Mount Holyoke College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It enrolls 2,169 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes89
Value29
Affordability24
Selectivity93
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 36%, Mount Holyoke College is a selective institution.
Acceptance Rate
36%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1380 – 1530
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
32 – 35
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Mount Holyoke College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
0.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Mount Holyoke College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $26,441 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$26,441
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
22%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
44%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$67,018
Room & Board (on-campus)
$19,684
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,920
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,400
Total Cost of Attendance
$84,926
Application fee: $60 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$10,882
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,526
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,394
$75,001 – $110,000
$24,247
Over $110,000
$38,561
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$11,17525%percentile
$22,902Medianpercentile
$25,87575%percentile
$30,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,500
↓ $3,402
No Pell $15,308
↓ $7,594
Dependent students $18,010
↓ $4,892
Independent students $21,413
↓ $1,489
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($22,902), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
79% of full-time students who enrolled at Mount Holyoke College graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
79%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
89%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Mount Holyoke College earn a median of $58,418 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$58,418
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$55,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$51,100
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
8.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Mount Holyoke College is home to 2,169 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,169
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
19%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 51.9%1,125
International 19.5%423
Hispanic 10.2%222
Asian 6.7%146
Other 5.7%123
Black 5.3%115
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Mount Holyoke College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbSouth Hadley, Massachusetts
Housing
Strongly residential2,150 beds for 2,169 students
Adult Learners
2%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Women's college
What You Can Study
Mount Holyoke College offers
a varied set of programs:
39 distinct programs across
16 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Mount Holyoke College is 9:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.2B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$101,151
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
227 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
61
27%
$137,468
Associate Professors
57
25%
$107,184
Assistant Professors
42
19%
$92,219
Instructors
9
4%
$64,784
Lecturers
54
24%
$68,213
No Rank
4
2%
$81,603
Pros & Cons of Mount Holyoke College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Mount Holyoke College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Frequently Asked Questions about Mount Holyoke College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Mount Holyoke College.
Is Mount Holyoke College hard to get into?
Mount Holyoke College is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 36%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Mount Holyoke College?
Mount Holyoke College has an acceptance rate of 36%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Mount Holyoke College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Mount Holyoke College scored between 1380 and 1530 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Mount Holyoke College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Mount Holyoke College scored between 32 and 35 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Mount Holyoke College cost?
The average net price after aid at Mount Holyoke College is $26,441 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mount Holyoke College worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $58,418 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $26,441 per year. That's roughly 2.2x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Mount Holyoke College known for?
Mount Holyoke College is best known for its programs in Experimental Psychology, Biology, English. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Mount Holyoke College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Mount Holyoke College are $58,418, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Mount Holyoke College accredited?
Yes. Mount Holyoke College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Mount Holyoke College?
Mount Holyoke College enrolls 2,169 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Mount Holyoke College?
Mount Holyoke College graduates 79% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Mount Holyoke College a public or private college?
Mount Holyoke College is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Mount Holyoke College located?
Mount Holyoke College is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
What programs does Mount Holyoke College offer?
Mount Holyoke College offers 39 distinct programs. The most popular include Experimental Psychology, Biology, English.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Mount Holyoke College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Mount Holyoke College is 9:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Massachusetts
Other colleges in Massachusetts share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Music
Computer Software & Media
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
