More selective than 88% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $82,902. College Scorecard.
Higher than 85% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 82% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Dickinson College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,185 applicants, Dickinson College admitted 3,095 and 525 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1460 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Dickinson College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Dickinson College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Dickinson College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $40,755 | $168,318 | 4.9 years |
| $30–48k | $15,081 | $62,285 | 1.8 years |
| $48–75k | $16,316 | $67,385 | 2.0 years |
| $75–110k | $22,696 | $93,734 | 2.7 years |
| $110k+ | $45,175 | $186,573 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (73% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($70,204) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $34,407 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Dickinson College majors, earnings & careers
Dickinson College offers 39 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at Dickinson College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| International Business | $84,990 | $19,000 |
| Economics | $78,378 | $19,000 |
| Area Studies | $63,874 | $19,802 |
| International Relations | $62,570 | $19,000 |
| Political Science | $59,834 | $19,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $59,045 | $19,000 |
| Psychology | $58,706 | $19,000 |
| History | $57,699 | $19,000 |
Quick list of all 39 majors
- Anthropology—
- Archeology—
- Area Studies$63,874
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$57,103
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Data Analytics—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$78,378
- English$57,603
- Environmental Science / Conservation$54,597
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History$57,699
- International Business$84,990
- International Relations$62,570
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Mathematics—
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$59,834
- Psychology$58,706
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$59,045
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Harrisburg
Overall prices in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,598. Housing costs 4% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 28 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cumberland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cumberland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Dickinson College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson College | 42% | $37,607 | 80% | $70,204 | This school |
| Gettysburg College | 39% | $31,490 | 83% | $71,517 | |
| Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster | 41% | $42,478 | 69% | $86,881 | |
| Lafayette College | 31% | $34,433 | 88% | $91,410 | |
| Moravian University | 54% | $30,670 | 72% | $61,860 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Dickinson College would cost you $6,117 more per year than Gettysburg College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Dickinson College, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$970).
- Gettysburg College gives aided families $5,175 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Dickinson College | Gettysburg College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $65,650 | $66,640 | −$990 |
| Books & supplies | $1,324 | $1,000 | +$324 |
| Housing & meals | $16,500 | $15,530 | +$970 |
| Personal & travel | $1,928 | $1,200 | +$728 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,500 | −$2,410 | −$90 |
| Sticker price | $82,902 | $81,960 | +$942 |
| Average grants | −$45,295 | −$50,470 | +$5,175 |
| You pay | $37,607 | $31,490 | +$6,117 |
“+” means Dickinson College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Dickinson College
What is the Dickinson College acceptance rate?
Dickinson College accepts 42% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,095 of 7,185 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1460 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
How much does Dickinson College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $82,902 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $37,607 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $40,755 and families earning $110k+ pay $45,175.
How much do Dickinson College graduates earn?
Former Dickinson College students earn a median $70,204 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Dickinson College graduation rate?
80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 92% return for their second year.
How long does a Dickinson College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Dickinson College costs about $67,385 after grants ($16,316 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $70,204 ten years after starting, $34,407 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 2.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Dickinson College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/dickinson-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).