Hillsdale College
Hillsdale 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
About Hillsdale College
According to Wikipedia, Hillsdale College is a private, conservative, Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by members of the Free Will Baptists. Hillsdale's required core curriculum includes courses on the Great Books, the U.S. Constitution, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Hillsdale College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,773 | 21% | 97% | 89% | 1405 | 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 Hillsdale College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $34,190 |
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.
Hillsdale 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,896 | 1,749 | 147 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Hillsdale College?
Hillsdale College is located at 33 E College St, Hillsdale, MI 49242.
How Safe is Hillsdale College?
Hillsdale has a violent crime rate of 0.29% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.70%. Sources: city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Hillsdale College Known For?
Hillsdale College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Economics
- Political Science
- Literature
- Philosophy
- History
- Education
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Biology
- Communications
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Sociology
- Psychology
Hillsdale College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Hillsdale 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
Hillsdale College ranks #135 in the U.S. and #584 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesHillsdale College ranks #231 in the U.S. and #918 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesHillsdale College ranks #267 in the U.S. and #788 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesHillsdale College ranks #313 in the U.S. and #1030 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesHillsdale College ranks #341 in the U.S. and #952 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesHillsdale College ranks #383 in the U.S. and #1620 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesHillsdale College ranks #398 in the U.S. and #2027 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesHillsdale College ranks #418 in the U.S. and #1821 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesHillsdale College ranks #439 in the U.S. and #1863 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesHillsdale College ranks #481 in the U.S. and #1749 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesHillsdale College ranks #499 in the U.S. and #2217 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesHillsdale College ranks #581 in the U.S. and #2417 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesHillsdale College ranks #884 in the U.S. and #2967 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesHillsdale College ranks #922 in the U.S. and #2385 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWho Are Hillsdale College's Most Influential Alumni?
Hillsdale College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Economics, Social Work, and Literature. Here are some of Hillsdale College's most famous alumni:
- Peter Leeson
- An American economist.
- Peter Leithart
- An American theologian.
- Brent Weeks
- An American fiction writer.
- Phil Crane
- An American politician .
- Howard Mudd
- An American football player and coach .
- Walter R. Nickel
- An American dermatologist.
- May Gorslin Preston Slosson
- An American educator and suffragist .
- Erik Prince
- An American businessman and founder of Blackwater USA .
- Emma Brossard
- An American academic, political scientist.
- Bob Clark
- An American actor and film director .
