More selective than 49% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $55,646. College Scorecard.
Higher than 94% of Michigan colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 73% of Michigan colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Hope College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,206 applicants, Hope College admitted 3,949 and 834 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1100–1340 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Hope 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
What Hope College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Hope College took 4.2 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 Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,606 | $73,417 | 2.9 years |
| $30–48k | $16,590 | $69,180 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $18,206 | $75,919 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $25,017 | $104,321 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $32,754 | $136,584 | 5.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (69% 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 ($58,427) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,016 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.
Hope College majors, earnings & careers
Hope College offers 41 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Hope College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $92,116 | — |
| Accounting | $86,253 | $27,000 |
| Engineering | $82,513 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $75,738 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $65,755 | $26,000 |
| Political Science | $62,936 | $24,499 |
| Communications | $55,166 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $54,538 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 41 majors
- Accounting$86,253
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$54,538
- Business Administration$65,755
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$55,166
- Computer and Information Sciences$92,116
- Dance—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,469
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,627
- Engineering$82,513
- English$47,445
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,340
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$39,470
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$75,738
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$62,936
- Psychology$52,980
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$49,587
- Sociology$50,222
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$53,328
- Special Education—
- 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 →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Grand Rapids
Overall prices in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,546. Housing costs 13% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 35 inches of rain a year, 75 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Ottawa County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ottawa County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Hope College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hope College | 79% | $27,182 | 80% | $58,427 | This school |
| Calvin University | 71% | $22,992 | 74% | $58,375 | |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 75% | $15,232 | 67% | $71,030 | |
| Kettering University | 79% | $34,660 | 71% | $94,823 | |
| Kalamazoo College | 75% | $19,072 | 76% | $65,590 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Hope College would cost you $4,190 more per year than Calvin University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Hope College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,620).
- Calvin University gives aided families $2,766 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | Hope College | Calvin University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $41,970 | $39,350 | +$2,620 |
| Books & supplies | $1,150 | $1,300 | −$150 |
| Housing & meals | $12,180 | $11,950 | +$230 |
| Personal & travel | $2,040 | $3,000 | −$960 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,694 | −$1,378 | −$316 |
| Sticker price | $55,646 | $54,222 | +$1,424 |
| Average grants | −$28,464 | −$31,230 | +$2,766 |
| You pay | $27,182 | $22,992 | +$4,190 |
“+” means Hope 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 Hope College
What is the Hope College acceptance rate?
Hope College accepts 79% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,949 of 5,206 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1100–1340 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
How much does Hope College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $55,646 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,182 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,606 and families earning $110k+ pay $32,754.
How much do Hope College graduates earn?
Former Hope College students earn a median $58,427 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Hope College graduation rate?
80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year.
How long does a Hope College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Hope College costs about $75,919 after grants ($18,206 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $58,427 ten years after starting, $25,016 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 3.0 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: “Hope College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/hope-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).