Rankings and Recognitions
Hope College is widely recognized as an excellent institution of higher education. Here are some of our distinctives...
AMONG THE NATION’S BEST COLLEGEs
U.S. News & World Report
- Among the best in the nation: Hope is listed in the top 100 (as opposed to region) in 2024.
- Outstanding research: Hope is ranked #27 and is one of only 54 colleges and universities including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and ػֱ, recognized for providing outstanding undergraduate research/creative project opportunities. Hope is tied with Columbia and Rice and ahead of Dartmouth and the University of Chicago in 2024.
- Also included as
- #69 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
- #91 in Best Value Schools
- #179 in Top Performers on Social Mobility
- #181 in Undergraduate Psychology Programs
- #402 in Nursing
- Strength in engineering:
Hope’s engineering program is ranked 69th in the overview of 273 ABET-accredited programs at institutions where the highest degree is a bachelor's or master's.
Money Magazine's Best Colleges
Hope is recognized on Money's list of — 736 colleges that combine quality and affordability, “where your tuition (and time) is likely to pay off,” and its list of .
“The college is at the forefront of dialogue about affordability and accessibility.” —Money Magazine
Niche Best Colleges
- Niche ranks Hope among the , #2 and #2 in ػֱ.
- Niche ranks Hope the #1 .
- ranked Hope #24 of 333 , #61 out of 309 , and #88 out of 968 .
FISK Guide to Colleges
Hope is one of only about 320 colleges and universities highlighted as “the best and most interesting institutions in the nation — the ones that students most want to know about.” The 2022 Fiske Guide to Colleges said this about Hope:
- “I feel pushed to work hard and study to perform at my best.”
- “This is a place where people are involved and love to build community.”
- “Hope is a place where students are challenged to become better students… but, more important, better people.”
Forbes
- America’s Top Colleges: Hope is included in Forbes’ 2023 list of “” and ranks #54 in the Midwest.
- Top Liberal Arts Universities: Hope ranks #83 among liberal arts universities in the nation.
Princeton Review
- Hope is one of 150 institutions that recommends in its 2024 “Best in the Midwest” listing.
- Hope is also included in the for having exceptional commitment to sustainability.
Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education
- Hope is on the 2022 list of the top 100 “ from the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings.
- Hope also ranked 55th in the Midwest and in the top third, at 264
overall, in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education .
Washington Monthly
Washington Monthly ranks Hope #123 of only 199 in 2024 based on contributions to social mobility, research and providing opportunities for public service.
GREAT EDUCATION AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE
LendEDU
According to LendEDU, Hope is included in the "" and recognized for "."
Great Value Colleges
Great Value Colleges named Hope one of the .
Return on investment
Hope College is listed in the . A Hope College graduate's ROI is over $340,000 higher than the mean ROI according to the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. ($554,407 compared to $214,085).
EDsmart
EDsmart ranks Hope the #4 based on affordability, student satisfaction, academic quality and the median earnings of former students.
Commitment to Economic diversity
New York Times
Hope was included on The New York Times’ third annual , a ranking of just 150 colleges based on their commitment to economic diversity. Headlined the “Top Colleges Doing the Most for the American Dream,” the ranking is based on a combination of the number of lower- and middle-income students enrolled and the price it charges these students.
BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS
OnlineChristianColleges.com
In 2021, Hope was ranked in North America based on awards and recognition, student enjoyment, notable features, and historical significance/environmental friendliness.
CHANGING LIVES
Hope is included in the book , which recognizes 45 colleges that develop a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college. According to the book, “Hope is first rate across the board, attracting students because of the reputation of its programs. Hope raises higher education’s moral and intellectual level.”
Sustainability
Hope College has been honored with ® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation since 2018.
The (STARS) commends Hope College with "Gold" status for its transparent, self-reporting framework used to measure sustainability performance.
Innovative
Out of the "," Hope is ranked #23 by College Consensus who also ranked Hope #18 in and #9 in .
ADVANCING SCIENCE
Hope was named by the as the #1 undergraduate institution for dollars received in the foundation’s 100-year history (2012).
Top 25 for Peace Corps Volunteers
Coming in at #22, Hope made the top 25 among small colleges and universities producing Peace Corps Volunteers in 2017 — the only school from ػֱ on the "small institutions" list and one of only three ػֱ institutions of any size to be recognized.
INCLUDED IN THE LATEST EDITIONS OF:
- All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals and People of Faith
- Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully
Hope is one of of 10 faith-based colleges highlighted for doing an exemplary job in educating students holistically. - Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers
Hope’s dance and writing programs recognized as among the best in the nation. - The Insider's Guide to Colleges
OTHER NOTABLES
- The first private, four-year, undergraduate liberal arts college in the country to achieve national accreditation in all four of the arts.
- The only college or university in ػֱ where business students can participate in the George F. Baker Scholars Program, which provides a wide range of real-world experiences beyond the classroom. One of only several dozen Baker Scholars Programs in the country.
- One of only 286 institutions in the U.S. to have a chapter of , the nation’s oldest scholastic honorary society.
- Hope is ranked #22 Best Bachelor’s in Biology in the country for 2021 by .
- 13th in the nation for CPA exam pass rates among 294 comparable institutions
- 77% of Hope graduates were employed and 24% were in graduate school within six months of graduation.
- 92% of Hope seniors who apply to graduate school are accepted to their first or second choice.
- 85% of Hope pre-med students with a 3.5 GPA or higher are accepted to medical school.
- 75% of all Hope pre-med students get into medical school.
- On average, Hope’s medical school acceptance rate is more than 30% higher than the national average for all applicants.
- 86% of Hope pre-dental students with a 3.3 GPA or higher get into dental school.
- 85% of Hope pre-law students are accepted to law school.
- 82% of the most recent graduating class are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their jobs.
- Hope ranks in the top 0.7% of colleges for graduates pursuing Ph.D.s in chemistry.
- Hope ranks among the top 5% of colleges for grads pursuing Ph.D.s in all fields.
- Hope grads consistently land fellowships at top Ph.D. programs — Cornell, Duke, Harvard, ػֱ, Stanford and more.
See the Grad Survey with data from our most recent graduating class
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