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Department of the Classics / Department of the Classics is located in Cambridge, MA, in an urban setting.

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Search the site, search suggestions, alert: update to standardized testing policy.

Starting with those applying to the Harvard Class of 2029 (entering fall 2025), Harvard College will require the submission of standardized test scores from applicants for admission as part of the whole-person application review process that takes a whole-student approach. Please visit our FAQ for more information .

Last Updated: April 11, 12:37pm

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Placement Exams

The Department of the Classics offers placement exams in Latin, ancient Greek, and modern Greek. Students with prior experience in a language who wish to continue their study here should take the relevant placement exam. This allows the faculty to guide you toward the most appropriate course(s). Unless their placement score so indicates, students with one year or more of recent, formal study may not enroll in introductory language courses (Latin 1, Ancient Greek 1).

UPDATE 02-24-2024: Placement exams for Latin and ancient Greek will be open from:

Tuesday, February 27 (10am) until Tuesday, April 16 (10pm)

You may take either exam (or both) at any time during that period.

To register, visit the Canvas website for the exam you wish to take and follow the instructions on the site.

If you have already registered for a previous exam sitting, you do not need to register again.

Latin Placement Exam

Ancient Greek Placement Exam

Please register well before you plan to take the exam and follow the instructions on the website so that you have time to prepare and check that your computer will work properly with the exam software.

In order to provide the best possible advice on placement into Latin classes, the Department of the Classics asks that all students who did not begin their study of Latin here take the Harvard Latin placement exam. Other standardized test scores (such as SATs and/or APs) are also helpful in determining course recommendations, but all students should take the placement exam, if possible.

Questions about Latin placement should be directed to the Senior Preceptor in Ancient Greek and Classical Latin, Dr. Ivy Livingston ( [email protected] ).

Greek, ancient

Placement into ancient Greek classes is based on Harvard placement exam scores. The Ancient Greek placement exam includes only Attic Greek.

Questions about ancient Greek placement should be directed to the Senior Preceptor in Ancient Greek and Classical Latin, Dr. Ivy Livingston ( [email protected] ).

Greek, modern

Placement into modern Greek classes is based on Harvard placement exam scores. Questions about modern Greek placement should be directed to the George Seferis Professor of Modern Greek Studies and of Comparative Literature, Professor Panagiotis Roilos ( [email protected] ).

Placement exams and the Harvard language requirement

Sufficiently high scores on Harvard placement exams can be used to satisfy the Language Requirement . After you receive your placement exam score(s), you will be notified whether any of them meet the minimum required score. Scores from the online test that are high enough to satisfy the language requirement are subject to additional verification.

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University News | 3.28.2024

Harvard College Admits Class of 2028

A smaller undergraduate applicant cohort—the first since supreme court ended affirmative action .

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1,937 of the 54,008 applicants to the class (3.6 percent) were granted admission. | PHOTOGRAPHS AND MONTAGE BY NIKO YAITANES/ HARVARD MAGAZINE

Harvard College today offered regular admission to 1,245 applicants to the class of 2028; combined with the 692 early-action applicants granted admission in December , 1,937 of the 54,008 applicants to the class (3.6 percent) were granted admission. The applicant pool declined 2,929 (5.1 percent) from the 56,937 who applied to the class of 2027 and 11.8 percent from the pandemic-enlarged cohort of 61,220 who sought places in the class of 2026 .

The overall rate of decline in applications this year lessened somewhat from that among the early-action cohort: applicants by the fall deadline decreased by 17 percent (from 9,553 in 2022 to 7,921 in the autumn 2023 cycle).

Nonetheless, in light of the changes in admissions mandated by the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action last June , and the turmoil on campus last fall , observers and critics may be expected to weigh in from several perspectives on the diminished interest in applying to the College as they seek evidence or draw conclusions about these questions:

With Harvard the highest-profile defendant in the admissions cases, will admissions of black and Hispanic applicants decline (testimony in the trial and appeals suggested that would happen), as prospective applicants hesitate and the College proceeds to make decisions absent consideration of race and ethnicity as part of its holistic review process?

Did prospective black applicants pursue other options, given the harsh attacks on President Claudine Gay, the institution’s first black leader, in the wake of the Hamas terrorism last October 7?

Were Jewish applicants disinclined to pursue a place in the College given the extensive coverage of campus protests and the associated controversies over antisemitism (and related debate about bias against Palestinians and Muslims)?

