Dartmouth Ranking – Introduction
Based on Dartmouth’s course offerings, student programming, and strong alumni base, it’s no surprise that the Dartmouth ranking puts the school among the top institutions in the United States. Dartmouth College frequently appears on prestigious national college rankings lists. This includes the Forbes college rankings, US News college rankings, and Wall Street Journal college rankings. In this article, we’ll walk you through the Dartmouth rankings and other Ivy League rankings. We’ll also discuss how to understand the college ranking process as a whole. That way, you can decide whether or not Dartmouth deserves to be on your college list.
About Dartmouth
Dartmouth College was founded in 1769 in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth College is one of the premier academic institutions in the world, and the Dartmouth ranking on national college lists highlights the school’s prestige. As one of the distinguished Ivy League colleges, Dartmouth College offers 40 academic programs and 60 college majors. Dartmouth College provides a rigorous academic environment, and many students participate in research during their undergraduate years. Beyond academics, Dartmouth College is known for having a bustling student life atmosphere. According to US News, 90% of students live on campus and more than 60% of students join a Greek organization.
In addition to its rigorous academic and research-intensive programming, Dartmouth is also known for its notable alumni. Dartmouth alumni include Theodor Geisel (well-known as Dr. Seuss), show creator Shonda Rhimes, and former U.S. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner.
What is Dartmouth ranked nationally?
According to the US News college rankings, Dartmouth College is currently ranked #12 among National Universities. With an overall score of 89 out of 100, the high Dartmouth College ranking stems from a variety of factors. These include student outcomes (such as graduation rate and job placement), expert ratings, and faculty resources.
Overall, Dartmouth College ratings are high amongst experts and current students in various areas. US News notes that the Darmouth College ranking falls within the top ten of all universities in several categories. These include: Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Undergraduate Teaching, Best Value Schools, and Learning Communities. If you value one of the categories found within the Dartmouth College rankings, then you might consider adding Dartmouth College to your college list.
Is Dartmouth a top-ten school?
The Dartmouth College ranking is considerably high—often near the top of college ranking lists. That said, according to various high-profile national college ranking lists such as the Forbes college rankings, US News college rankings, and Wall Street Journal college rankings, Dartmouth would not be considered a top ten school.
Currently, the Dartmouth ranking in US News is #12, the Dartmouth ranking in Forbes is #16, and the Dartmouth ranking in Wall Street Journal is #13. While the Dartmouth College rankings in these publications are beyond the top ten mark, you should not just look at college rankings when crafting a college list.
Dartmouth Ivy League Ranking
Even though it is not a top-ten school, Dartmouth still has plenty of prestige as a member of the Ivy League. Ivy League schools are considered some of the most competitive institutions in the world.
The Ivy League includes eight private northeastern universities: Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Cornell University, and Columbia University. Dartmouth College is considered to be the smallest Ivy League institution, with less than 6800 students. The Dartmouth College ranking within the Ivy League rankings is very competitive, despite its smaller size.
Each year, various college ranking lists publish Ivy League rankings. You will see Ivy League rankings on various sites, but some are more reliable than others. Therefore, when searching the web, make sure you refer to the most reliable sources. These include the US News college rankings, Forbes college rankings, and Wall Street Journal college rankings.
Similar to national college rankings, Ivy League rankings are calculated based on a variety of factors. These include academic standing, financial outcomes, and career earnings. The high Dartmouth College ranking within the Ivy League rankings results from its small 7:1 student-teacher ratio. The university’s commitment to off-campus programming and opportunities that allow students to get hands-on experience in their fields of study also contributes.
Do you want to know more about Ivy League institutions? Check out this Ivy League Guide.
Exploring College Rankings
As you build your college list, you should understand the value of the college ranking. National college rankings lists make sure to not only list the overall college ranking; they also publish rankings based on specific criteria including college type, region, and academic program. Therefore, it’s critical to do your research beyond the general ranking of each school. Instead, you should look for the rankings for your intended program of study, regional preference, and college size.
