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Dickinson College
Dickinson College admits a bit under 50% of applicants; strong grades put you in the conversation at Dickinson College, and the data below says what "strong" means.
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Dickinson College sits in Carlisle proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. International students are a visible presence here — 12% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is International Business, where graduates median $84,990 four years out. 12.8% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 2,273 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 92% of first-years come back for a second year.
The rest of this page puts figures to that sketch.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Dickinson College received 7,185 applications and admitted 3,095 (43.1%), with 525 enrolling.
How Dickinson College compares
| Dickinson College | Pennsylvania median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 42.1% | 82% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $65,650 | $33,730 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $70,204 | $62,101 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Dickinson College: $70,204 median at year ten, versus $62,101 across Pennsylvania institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $65,650 regardless of where you're from. At Dickinson College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
At 2,273 undergrads, Dickinson College is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
79.8% of Dickinson College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 24.9 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $65,650 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Dickinson College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| International Business | $84,990 |
| Economics | $78,378 |
| Area Studies | $63,874 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $62,570 |
| Political Science and Government | $59,834 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $59,045 |
| Psychology, General | $58,706 |
| History | $57,699 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $57,603 |
| Biology, General | $57,103 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $54,597 |
Median earnings for these 11 Dickinson College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $70,204 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 28 additional Dickinson College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dickinson College's acceptance rate?
43.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 3,095 admitted from 7,185 applicants.
How much does Dickinson College cost?
At Dickinson College, published tuition is $65,650 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Dickinson College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Dickinson College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $70,204 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Pennsylvania
- Gettysburg College — 38.9% admitted
- Alvernia University — 58.1% admitted
- Allegheny College — 54.6% admitted
- Lancaster Bible College — 55.9% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.