College Profiles/ Smith College
College Profile · Fall 2027 Entry
Smith College Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Cost, Financial Aid and Deadlines
Northampton, MA · 2,549 undergraduates. Everything families need to apply to Smith 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
Smith College admitted 21.0% of 8,666 first-year applicants in the 2024-2025 Common Data Set.[1] Early Decision applicants were admitted at 38.2%.[1] The middle 50% SAT range for enrolled first-years is 1450 to 1520.[1] The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $102,668.[2] First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $67,599.[1] For fall 2027 entry, deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 15, Early Decision II Jan 5, Regular Decision Jan 15.[3]
21.0%
Overall admit rate[1]
38.2%
Early Decision admit rate[1]
1450 to 1520
Middle 50% SAT[1]
$102,668
Cost of attendance, 2026-2027[2]
$67,599
Average need-based grant[1]
Smith College at a Glance
- Location
- Northampton, MA
- Type
- Private nonprofit
- Student to faculty ratio
- 8:1[5]
- Endowment
- $2.6 billion (federal data)[4]
- SAT/ACT, fall 2027
- Optional[3]
- Application
- Common App, Coalition (Scoir)[3]
- First-year retention
- 94.0%[1]
The ConnectPrep Take on Smith College
The ConnectPrep take
Smith's Common Data Set rates five factors as very important: rigor, GPA, the essay, recommendations and character, and it lists the interview as important. Smith says it looks at the whole applicant, does not rely on a test score to define potential, and wants motivation, determination and curiosity. Smith is a women's college that considers any applicant who self-identifies as a woman. The admit rate is 21.0%, and ED raises it: 38.2% of 924 ED applicants were admitted, about 1.8 times the overall rate, though early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies. Smith has been test optional since 2009; with a middle 50% SAT of 1450 to 1520, submit at 1485 or above. Merit awards come only at admission, automatically. The mistake we see is skipping the optional interview, which Smith rates as an important factor.
What to do this fall
- Request an interview through the applicant status portal right after submitting the application.
- Use ED I on Nov 15 or ED II on Jan 5 if Smith is your student's first choice.
- Send an SAT of 1485 or higher, and retest toward 1520 if time allows.
- If submitting an art supplement, start it in SlideRoom by Feb 1 and finish it by Feb 15.
Applying to Smith College? Get a free strategy session. We map your student’s round, testing plan, essays and every scholarship deadline for this school.
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Smith College Admissions Statistics
| Applicant pool |
Applied |
Admitted |
Admit rate |
| All first-year applicants[1] |
8,666 |
1,820 |
21.0% |
| Early Decision[1] |
924 |
353 |
38.2% |
- Early Decision admits made up about 19% 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 1.8 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 35.4%.[1]
- 1,531 students were offered a waitlist spot, 803 accepted one, and 43 were admitted from it.[1]
Testing and academic profile
| Academic profile of enrolled first-years |
Middle 50% or share |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing[1] |
720 to 760 |
| SAT Math[1] |
700 to 780 |
| SAT composite[1] |
1450 to 1520 |
| ACT composite[1] |
32 to 35 |
| Enrolled students who submitted the SAT[1] |
29% |
| Enrolled students who submitted the ACT[1] |
14% |
| Ranked in top 10% of high school class[1] |
79% |
ConnectPrep score target
Aim for 1520 on the SAT, the 75th percentile here, or 35 on the ACT. When testing is optional, we generally advise submitting scores at or above about 1480, the middle of the range. 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 Smith College looks for
Rated “very important” by Smith College: Rigor of secondary school record, Academic GPA, Application Essay, Recommendation(s), Character/personal qualities.[1]Rated “important”: Class rank, Interview, Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability.[1]
In its own words: Smith says it looks at the whole applicant and does not rely on a test score to define potential, and its board of admission looks for motivation, determination and curiosity. Smith is a women's college that considers any applicant who self-identifies as a woman, including cis, trans, and nonbinary women.[6]
Smith College Application Deadlines 2026-2027
| Round |
Deadline |
Decision |
| Early Decision I |
Nov 15 |
mid-Dec (ED I); late Jan (ED II) |
| Early Decision II |
Jan 5 |
|
| Regular Decision |
Jan 15 |
late Mar |
Insider deadlines families miss
These scholarship, honors, program, interview and aid deadlines come from Smith College’s own pages. Anything tagged Before RD is due before the Regular Decision deadline.
| Program or rule |
Deadline |
What to know |
| CSS Profile, FAFSA, IDOC |
Nov 15 (ED I); Jan 6 (ED II); Jan 25 (RD) |
Labeled for the 2027-28 aid process. Requires the CSS Profile (code 3762), FAFSA and 2025 parent tax returns via IDOC or Smith's portal.[7] |
| Merit awards (Zollman, STRIDE, Presidential) |
See note |
Merit awards are made only at admission, and every applicant is considered automatically. Zollman is half tuition, STRIDE $22,500 a year, Presidential $12,000 a year. Merit counts against need-based grants.[7] |
| Art supplement (SlideRoom) |
Feb 1 (start); Feb 15 (complete) |
Optional SlideRoom portfolio accepted Aug 1 to Feb 1; portfolios started by Feb 1 must be completed by Feb 15 or they are not reviewed.[3] |
| Optional interview |
See note |
Interviews are optional. Request instructions appear in the applicant status portal after you submit the application.[3] |
See how Smith College compares with other colleges in the Northeast deadlines database or the full 2026-2027 college application deadlines hub.
