Hope College

Private · Moderately Selective · MI

Photo: MSwierenga (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMI · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads3,288

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate76.6%

6-yr grad rate80%

Drop-out rate11.6%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$42k

Out-of-state tuition$42k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity22.7%

Gender diversity60.2%

International2.7%

Identity—

Overview

Hope College is a private liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan, affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, a few miles from Lake Michigan's beaches. Its identity blends a serious liberal-arts academic core with a visible faith tradition and a close relationship to the surrounding Dutch-heritage community.

Academics

Undergraduate research is unusually strong at Hope, particularly in the natural sciences, where students routinely work directly alongside faculty on original research rather than only in coursework, a level of access more typical of much larger research universities. The arts, including music, theatre, and dance, also have a strong reputation, supported by well-developed performance facilities for a college its size.

Campus & student life

Holland's Dutch-heritage downtown blends directly into the campus, giving Hope students a walkable small-city backdrop rather than an isolated quad, and Lake Michigan's beaches are a short drive away and a genuine part of student life in warmer months. The Reformed Church in America affiliation shapes campus culture without dominating it as heavily as at some other faith-affiliated colleges.

Getting in

Hope reviews holistically, with real weight given to demonstrated interest in undergraduate research opportunities and fit with its residential liberal-arts model. The college's faith affiliation is part of its identity but is not typically an admissions filter to the degree seen at more conservative religious institutions.

After graduation

Strong undergraduate research experience gives Hope science graduates a real edge in graduate school admissions and lab placements, and the college has a solid record of PhD production relative to its size. Arts graduates go on to further training or direct performance and design careers, aided by the college's well-regarded facilities and faculty.

Worth knowing

The undergraduate research culture at Hope is genuinely comparable to what's typically found only at much larger universities, which is worth weighing heavily for a science-minded student choosing between a small liberal arts college and a big research university.

hope.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate79.2%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1100–1340 · ACT 25–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying