Hope College
Hope 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
Hope College Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #3 Best Private Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #3 Best Small Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #3 Best Christian Colleges in Michigan
- #7 Nursing Liberal Arts Colleges
- #10 Best Colleges in Michigan
- #10 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #12 Social Work Liberal Arts Colleges
- #43 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #47 Best Small Colleges 2026
About Hope College
According to Wikipedia, Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants 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 campus is adjacent to the downtown commercial district and has been shared with Western Theological Seminary since 1884. The Hope College campus, considered uniquely beautiful by many, is located near the eastern shores of Lake Michigan and is 2.5 hours away from two major cities in Chicago and Detroit.
Hope College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,206 | 79% | 88% | 78% | 1220 | 28 |
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 Hope College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $43,960 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $24,738 |
| 30K - 48K | $15,105 |
| 48K - 75K | $17,160 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,386 |
| 110K+ | $33,129 |
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 Hope College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Hope College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $65,961 a year, and 95% 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.
Hope College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 3,404 | 3,404 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Hope College?
Hope College is located at President's Office, 141 East 12th Street, Holland, MI 49423-9000.
How Safe is Hope College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Hope 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, Hope College has a violent crime rate of 0.12% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Holland has a violent crime rate of 0.38% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.25%. 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 Hope College Known For?
Hope College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Biology
- Literature
- Physics
- Economics
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Engineering
- Education
- Sociology
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Computer Science
- Business
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Communications
Hope College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Hope 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
Hope College ranks #88 in the U.S. and #388 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesHope College ranks #172 in the U.S. and #773 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesHope College ranks #196 in the U.S. and #456 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesHope College ranks #235 in the U.S. and #641 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesHope College ranks #257 in the U.S. and #609 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesHope College ranks #302 in the U.S. and #1212 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesHope College ranks #339 in the U.S. and #1023 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesHope College ranks #339 in the U.S. and #1523 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesHope College ranks #351 in the U.S. and #2087 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesHope College ranks #352 in the U.S. and #1251 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesHope College ranks #411 in the U.S. and #1362 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesHope College ranks #460 in the U.S. and #2745 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesHope College ranks #474 in the U.S. and #2094 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesHope College ranks #482 in the U.S. and #1653 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesHope College ranks #498 in the U.S. and #1421 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesHope College ranks #536 in the U.S. and #2189 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesHope College ranks #605 in the U.S. and #2753 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesHope College ranks #613 in the U.S. and #2276 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesHope College ranks #665 in the U.S. and #2706 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesHope College ranks #711 in the U.S. and #3082 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesHope College ranks #780 in the U.S. and #2932 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWho Are Hope College's Most Influential Alumni?
Hope College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Chemistry, Social Work, and Psychology. Here are some of Hope College's most famous alumni:
- Richard Smalley
- An American chemist.
- A. J. Muste
- A Christian pacifist and civil rights activist .
- Kevin DeYoung
- An American theologian.
- Robert E. Van Voorst
- An American theologian.
- Larry Siedentop
- A British philosopher.
- Sufjan Stevens
- An American musician .
- James G. Herman
- An American oncologist.
- Theodore O. Yntema
- An American economist.
- Morris Steggerda
- An American anthropologist.
- Jim Kaat
- An American baseball player and coach.
- Norman J. Kansfield
- A Calvinist clergyman and scholar.
- G. I. Williamson
- An American theologian .
