Students looking for a little history in their collegiate education may be considering Hamilton College, one of the three dozen oldest colleges in the United States. The Class of 2029 faced a 13.6% acceptance rate, so it’s safe to assume students with Ds on their transcripts need not apply. 

For those hoping to live up to Hamilton’s motto and get to “Know Thyself” as a Continental, let’s take a look at what that target GPA should be.

Hamilton College Acceptance Rates for the Classes of 2025-2029

Although last year Hamilton College had a 13.6% acceptance rate, is that the norm for this school? Let’s take a look at the acceptance history of the historic Hamilton College:

Hamilton College Class Year	Acceptance Rate
Class of 2029	13.6%
Class of 2028	13.6%
Class of 2027	11.8%
Class of 2026	14.1%
Class of 2025	18.4%

The GPAs of Hamilton College Students

Based on their acceptance rate over the past five years, students should expect the application process to be challenging, requiring a rigorous high school curriculum. The three things Hamilton College lists as very important to their application consideration process are: rigor of secondary school record, class rank (if available), and GPA. 

While standardized test scores like the SAT and ACT will be considered if submitted, they are not required in the admissions process. However, students who wish to boost their chances of acceptance as high as possible should be planning to submit a standardized test score along with the rest of their application to Hamilton College. 

Hamilton College does not publish the GPA statistics of their accepted students or the students who have applied for admission. Fear not! It’s possible to examine the other data released in their annual Common Data Set and make an assumption about the GPA expectations for students applying to join the Class of 2030 and beyond.

Class Rank of Hamilton College Class of 2029 Students

One of the pieces of data available in Hamilton College’s 2024-2025 Common Data Set is the class rank of students who enrolled in the fall of 2025. Let’s take a look:

Assessment	Percent
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class	82%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class	98%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class	100%

Class Rank of Hamilton College Class of 2028 Students

From Hamilton College’s 2023-2024 Common Data Set:

Assessment	Percent
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class	78.95%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class	100%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class	100%

Class Rank of Hamilton College Class of 2027 Students

From Hamilton College’s 2022-2023 Common Data Set:

Assessment	Percent
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class	85.57%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class	97.93%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class	100%

Everyone who enrolled in Hamilton College over the course of the past three years has been in the top half of their graduating class. It’s therefore safe to say that seniors who are not in the top half of their graduating class at this point might consider making another plan if Hamilton College is their current top choice. For students filling out their applications, GPA definitely plays an important role in the admissions process and must be strong to be considered for candidacy at Hamilton College.

SAT and ACT Ranges of Hamilton College in Class of 2028

Another metric that may be useful to judge against is the standardized test scores of last year’s incoming class. 

SAT Range of Hamilton College Class of 2028 Students

The SAT range for students in the Class of 2028 is as follows:

Score Range	SAT Composite
1400-1600	98.08%
1200-1399	1.92%

ACT Range of Hamilton College Class of 2028 Students

The ACT range for students in the Class of 2028 is as follows:

Score Range	ACT Composite
30-36	97.18%
24-29	1.41%
18-23	1.41%

The total number of students who scored 29 or less on the ACT was just 2.82%, and the total number of students who had lower than a 1400 on their SAT composites was even smaller than that, only 1.92%. Again, these numbers for the enrolled students in the Class of 2028 indicate that current high school students wishing to grow their chances of success within the Hamilton College applicant pool must be strong academically.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Hamilton College Candidacy

Students who are in the top half of their graduating class and who are looking to attend a school with a historic vibe should consider Hamilton College. But the process of figuring out where to start with an application can be daunting.

For parents who are left feeling stressed after crunching the numbers and want a realistic overview of their child’s chances, as well as a detailed roadmap for success when it comes to all things college admissions, consider filling out Ivy Coach’s form to have a complimentary consultation and learn more about our Strategy Session. Our team of former elite university admissions officers is here to make the college process as smooth, steady, and stress-free as possible with our expertise on all matters of the elite admissions process.