Answers are not likely to be immediately at hand. To comply with the Supreme Court ruling, the University noted, “Based on advice from counsel, admissions readers will not be accessing applicants’ self-reported race or ethnicity data or aggregated data…at any time until the admissions process has concluded”—presumably, after final admissions from the wait list (if any) this summer. Data on the admitted early-action applicants released in December addressed socioeconomic characteristics, but not the racial or ethnic diversity statistics published in prior years. And admissions officers maintain silence on the other matters—noting, reasonably, that they don’t know why people decide not to apply. For what it is worth, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale each indicated that their undergraduate applications increased about 10 percent this year. But multiple factors may influence Harvard’s results (see “Selective Schools’ Admissions in Flux,” below).

Financial Aid Competition

The College maintained the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative at the level announced last year and applied to the first-year class that enrolled last August. Attending Harvard remains free for children of families with incomes below $85,000: their tuition, housing, food, and fees will be waived. Each eligible student will also receive a $2,000 transition grant to help with move-in and other expenses., and a $2,000 “launch grant” during the junior year to help defray costs in preparing for life after graduation (job searching, for example). The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) has to budget aid for both the College and graduate students, whose stipends—under sharp competitive pressure—were boosted substantially for the new academic year; see “Graduate Gains,” March-April, page 21.

The College thus has not increased the no-cost family-income threshold to approach or match peers Princeton (which is fully endowed for financial aid, unlike the FAS) and Stanford, both of which raised their threshold to $100,000 for the class of 2027. Upping the ante, on March 25, Dartmouth announced that a $150-million bequest would enable it to nearly double its free-attendance threshold from $65,000 of family income to $125,000—the highest in the country—effective with the new academic year: entering first-year students, and returning upperclassmen and -women, will be covered. More limited programs at Duke and the University of Virginia now make attendance tuition-free for students from local families with incomes under $150,000 (North and South Carolina) or $100,000 (Virginia), respectively, presenting still more competition.

At Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford, roughly one-quarter of undergraduates come from families under the income thresholds.

The Rising Term Bill

Harvard’s term bill —tuition, room, board, and fees—will increase 4.3 percent, to $82,866 (up $3,416 from the current $79,450). That rate of increase is higher than the 3.5 percent imposed in the prior year and 3.0 percent in preceding years. The acceleration may represent an attempt to catch up with inflation measured by the Higher Education Price Index: up 4.0 percent in fiscal year 2023 (down somewhat from the 5.2 percent of fiscal 2022).

For students who received financial aid during the current academic year, the average parent contribution was $13,000.

Class Characteristics and Demographics

According to the announcement, 20.7 percent of accepted applicants qualified for federal Pell grants, awarded to students from lower-income backgrounds, and 20.5 of those admitted are first-generation college students. Both proportions slightly exceed those in the cohort admitted to the class of 2027.

Of those admitted, 53.1 percent are women and 46.9 percent are men. The cohort is, as always, geographically far-flung, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 94 countries beyond the United States. Some 15.4 percent are international students (9.6 percent are dual U.S. citizens). Among those accepted are 21 are veterans; 41 students expressed interest in ROTC.

Data on racial and ethnic diversity are no longer reported with this news release, as noted.

Selective Schools’ Admissions in Flux

Although much may be made of the size of Harvard’s applicant pool, it makes more sense to consider the changing context for admissions at the nation’s relatively few—if unquestionably high-profile—selective colleges and universities. Policies, practices, and prospective applicants’ responses to them are unsettled for numerous reasons, including:

•efforts to construct diverse classes in the wake of the June 2023 Supreme Court decision outlawing consideration of applicants’ race in schools’ holistic reviews of candidates ( “The Supreme Court Rules,” September-October 2023, page 14)—and associated changes in outreach and recruiting;

•evolving attitudes toward standardized testing; and

•legacy and other traditional admissions preferences, and new preferences possibly under development now.

•Diversity. Given the court ruling, colleges’ policies for admitting diverse classes clearly must change. Harvard was at the center of the 1978 Bakke decision which defined permissible ways of considering race in admissions—and again in the most recent litigation, which eliminated such practices. So it might be expected that prospective applicants would wonder how the College’s procedures would be altered, beyond the immediate steps taken to comply with the law (removing information about applicants’ race or ethnicity from all files, admission reviews, and aggregate data available during the process). It is a reasonable assumption that defining and promulgating new policies and practices was a high priority for Harvard during this academic year— until the campus turmoil following the October 7 Hamas attacks upended the campus, University leadership , and any existing agenda. As a result, other matters have had to be addressed urgently—but Alan Garber, interim president, has indicated that he will push ahead with work on admissions .

In the meantime, other institutions have more public about the steps they are taking to construct diverse classes while complying fully with the new legal realities. For example, Yale has been outspoken about pursuing outreach to students from lower-income and other communities underrepresented in its undergraduate population, and recently announced that the record cohort of applicants to the class of 2028 “By some measures…set new marks for diversity.” Cornell recently joined QuestBridge, a program through which low-income applicants seek early admission to selective colleges, commit to attend the highest-ranked school with which they match, and receive a full scholarship from the organization. Harvard is now the only Ivy institution not participating, and the College has, generally, been quieter about such matters than several peers.

