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Hood College
Most applicants get into Hood College — 77.8% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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Hood College sits in Frederick proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
Its highest-earning path is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, where graduates median $92,955 four years out. Faculty pay averages $100,332 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 1,194 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 68% of first-years come back for a second year.
Hood College won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
Hood College does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 77.8% who got into Hood College did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Hood College received 3,287 applications and admitted 2,568 (78.1%), with 303 enrolling.
How Hood College compares
| Hood College | Maryland median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 77.8% | 76.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $47,700 | $13,588 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $57,089 | $61,797 | $53,781 |
Ten years out, Hood College's median earnings are $57,089 — below the Maryland benchmark of $61,797. Weigh that against the $47,700 price above; the by-major table shows majors drive much of this gap.
Cost, size & completion
Hood College lists tuition at $47,700 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Hood College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $47,700 as the ceiling, not the bill.
With 1,194 undergraduates, Hood College is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
56.9% graduate within six years. Roughly 43% don't — ask a Hood College tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at Hood College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $92,955 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $78,503 |
| Psychology, General | $65,110 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $60,022 |
| Biology, General | $53,886 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $50,200 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $50,126 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $44,411 |
Median earnings for these 8 Hood College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $57,089 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 27 additional Hood College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Hood College?
Hood College doesn't look at test scores; its 77.8% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is Hood College's acceptance rate?
78.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,568 admitted from 3,287 applicants.
How much does Hood College cost?
At Hood College, published tuition is $47,700 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Hood College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Hood College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $57,089 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Maryland
- Goucher College — 77.7% admitted
- Loyola University Maryland — 75.5% admitted
- University of Maryland-Baltimore County — 72.4% admitted
- Maryland Institute College of Art — 76.8% 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.