“People here believe that by examining the biggest, most powerful ideas in history, a student can learn not just how to think critically and solve problems but also to discover truth and, in that discovery, to find and embrace virtue.“
– Colleges That Change Lives
Explore campus, regional, and virtual ways to connect with Hillsdale.
Admissions Office
33 East College St.
Hillsdale, Michigan 49242
517⋅607⋅2327
admissions@hillsdale.edu
hillsdale.edu
⋅ National student body: 74% of students from outside of Michigan representing 49 other states, D.C., and 14 foreign countries
⋅ Student population is 50% men, 50% women
⋅ 96% freshman retention
⋅ Most popular programs: Business and Economics, Biology/Pre-Med, Pre-Law, English, History, and Politics
⋅ Room, Board, and Fees: $14,492 (residence hall double occupancy, 19 meals, 2023-2024)
⋅ 99% of students benefit from privately-funded financial aid packages.
⋅ Average gift aid: $23,903 (2023-2024)
- Independent, co-educational, residential, nonsectarian Christian, four-year liberal arts college founded in 1844.
- Located in south-central Michigan, Hillsdale draws a national student body to its rural campus.
- Hillsdale College offers rigorous academics and a distinctive core curriculum anchored in the Western Tradition, drawing upon the Greco-Roman culture and Judeo-Christian faith.
- All enrolled students sign Hillsdale’s Honor Code, pledging themselves to honor, honesty, duty, and respect, uniting what they learn about virtue in the classroom to its practice in daily life.
- Hillsdale was the first college in America to prohibit in its charter any discrimination based on race, religion or sex. It was the second college in the country to grant four-year degrees to women and an early force for the abolition of slavery.
- Hillsdale operates independently of federal and state funding, yet flourishes financially, thanks to the past and continuing generosity of supporters nationwide.
- Though Hillsdale is religiously unaffiliated, it identifies as Christian. Spiritual life is important to both faculty and students who come from a variety of faith backgrounds. All of the many ways to experience faith on campus reflect the lives and moral journeys of people seeking to understand their own beliefs.
- Unique courses in Hillsdale’s core curriculum include Western and American Heritage, Great Books in the Western Tradition, Great Books in the British and American Traditions, Classical Logic and Rhetoric, Western Philosophical Tradition, Western Theological Tradition, and the U.S. Constitution.
- Hillsdale conducts numerous outreach efforts promoting civil and religious liberty, including free, not-for-credit online courses, public lectures and lecture-series on campus and at the Washington, D.C.-based Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship, and Imprimis, a national speech digest with a circulation of more than 6 million.
- Hillsdale is regularly recognized nationally for quality and value, including recent rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review, Forbes, Colleges of Distinction, and Kiplinger’s.
- Student-to-faculty ratio is 8:1, the average class size is 14, and faculty teach all Hillsdale courses themselves — there are no teaching assistants.
- Of 168 full-time faculty, 90% hold the highest degree in their disciplines.
- All students benefit from core and major-level faculty advisors.
- Hillsdale’s faculty are recognized for excellent teaching and scholarship, as well as for having high expectations of their students. Students can meet these expectations by taking advantage of readily available office hours and by developing mentorship relationships with their teachers, which is common here.
- Students have the opportunity to spend a semester or more at Hillsdale’s Washington, D.C. hub, the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship. Students can opt to take core courses while living in D.C., or participate in for-credit internships at places like the U.S. House and Senate, the White House, national security agencies, policy organizations, news outlets, and private companies.
- Study abroad options are formally available in France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, England, and Scotland. Custom programs can also be arranged.
Majors
Accounting
Applied Mathematics
Art
Biochemistry
Biology
Chemistry
Classics
Economics
English
Exercise Science
Financial Management
French
German
Greek
History
Latin
Marketing
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Philosophy and Religion
Physical Education
Physics
Politics
Psychology
Religion
Rhetoric and Media
Spanish
Sport Management
Sport Psychology
Theatre
Interdisciplinary Programs
American Studies
International Studies in Business and Foreign Language
Political Economy
Sociology and Social Thought
Pre-Professional and Special Programs
Allied Health Sciences
Dentistry
Education
Engineering
Herbert H. Dow II Program in American Journalism
Law (Pre-Law) Pre Law
Medicine and Osteopathy (Pre-Med)
Pharmacy
Veterinary Medicine (Pre-Vet) Pre Vet
Minors
Art History
Classical Education
Computer Science
Dance
Early Childhood Education
Entrepreneurship
General Business
Graphic Design
Journalism
Military History and Grand Strategy
Military Leadership
- Most students live on campus in 14 single-sex residence halls and seven Greek houses.
- Hillsdale offers 14 NCAA Division II varsity athletic teams, as well as 13 club sports and 10 intramurals.
- There are scores of clubs, organizations, honoraries, and other activities to join at Hillsdale. Some of the most popular include Spiritual Life, Greek Life, Competitive Speaking, and the Performing Arts.
- All student organizations are led by students and approved by the Student Federation. New clubs and organizations are invariably started annually based upon student interest.
- Volunteerism is an important part of campus culture for Hillsdale students, with thousands of volunteer hours logged each year through student-led G.O.A.L. service and other programs.
- Students take advantage of the many all-campus events sponsored by the Student Activities Board, like Garden Party, Homecoming, President’s Ball, and Centralhallapalooza year-end celebration.
14 NCAA Division II varsity athletic teams, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference:
Men’s Varsity
Baseball
Basketball
Cross-Country
Football
Golf
Tennis
Track & Field
Women’s Varsity
Basketball
Cross-Country
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
- Hillsdale grads are prepared not only to live well, but to pursue their vocations. Within six months of graduation, 98% are employed or attending graduate school.
- Hillsdale graduates recently went on to pursue graduate study at institutions like Boston College, Cornell University, Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University, Purdue University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, and others.
- Hillsdale graduates were recently hired by Amazon Studios, Boy Scouts of America, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Intel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lockheed Martin, National Review, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the United States Senate, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and others.
- The average transcript shows a record of advanced coursework with a mid-range GPA of 3.95-4.0.
- Mid-range ACT composite score is 30-33.
- Mid-range SAT composite score is 1352-1490.