Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063
About Smith College
Smith College is a selective private research university in Northampton, Massachusetts, serving roughly 2,544 students. Admission is selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 21.00% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $64,027 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Smith College charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($65,178).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is about 1.9×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 89.05%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $64,027.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at Smith College is about 58% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $65,178; average net price is $27,579 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Smith College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 480% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Smith College awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 55 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith College | $65,178 | $27,579 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Massachusetts (state median) | $34,256 | $12,244 | 93 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 58% below published tuition at Smith College
Key findings
- Smith College's average net price ($27,579) is 58% below published tuition ($65,178).
- Smith College charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($65,178).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is about 1.9×.
Smith College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $65,178
Finding Smith College charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $65,178. That is about 2.2× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Massachusetts median ($34,256), sticker tuition is about 1.9×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 5.5×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Smith College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Smith College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Smith College is $27,579.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $27,579 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $15,335 above the Massachusetts median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $12,608 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Smith College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 58% lower after grants and scholarships.
Smith College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Smith College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$65,178
Avg. net price
$27,579
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $1,363 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $3,737 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $6,559 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $11,750 |
| $110,001+ | $40,477 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $260,712. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Smith College is known for
Top program completions
- Social Work138
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other77
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General49
- Political Science and Government, General48
- English Language and Literature, General46
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Highly selective — fewer than 3 in 10 applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 33% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1500
- Midpoint ACT: 33
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Smith College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Smith College is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 58% lower in this extract).
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Smith College.
Campus
Location
Northampton, MA
City / state
- ZIP
- 01063
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is about 1.8× the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
- Carnegie
- Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Size
Enrollment
2,544
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 2,657
- Graduate
- 308
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$17,550
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 17.88%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Smith College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Smith College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Smith College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $43,114 | $43,114 | $24,603 |
| 2014 | $44,724 | $44,724 | $27,406 |
| 2015 | $46,288 | $46,288 | $27,880 |
| 2016 | $47,904 | $47,904 | $26,321 |
| 2017 | $50,044 | $50,044 | $24,829 |
| 2018 | $52,404 | $52,404 | $28,193 |
| 2019 | $54,224 | $54,224 | $28,305 |
| 2020 | $54,224 | $54,224 | $29,615 |
| 2021 | $56,114 | $56,114 | $29,814 |
| 2022 | $58,768 | $58,768 | $31,087 |
| 2023 | $61,568 | $61,568 | $26,181 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is highly selective, accepting fewer than 3 in 10 applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1500 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 33 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 4.00
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Smith College reported total enrollment of about 2,544 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 4% male and 100% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (50.4%), Non-Resident Alien (13.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (12.2%). About 17.88% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 18.5% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
99.7% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Smith College in 2024 is 2,544 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 2,657 students. Graduate enrollment is about 308 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
94.3%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
69.77% 100% Completion Time
89.05% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 69.77% of students graduating from Smith College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Social Work: 12% male / 88% female
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other: 0% male / 100% female
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General: 0% male / 100% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Smith College graduates earn a median of $64,027 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Smith College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $64,027. Median federal loan debt: $17,550. Average net price used in cost models: $27,579.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Smith College graduates report median earnings of $64,027 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Smith College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (55 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Smith College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Smith College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Smith College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$2.47B
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Massachusetts median 40× the median ($62.1M)
- New England median 58× the median ($42.9M)
- U.S. median 94× the median ($26.4M)
- Massachusetts median 26× the median ($30,011)
- New England median 34× the median ($23,268)
- U.S. median 64× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 87.0%
- Massachusetts median 35.9 pp above median (51.1%)
- New England median 33.7 pp above median (53.3%)
- U.S. median 29.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $13,076
- Massachusetts median 1.4× the median ($9,649)
- New England median 1.4× the median ($9,262)
- U.S. median 1.7× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $31,466
- Massachusetts median 2.8× the median ($11,192)
- New England median 3.1× the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median 4.3× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Smith College at a glance
Smith College
Smith College is a private non-profit institution in Northampton, MA, classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Social WorkResearch and Experimental Psychology, OtherBiology/Biological Sciences, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian50.4%Non-Resident Alien13.7%Hispanic or Latino12.2%
Schools near Smith College
Other campuses in Northampton, MA when available, plus nearby institutions in Massachusetts.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within Massachusetts, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Smith College located?
Smith College is located in Northampton, MA.
What is Smith College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Smith College is 21.0% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 9,869 applicants and 1,947 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Smith College's tuition?
Smith College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $65,178 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $27,579 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Smith College cost?
Reported tuition is $65,178 and average net price is $27,579 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $22,570 annually.
Why is Smith College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Smith College, published tuition is $65,178 while average net price is $27,579—about 58% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Smith College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($27,579), completion (89.0% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($64,027). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Smith College?
Smith College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 2,657 students, White (50.4%), Non-Resident Alien (13.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Smith College?
About 18.5% of students at Smith College are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Smith College?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Smith College reports midpoint SAT about 1500 and midpoint ACT about 33.
What do graduates of Smith College earn?
Median earnings are $45,731 six years after entry and $64,027 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Smith College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 89.0% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Smith College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $17,550.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.