For instance, the Dartmouth ranking is #12 overall, but specific programs perform better or worse than the Dartmouth ranking overall. For instance, the Dartmouth College ranking for Management in Business is #6 out of all schools. In comparison, the Dartmouth College ranking for Computer Science is #48 out of all schools. So, the Dartmouth College ranking for Computer Science is considerably lower than the overall school ranking and the business school ranking. Therefore, if a computer science major is considering Dartmouth, then they may want to consider otherwise based on the Dartmouth College ranking for computer science.
What is the most reliable source for Dartmouth College ranking?
You can find many different sources for national college rankings online, but finding the most reliable sources for national college rankings is important. Three of the most reliable sources to search for a school’s college ranking are the US News college rankings, Forbes college rankings, and Wall Street Journal college rankings.
These are the most trusted sources because they use a variety of data points and primary sources to determine a college ranking. Furthermore, each site lists the distinct methodology that it uses to calculate its final ratings. That way, students have the most accurate and relevant information when curating their college list.
Dartmouth Ranking vs. Amherst Ranking
If you’re considering Dartmouth College, you may want to add Amherst College to your college list. Amherst College is a small liberal arts college in Amherst, MA. The Forbes college rankings currently list Amherst College at #11. Currently, Darmouth’s ranking in Forbes is #16.
As we’ve discussed, overall national college rankings are important. However, some consider Amherst to be a better value, better liberal arts college, and better undergraduate teaching experience according to the US News college rankings. In comparison, the Dartmouth ranking is higher in offering learning communities, providing study abroad opportunities, and giving a better experience to veterans.
View this guide to learn more about comparing colleges.
Dartmouth College Ranking Trends
When observing Dartmouth College rankings across the internet, it’s important to identify any major trends. While Dartmouth College rankings may be different across different platforms, noticing commonalities in Dartmouth rankings can provide a clearer picture of the college for a prospective student.
When comparing Dartmouth College ratings across the three major sources, US News, Forbes, and Wall Street Journal, you’ll notice that the Dartmouth ranking remains in the top 20 regarding best value. The high Dartmouth ranking in this area highlights how the school offers students an amazing education for an affordable price. In Dartmouth’s case, this ranking stems in large part from the school’s robust financial aid programs. So, depending on your family’s income level, Dartmouth may or may not be affordable for you. This makes it important to think about the Dartmouth ranking within its broader context.
Another trend is the overall Dartmouth ranking. Across each ranking source, the Dartmouth ranking is fairly consistent. The Dartmouth ranking in US News is #12, the Dartmouth ranking in Forbes is #16, and the Dartmouth ranking in Wall Street Journal is #13. So, the consistently high Dartmouth ranking may add validity to its placement as a top 20 school.
Dartmouth Rankings & Building Your College List
As we’ve discussed, the Dartmouth rankings reflect the school’s prestige. That said, when building your college list, be sure you craft a well-rounded list. Due to the Dartmouth ranking, Dartmouth is a “reach” school for any applicant.
Despite being test-optional, Dartmouth College has only a 6% acceptance rate. The school has an average SAT score of 1455 and an average GPA of 3.91. So, Dartmouth College is highly competitive. Therefore, if you place Dartmouth on your college list, be sure to include the appropriate number of match and safety schools.
Dartmouth Ranking: Final Thoughts
Whether you look at the Dartmouth Ivy League ranking, the Dartmouth ranking in US News, Dartmouth ranking in Forbes, or the Dartmouth ranking in Wall Street Journal, you’ll notice that the Dartmouth ranking is consistently high. So, any prospective student looking at the Dartmouth College rankings can see that Dartmouth is a highly competitive school with many perks. Despite its small size, Dartmouth College offers students a quality education and robust financial aid programs.
While it’s not one of the top ten schools on paper in the nation and does not rank in the top three Ivy League institutions, Dartmouth College ranking in other areas remains impressive. As one of the nation’s best-value colleges with strong undergraduate teaching, Dartmouth College could be a great addition to your college list.
Given the high Dartmouth ranking, if Dartmouth is your dream school, you should start preparing early. If you are considering applying, check out this guide on How to Get Into Dartmouth College.
This guide to Dartmouth rankings was written by senior advisor, Ashley Hollins. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
