Connecticut College

Private · Selective · CT

Photo: R Boed (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationCT · Northeast

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,937

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate75.9%

6-yr grad rate82%

Drop-out rate10.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$67k

Out-of-state tuition$67k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity31.9%

Gender diversity60.7%

International5.8%

Identity—

Overview

Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college in New London, set on a hilltop arboretum campus overlooking Long Island Sound. It has a distinctive culture of student trust and independence, most visibly expressed through its honor code, and it competes athletically in NESCAC, the same conference as Amherst, Williams, and Wesleyan, giving it a peer group among small, academically intense New England colleges even though it is not always grouped with them by name.

Academics

The college is known for environmental studies, dance, and international studies, and its honor code extends into academics through self-scheduled, unproctored exams that students take on their own time during exam periods. Every student is funded to complete at least one internship through the college's career program, an unusually structural commitment to experiential learning rarely guaranteed outright at peer liberal arts colleges. Interdisciplinary study is encouraged through named centers connecting the arts, technology, and international coursework, reflecting a curriculum built around connections across departments rather than rigid majors.

Campus & student life

The arboretum campus and coastal setting give Connecticut College a scenic, outdoorsy backdrop, with trails and gardens woven directly into the grounds, and the honor code shapes daily life well beyond exams, from dorm access to general campus trust. Student culture tends to be close-knit and independent-minded, and Camels athletics compete in NESCAC, giving even a fairly small student body a real Division III sports culture. New London itself is a modest small city, so campus and its immediate surroundings do most of the social heavy lifting.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic, with real weight given to essays and demonstrated fit with the college's honor-code culture and independent learning style rather than a purely numbers-driven process. The college looks for students comfortable with unusual amounts of autonomy, since the honor code assumes a level of self-direction that not every applicant is suited to, and admissions readers tend to notice essays that engage seriously with that expectation.

After graduation

Graduates move into a mix of graduate study, nonprofit and government work, and fields connected to the college's strength in international studies and environmental work, with a notably loyal alumni network for a college of its size. The guaranteed funded internship gives many students a real professional credential and set of contacts before graduation, which shows up in how directly some graduates move from internship into first jobs.

Worth knowing

The honor code is a defining, day-to-day feature of the college, not just an admissions talking point, and the guaranteed funded internship for every student is a genuinely distinctive structural commitment among small liberal arts colleges. Students should also know that despite its size, Connecticut College competes in NESCAC, one of the country's strongest Division III athletic conferences.

conncoll.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate37%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1350–1500 · ACT 30–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 15

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App.

Early decision IIJan 15

Financial aid formsJan 15

Early Decision I is a binding commitment to enroll if admitted, while Early Action and Regular Decision are non-binding; Early Decision II financial aid materials are due January 14, a day ahead of its January 15 application deadline.

Interviews: Interviews are optional — not required, but a good way to get to know Conn and be known by them.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