Dartmouth College: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Dartmouth College is a private nonprofit college in Hanover, NH. Students pay about $29,519 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $97,434 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.7 years and adds $371,764 over a decade, ranking it #26 of 918 (top 4%) by value added.
What is Dartmouth College's acceptance rate?
Dartmouth College has an acceptance rate of 5.4%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Hanover, NH enrolling about 4,541 students, with a 95.8% graduation rate.
How much does Dartmouth College cost?
Dartmouth College costs about $29,519 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $135,576. Published sticker cost of attendance is $87,793 per year.
How much do Dartmouth College graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Dartmouth College student earns $97,434 per year. That is $50,734 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Dartmouth College worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Dartmouth College pays back its roughly $135,576 cost in about 2.7 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $371,764 net of cost, a 3.74x return on the money invested. That ranks it #26 of 918 (top 4%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Dartmouth College graduation rate and student debt
95.8% of Dartmouth College students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $17,500 in federal student debt. That debt is about 18% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Dartmouth College by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Dartmouth College compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $29,519 | $20,299 | cheaper than 18% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $97,434 | $54,768 | 97th |
| Graduation rate | 95.8% | 57.0% | 99th |
| Acceptance rate | 5.4% | 75.7% | more selective than 99% |
| 10-yr value added | $371,764 | -$28,192 | 97th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.74x | 0.73x | 94th |
| Payback period | 2.7 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 92% |
How Dartmouth College compares with its nearest rivals
Dartmouth College ranks #26 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 4 of them cost less per year and 1 of them produces higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Dartmouth College is a private nonprofit college in Hanover, NH with 4,541 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $87,793 a year, but the average aided family pays $29,519, a 66% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $17,500, equal to 18% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Dartmouth College: 5.4% of applicants are admitted.
- California State University Maritime Academy (Vallejo, CA; #25 of 918; 63.3% graduate) costs $8,964 less per year ($20,555 net), and its graduates earn $2,650 less ten years out ($94,784). California State University Maritime Academy adds $1,891 more ten-year value than Dartmouth College. California State University Maritime Academy pays back its cost in 2.2 years.
- Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO; #27 of 918; 80.9% graduate) costs $829 less per year ($28,690 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($97,335). Dartmouth College adds $3,174 more ten-year value than Colorado School of Mines. Colorado School of Mines pays back its cost in 2.7 years.
- University of Chicago (Chicago, IL; #24 of 918; 95.4% graduate) costs $14,659 less per year ($14,860 net), and its graduates earn $5,549 less ten years out ($91,885). University of Chicago adds $5,646 more ten-year value than Dartmouth College. University of Chicago pays back its cost in 1.6 years.
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA; #28 of 918; 89.1% graduate) costs $13,552 more per year ($43,071 net), and its graduates earn $6,036 more ten years out ($103,470). Dartmouth College adds $3,348 more ten-year value than Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Worcester Polytechnic Institute pays back its cost in 3.5 years.
- SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, NY; #23 of 918; 69.5% graduate) costs $7,152 less per year ($22,367 net), and its graduates earn $1,483 less ten years out ($95,951). SUNY Maritime College adds $8,028 more ten-year value than Dartmouth College. SUNY Maritime College pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY Maritime College | #23 | $22,367 | $95,951 | 69.5% | $379,792 |
| University of Chicago | #24 | $14,860 | $91,885 | 95.4% | $377,410 |
| California State University Maritime Academy | #25 | $20,555 | $94,784 | 63.3% | $373,655 |
| Dartmouth College | #26 | $29,519 | $97,434 | 95.8% | $371,764 |
| Colorado School of Mines | #27 | $28,690 | $97,335 | 80.9% | $368,590 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | #28 | $43,071 | $103,470 | 89.1% | $368,416 |
Paying for Dartmouth College
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Dartmouth College worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Dartmouth College ranks #26 of 918 (top 4%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.74x the money invested over a decade.
Is Dartmouth College expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $29,519 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 18% of them.
Do Dartmouth College graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $97,434 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 97% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Dartmouth College compared to other colleges?
Its 5.4% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 99% of the colleges in the snapshot.
Join the college data list
We have not started sending yet; we will only email when we do. No spam.
Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.