Smith College Cost and Financial Aid
| Cost and aid |
Figure |
| Cost of attendance (2026-2027)[2] |
$102,668 |
| Tuition[2] |
$70,460 |
| First-years awarded need-based aid[1] |
59.7% |
| Average need-based scholarship or grant[1] |
$67,599 |
| Average total financial aid package[1] |
$68,254 |
| Average share of need met[1] |
100.0% |
| Merit (non-need) awards to first-years[1] |
28 students, average $23,348 |
Domestic resident student, including tuition, food and housing, student activities fee, health insurance (waivable for domestic students), books, transportation, and personal expenses.[2]
- For a family that qualifies for need-based aid, the average grant would bring the $102,668 cost of attendance down to roughly $35,069 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.
- Smith College states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.[2]
- Aid packages are loan-free.[2]
- Under The Next 150 Pledge, beginning fall 2026, tuition is free and aid packages carry no loans for undergraduates whose families make up to $150,000 a year with typical assets.[2]
- International students: Smith states that it meets the full documented need of all admitted students who apply for aid by the published deadlines.[8]
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.[4]
| Family income |
Average net price per year |
| $0 to $30,000 |
$1,363 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 |
$3,737 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 |
$6,559 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 |
$11,750 |
| Over $110,000 |
$40,477 |
| All aided students |
$27,579 |
Academics and Majors at Smith College
Most popular fields by share of bachelor’s degrees awarded[1]
- Social sciences15%
- Biological/life sciences11%
- Psychology9%
- Visual and performing arts9%
- Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics8%
Signature programs
Five College Consortium
Smith is a member of the Five College Consortium, whose member institutions collaborate to offer students resources and opportunities none could achieve individually.[5]
Smith study abroad programs
About 35 percent of Smith juniors study abroad each year, including in Smith's own programs in Florence, Geneva, Hamburg, and Paris.[5]
Self-governing house system
Students live in 41 self-governing house communities rather than conventional dorms.[5]
The Next 150 Pledge
Free tuition for families earning up to $150,000 and loan-free aid packages that meet 100 percent of demonstrated need.[2]
Ada Comstock Scholars
A separate applicant category at Smith, with its own requirements, deadlines, and financial aid.[9]
Choosing a major and getting in
Smith offers over 1,200 courses in more than 80 areas of study.[5]
Special admission paths
- Early Decision I and Early Decision II.[9]
- QuestBridge partner.[9]
- Ada Comstock Scholars applicant category.[9]
Smith College Retention and Graduation Rates
| Outcome |
Figure |
| First-year students who returned for sophomore year[1] |
94.0% |
| Graduated within four years[1] |
69.8% |
| Graduated within six years[1] |
89.0% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting college[4] |
$64,027 |
| Median federal loan debt of graduates[4] |
$17,550 |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants[4] |
18% |
Make Smith 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.
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Smith College FAQs
What is the Smith College acceptance rate?
Smith College admitted 21.0% of first-year applicants (1,820 of 8,666), according to its 2024-2025 Common Data Set. The Early Decision admit rate was 38.2%.
When are the Smith College application deadlines for 2026-27?
For students entering in fall 2027: Early Decision I Nov 15; Early Decision II Jan 5; Regular Decision Jan 15.
How much does Smith College cost?
The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $102,668. First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $67,599. The school states it meets 100% of demonstrated need.
What SAT score do you need for Smith College?
The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1450 to 1520 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT. ConnectPrep advises aiming for 1520, the 75th percentile. Testing policy for fall 2027 entry: Optional.
How do merit scholarships work at Smith?
Merit awards are made only at admission, and every applicant is considered automatically. Zollman is half tuition, STRIDE is $22,500 a year, and Presidential is $12,000 a year. Merit counts against need-based grants, so for aided families it may change the mix of aid more than the total.
What is Smith's Next 150 Pledge?
Beginning fall 2026, tuition is free and aid packages carry no loans for undergraduates whose families make up to $150,000 a year with typical assets. Smith meets 100 percent of demonstrated need. The CSS Profile and FAFSA are due Nov 15 for ED I, Jan 6 for ED II, and Jan 25 for Regular Decision.
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 Smith 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.
