Hope College — College Profile

About

Hope College, a private Christian liberal arts school located just minutes from Lake Michigan in Holland, is nationally renowned for its premier undergraduate research program, particularly in the natural sciences, psychology, and engineering. The campus culture is defined by a welcoming, faith-infused community where students balance rigorous academics with a vibrant student life and beloved traditions like "The Pull," a historic freshman-sophomore tug-of-war dating back to 1898. What truly sets Hope apart is this rare commitment to collaborative learning, allowing undergraduates to regularly co-author peer-reviewed papers alongside faculty mentors and gain hands-on research experiences typically reserved for graduate-level students.

Wikipedia:Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan, United States. Dutch immigrants originally opened it in 1851 as the Pioneer School, four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman college class matriculated in 1862, and Hope received its state charter in 1866. Hope College is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America and retains a Christian atmosphere. Its 120-acre (49 ha) campus is adjacent to the downtown commercial district and has been shared with Western Theological Seminary since 1884. The Hope College campus is near the eastern shores of Lake Michigan.

Location

Holland, MI, 49423-9000 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

MKE · Milwaukee

92 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$41,970

Housing & food (on campus)$12,950

Books & supplies$1,190

Cost of attendance$61,380

Average net price$27,182

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$41,970

Housing & food (on campus)$12,950

Books & supplies$1,190

Cost of attendance$61,380

Average net price$27,182

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: hope.edu

How it’s made up · 2026-27

Hope College’s own figures for 2026-27, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.

Tuition$46,450

Fees$530

Housing$6,800

Food$7,600

Total published by the school$61,380

Source: hope.edu · checked Sep 13, 2026

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$17,606

$30–48k

$16,590

$48–75k

$18,206

$75–110k

$25,017

$110k+

$32,754

Your family's actual price → Hope College net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

81%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

77%

Back for yr 2

88%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

81% graduated · 11% transferred · 9% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$49,727

10 yrs after entry$58,427

Debt

Median at graduation$26,800

Monthly payment$284

Middle 50% owe$13.8k–$28.3k

90th percentile$33,250

Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs, $58,391 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

79%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1249

R 550–670 · M 550–670

ACT midpoint

Comp 25–31 · E 24–31 · M 24–29

SAT middle 50%: 1100–1340

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Hope College asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 40%Women 60%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

9 : 1

Pell grant

16%

First-gen

15%

Family income

$92,618

Independent

Age at entry

19.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

77%

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Lacrosse
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$49,727

After 10 yrs

$58,427

Business Administration, Management and Operations121

Psychology, General75

Communication and Media Studies62

Engineering, General49

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing43

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas42

Biology, General41

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness35

Accounting and Related Services31

Chemistry30

Political Science and Government27

Special Education and Teaching25

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods22

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics22

Social Work22

Sociology18

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$310M

Full-time faculty

69%

Faculty salary

$8,709/mo

Teaching spend

$13,039

per student

Federal loans

44%

Classification

Carnegie type

Baccalaureate — arts & sciences

Research activity

Research college or university

$6M research spending

Undergraduate profile