At schools with acceptance rates below 10%, nearly every applicant has near-perfect grades and test scores. Admissions decisions are driven by essays, extracurriculars, recommendations, and institutional priorities — factors no stats-based model can predict. Our likelihood labels reflect academic competitiveness only.
Dartmouth College is the smallest Ivy League institution, located in rural Hanover, New Hampshire, with a strong emphasis on undergraduate liberal arts education. Its D-Plan quarter system and close-knit campus community foster deep student-faculty relationships and a distinctive outdoor culture.
Mascot: Big Green
Notable Alumni
Dr. Seuss (beloved children's author)•Mindy Kaling (actress and comedian)•Robert Frost (iconic American poet)
At a Glance
Cost
Published sticker prices for 2025-2026. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
Approximate national ranking based on departmental rankings, research output, and program reputation.
Highlights
Campus Experience
Dartmouth literally inspired Animal House, and ~60% of students join Greek organizations — the highest rate in the Ivy League by a wide margin. In rural Hanover, New Hampshire, frats and sororities aren't just social options, they're the social infrastructure; basement parties are open and advertised campus-wide. The D-Plan (unique quarter system with off-terms) creates a tight, almost summer-camp-like bonding intensity that graduates remember with fierce loyalty.
Colonial and Georgian brick buildings frame the historic Dartmouth Green, with Baker-Berry Library's tower as a centerpiece, all surrounded by the Upper Valley's forested hills and the Connecticut River.
Based on Niche reviews, Princeton Review surveys, student forums, and institutional data.
Safety
Dartmouth's Department of Safety and Security is staffed 24/7 with campus patrols, emergency phones, and late-night transportation in a compact, walkable campus. Serious crime is extremely rare.
Hanover is a small rural New England town with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Violent crime is virtually nonexistent.
Based on Clery Act data, student surveys, and local crime statistics.
Plan Your Visit
Schedule: Select weekdays during the academic term
Duration: 30-minute info session + 75-minute student-led tour
Pre-registration required. Virtual tours also available Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the term. Engineering-specific tours on Mondays and Fridays at 1pm (30-min info + 30-min tour).
Book a TourSelf-guided tour using a Google Maps route and downloadable visit guide available anytime.
Tour ResourcesLate September-October (peak fall foliage in the Upper Valley is extraordinary, plus Homecoming) or May-June (green and lush). Avoid January-February (Hanover averages 20°F and campus is quieter during Dartmouth's unique 'D-Plan' term system). Winter Carnival (February) is festive but cold. Dartmouth's quarter system means different students are on campus each term.
Anderson Parking Garage (15 Thayer Drive) is the main visitor option: up to $15/day, credit card only, 10-minute walk to the Green. G-Lot (1 Dewey Field Rd) offers ParkMobile parking at $1.75/hr. Saturday parking is free in any campus lot. From Boston: I-93 North to I-89 North, exit 18 in Lebanon onto Route 120, ~2 hrs. The nearest commercial airport is Lebanon Municipal (LEB, 15 min) with limited service, or Manchester-Boston (MHT, ~90 min).
Location
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