Dickinson College
Dickinson College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Dickinson College Featured Rankings
About Dickinson College
According to Wikipedia, Dickinson College is a private liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, making it the first college to be founded after the formation of the United States. Dickinson was founded by Benjamin Rush, a Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The college is named in honor of John Dickinson, a Founding Father who voted to ratify the Constitution and later served as governor of Pennsylvania, and his wife Mary Norris Dickinson. They donated much of their extensive personal libraries to the new college.
Dickinson College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,185 | 42% | 92% | 74% | 1385 | 31 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Dickinson College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $68,580 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,989 |
| 30K - 48K | $15,144 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,531 |
| 75K - 110K | $19,797 |
| 110K+ | $38,457 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Dickinson College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Dickinson College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $83,426 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Dickinson College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2,246 | 2,233 | 13 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Dickinson College?
Dickinson College is located at College and Louther Streets, Carlisle, PA 17013-2896.
How Safe is Dickinson College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Dickinson College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Dickinson College has a violent crime rate of 0.56% and a property crime rate of 0.22%. Carlisle has a violent crime rate of 0.17% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.15%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Dickinson College Known For?
Dickinson College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Law
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Political Science
- Biology
- Religious Studies
- History
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
Dickinson College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Dickinson College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Dickinson College ranks #185 in the U.S. and #524 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesDickinson College ranks #190 in the U.S. and #592 worldwide for influence in Law.
Dickinson College ranks #198 in the U.S. and #932 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesDickinson College ranks #203 in the U.S. and #846 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesDickinson College ranks #212 in the U.S. and #827 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesDickinson College ranks #235 in the U.S. and #861 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesDickinson College ranks #260 in the U.S. and #1118 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesDickinson College ranks #269 in the U.S. and #758 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesDickinson College ranks #277 in the U.S. and #688 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesDickinson College ranks #291 in the U.S. and #912 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesDickinson College ranks #298 in the U.S. and #969 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesDickinson College ranks #300 in the U.S. and #1236 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesDickinson College ranks #301 in the U.S. and #1266 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesDickinson College ranks #319 in the U.S. and #1828 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesDickinson College ranks #357 in the U.S. and #1488 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesDickinson College ranks #396 in the U.S. and #1826 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesDickinson College ranks #535 in the U.S. and #1846 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesDickinson College ranks #723 in the U.S. and #1356 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWho Are Dickinson College's Most Influential Alumni?
Dickinson College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Law, and Psychology. Here are some of Dickinson College's most famous alumni:
- Spencer Fullerton Baird
- An American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, museum curator, and the 2nd Secretary of the Smithsonian .
- Roger B. Taney
- A Chief justice of the United States from 1836 to 1864.
- Chad Mirkin
- An American chemist.
- John Langdon
- An American typographer.
- Moncure D. Conway
- An American philosopher.
- Rosie O'Donnell
- An American comedian, producer, actress, and television personality.
- James Buchanan
- A President of the United States from 1857 to 1861.
- John Goucher
- An American missionary and academic.
- John Fletcher Hurst
- An American Methodist Episcopal bishop .
- Richard Felix Staar
- An American political scientist .
- Erwin Wickert
- A German diplomat and writer.
- Susan Stewart
- An American poet.
