Dean College

Private · Moderately Selective · MA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads1,089

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate41.7%

6-yr grad rate53.6%

Drop-out rate31.7%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$47k

Out-of-state tuition$47k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity37.3%

Gender diversity50.8%

International2.3%

Identity—

Overview

Dean College, in Franklin, Massachusetts, roughly midway between Boston and Providence, is a small private college with two distinguishing features: a nationally recognized dance program and unusually structured academic support for students who learn differently. It functions as much as a launching point as a destination; many students enter through associate-degree tracks and either continue to a bachelor's at Dean or transfer elsewhere.

Academics

The School of Dance carries genuine national reputation and draws students specifically for pre-professional dance training rather than as a general liberal-arts elective. Alongside this, Dean has built one of the more established structured-support programs in the country for students with learning differences such as ADHD or dyslexia, with dedicated staff and course accommodations built into the academic model rather than added on afterward.

Worth knowing

The associate-to-bachelor's pathway is a deliberate structural feature, not a stopgap: many students plan from the start to complete two years at Dean before transferring or continuing on campus, and this shapes the rhythm of the student population year to year.

dean.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate73.7%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying