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Hope College
Hope College says yes to 79.2% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $58,427 median earnings.
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Hope College sits in Holland proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its Reformed Church in America affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Computer and Information Sciences, General, where graduates median $92,116 four years out. 16.5% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 3,288 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 88.4% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1090 and 1310 — above the MI middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Hope College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Hope College received 5,206 applications and admitted 3,949 (75.9%), with 834 enrolling.
Hope College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1090–1310 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically Hope College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 550 | 610 | 660 |
| SAT Math | 540 | 590 | 650 |
| ACT Composite | 26 | 29 | 31 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Hope College compares
| Hope College | Michigan median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 79.2% | 79.6% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $41,970 | $24,944 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $58,427 | $54,739 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Hope College: $58,427 median at year ten, versus $54,739 across Michigan institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $41,970 regardless of where you're from. At Hope College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
At 3,288 undergrads, Hope College is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
80% of Hope College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 25.1 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $41,970 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Hope College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $92,116 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $86,253 |
| Engineering, General | $82,513 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $75,738 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $65,755 |
| Political Science and Government | $62,936 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $55,166 |
| Biology, General | $54,538 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $53,340 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $53,328 |
| Psychology, General | $52,980 |
| Sociology | $50,222 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $49,627 |
| Social Work | $49,587 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $49,469 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $47,445 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $39,470 |
Median earnings for these 17 Hope College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $58,427 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 24 additional Hope College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Hope College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1090–1310 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 79.2% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Hope College's acceptance rate?
75.9% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 3,949 admitted from 5,206 applicants.
How much does Hope College cost?
At Hope College, published tuition is $41,970 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Hope College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Hope College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $58,427 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Michigan
- Grand Valley State University — 83% admitted
- Kalamazoo College — 75.3% admitted
- Cornerstone University — 77.8% admitted
- Kettering University — 78.7% 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.