
- International students: 'Dartmouth practices need-blind admissions for all applicants, regardless of citizenship.'[7]
What families actually pay: net price by income
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus the average grants and scholarships for first-year students receiving aid, by family income. It comes from federal data, which runs a year or two behind the school’s current cost figures.[8]
| Family income |
Average net price per year |
| $0 to $30,000 |
$41 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 |
$489 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 |
$2,695 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 |
$8,534 |
| Over $110,000 |
$52,036 |
| All aided students |
$29,519 |
Academics and Majors at Dartmouth College
Most popular fields by share of bachelor’s degrees awarded[1]
- Social sciences30%
- Computer and information sciences10%
- Interdisciplinary studies9%
- Engineering8%
- Biological/life sciences7%
Signature programs
The D-Plan
Dartmouth's year-round quarter calendar gives students flexibility in choosing when they take classes and when they are on break, opening off-term internships and research.[9]
Universal need-blind, loan-free aid
Need-blind for all applicants regardless of citizenship, with 100% of need met and no required student loans.[6]
Special admission paths
- Early Decision (binding).
- Universal need-blind admission including international applicants.
Dartmouth College Retention and Graduation Rates
| Outcome |
Figure |
| First-year students who returned for sophomore year[1] |
98.0% |
| Graduated within four years[1] |
78.5% |
| Graduated within six years[1] |
95.3% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting college[8] |
$97,434 |
| Median federal loan debt of graduates[8] |
$17,500 |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants[8] |
14% |
Make Dartmouth College a realistic goal
ConnectPrep builds the full plan: the right round, a score target and test schedule, essays that sound like your student, and every scholarship and program deadline on one calendar. Start with a free consultation or a free practice test.
Compare Similar Colleges
Dartmouth College FAQs
What is the Dartmouth College acceptance rate?
Dartmouth College admitted 6.0% of first-year applicants (1,699 of 28,230), according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set. The Early Decision admit rate was 21.6%.
When are the Dartmouth College application deadlines for 2026-27?
For students entering in fall 2027: Early Decision I Nov 1; Regular Decision Jan 1.
How much does Dartmouth College cost?
The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $98,427. First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $71,873. The school states it meets 100% of demonstrated need.
What SAT score do you need for Dartmouth College?
The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1440 to 1550 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT. ConnectPrep advises aiming for 1550, the 75th percentile. Testing policy for fall 2027 entry: Required.
Is it easier to get into Dartmouth early decision?
Dartmouth admitted 21.6% of Early Decision applicants compared with 6.0% overall, about 3.6 times the overall rate. That ED pool is self-selected and often includes recruited athletes and legacies, so a typical applicant's edge is smaller than the raw numbers suggest. ED is binding and due Nov 1, with financial aid materials due the same day.
Is Dartmouth need-blind for international students?
Yes. Dartmouth practices need-blind admissions for all applicants, regardless of citizenship, and meets 100% of need without loans. Families with total annual income below $125,000 and typical assets have no expected parent contribution, and families earning $125,000 to $175,000 may receive grants covering full tuition.
About the author
Jeremy Fine
Jeremy Fine founded ConnectPrep in 2013 and brings more than 20 years of experience in education, spanning test preparation, college advising and academic program management. He holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh.
ConnectPrep is based in Westport, Connecticut, and works with students from kindergarten through graduate school, in person and online. Meet the team.
This profile is an independent ConnectPrep resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dartmouth College. Figures come from the sources listed above as published when checked in October 2026; the Common Data Set year is noted where used. Policies and costs change, so confirm with the school before applying.
