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Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College

Hillsdale, MI · 1.6k students

SelectivePrivateTownGraduateCampus-basedhillsdale.edu
37.0/100

Trajecta score

+4.6 since '20

Ranked #1513 of 2,375

5-year trend

'20'24

66.9 · #102

2020

70.3 · #62

2021

71.8 · #61

2022

71.6 · #63

2023

71.5 · #64

2024

AcademicSuccessInvest.Access

Academic Profile

80/ 100

Student Success

85/ 100

Academic Investment

67/ 100

Access & Equity

50/ 100

Academic Profile

80

Career Outcomes

Student Success

85

Affordability

Academic Investment

67

Access & Equity

50

AI Fit Analysis

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Cost / Net Price

/

SAT Avg

1,415

Retention

97%

Grad Rate

87%

Admissions

21%admission rate
EliteH.SelSelectiveModerateOpen

Test Scores

SAT Range1,415
4001000120014001600
25th: 1,320Average: 1,41575th: 1,490
ACT Range32
118243036
25th: 30Midpoint: 3275th: 33

Scores represent the midpoint of enrolled students, not a cutoff.

Finances

Tuition

In-State Tuition

$33,189

per year

Out-of-State Tuition

$33,189

per year

Aid & Debt

Pell Grant Share

0%

undergraduates receiving Pell

Federal Loan Share

0%

students borrowing

Supplemental Essays · 2026-27

school's admissions site ↗

Hillsdale College essay prompts

Classical liberal arts curriculum

Required250 words

Students at Hillsdale College enroll in a multidisciplinary classical liberal arts core curriculum which takes nearly half of their four years. Explain your interest in this educational approach.

Who you hope to become

Required250 words

As a result of your experiences at Hillsdale, who do you hope to become?

Faith and the pursuit of truth

Required250 words

The pursuit of truth leads to eternal questions, including the question of God. What role do you see faith playing in your learning at Hillsdale?

Influential event, work, or experience

RequiredChoose 1650 words

Discuss how an event or circumstance, literary or artistic work, or personal experience has significantly influenced your life.

Something done for you or inherited

RequiredChoose 1650 words

Reflect on something that has been done for you, or something you have inherited, and how that has affected or motivated you.

Someone you admire

RequiredChoose 1650 words

Tell us how the influence of someone you admire has become a part of who you are.

A time you were wrong

RequiredChoose 1650 words

Think on a time when you were wrong. How did you respond, and did that experience change you?

Something you are passionate about

RequiredChoose 1650 words

What is something you feel passionate about, and why?

Drafting these? Write them with AI feedback in Trajecta →

Methodology

How these rankings work

The Trajecta Score (0–100) blends six dimensions of public college data into one comparable number, then nudges it by how much data each school reports. Selectivity tiers are separate — they’re based purely on a school’s admission rate.

Read the full methodology

Selectivity tiers

EliteUnder 10% admit rate
Highly Selective10–20% admit rate
Selective20–40% admit rate
Moderate40–65% admit rate
Open65%+ admit rate

Score dimensions & weights

Career Outcomes25%

Median earnings 10 years out, earnings vs. a high-school grad, and loan repayment.

Academic Profile22%

Admission selectivity and the incoming class’s SAT / ACT scores.

Affordability15%

Average net price after aid and the typical debt of graduates.

Student Success13%

Graduation rate and first-year retention.

Academic Investment12%

Instructional spending and faculty salaries per student.

Access10%

Share of Pell-grant students and reliance on federal loans.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and IPEDS. Figures are the most recent reported and may lag a year or two. This tool is read-only and not personalized — inside the Trajecta app, scores are tailored to your profile as a fit score.

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