Two interesting developments bear on what schools can and will do. In February, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the admissions criteria adopted by the elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Alexandria, Virginia . It eliminated an entrance exam and began offering admission to the top students from each middle school in its area (versus the top applicants from any school across the district), while also considering the “experience factors” students presented. Data on applicants’ race, sex, and name were withheld from admissions staff. Litigants objected that the effect was discriminatory, but an appeals court upheld the plan and the Supreme Court let that ruling stand. The school’s enrollment shifted from nearly three-quarters to slightly more than one-half Asian American, while becoming more nearly representative of the district’s population overall.

In light of that ruling, people who model admissions have theorized about what selective colleges might do to sustain diverse classes while considering data beyond test scores and applicants’ household income. In one vivid demonstration, a New York Times tool ( https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/09/upshot/affirmative-action-alternatives.html ) illustrates how admitted classes can be made increasingly diverse racially and ethnically as increased preference is given to applicants based on the relative poverty of their high schools and each applicant’s outperformance compared to peers, combined with more effective outreach to such students who don’t often apply to the most selective colleges. Such preferences would have to be adapted alongside, or in place, of, traditional ones (discussed below).

•Standardized testing. During the pandemic, when it was difficult to sit for the exams, many institutions waived the requirement that applicants submit SAT or ACT test scores. Since then, test-optional policies remained widely in place, in part, on the theory that the tests themselves and differential access to private tutoring disadvantage lower-income applicants or students enrolled in under-resourced high schools. Of late, however, the tide has begun to turn. MIT reinstituted a testing requirement, noting that SAT math scores indicate whether applicants have the capacity to take on a highly quantitative curriculum—and reported enrolling its most diverse class.

Citing research on the usefulness of test scores in identifying qualified but overlooked applicants, Dartmouth has reinstated its standardized test requirement beginning with its class of 2029. Yale followed suit, with a “test-flexible” standard requiring SAT, ACT, International Baccalaureate, or Advanced Placement scores. And Brown reinstituted a requirement for SAT or ACT scores. Harvard College remains test-optional through 2030 . (Just ahead of today’s announcement about class of 2028 admissions, Emi Nietfeld ’15 argued in favor of mandatory standardized testing from the perspective of a disadvantaged applicant in this New York Times essay , “How the SAT Changed My Life.”) Updated April 11, 2024, 10:40 a.m. : The College today reinstituted mandatory testing for applicants , beginning this fall, as reported here.

•Legacy and other preferences. In March, Virginia outlawed legacy preferences for alumni-related applicants to public colleges; both the University of Virginia and William & Mary, which are selective-admissions schools, are public institutions covered by the measure. Something of a movement may be afoot. Similar legislation, covering all institutions in those states, has been introduced in Minnesota and Connecticut. ( Yale has testified against; that state’s legislation would also ban preferences for donors .) In reinstituting its test requirement, Brown decided to retain early decision (thought to disadvantage students who need to compare aid offers) and family preferences (for children of alumni and Brown employees)—but with the latter subject to further review.

As on other matters, Harvard has yet to weigh in on legacies—but a conversation about such preferences, and perhaps how athletic preferences figure into the mix, has surely been percolating here as the College seeks to sustain a broadly diverse class, without resorting to practices now rendered impermissible.

In the meantime , the brilliant youngsters just granted admission can be thankful that luck favored them, too, with fewer applicants competing for spot in Harvard College’s class of 2028. Prospective students can kick the tires in person during Visitas, April 14-15 , or virtually. They have until the end of the day on Wednesday, May 1, to reply to their offers of admission.

Read the University announcement here.

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Classical & Ancient Studies at Harvard University

Here, you'll find out more about the major, including such details as the number of graduates, what degree levels are offered, ethnicity of students, and more. We've also included details on how Harvard ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in classics.

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Classical & Ancient Studies Degrees Available at Harvard

Master’s Degree in Classics

Harvard Classics Rankings

The classics major at Harvard is not ranked on College Factual’s Best Colleges and Universities for Classical & Ancient Studies. This could be for a number of reasons, such as not having enough data on the major or school to make an accurate assessment of its quality.

Popularity of Classics at Harvard

In 2021, 3 students received their master’s degree in classics from Harvard. This makes it the #2 most popular school for classics master’s degree candidates in the country.

Harvard Classics Students

Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the classics majors at Harvard University.

Harvard Classical & Ancient Studies Master’s Program

The classics program at Harvard awarded 3 master's degrees in 2020-2021. About 33% of these degrees went to men with the other 67% going to women.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Harvard University with a master's in classics.

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Gre prep online guides and tips, graduate school acceptance rates: can you get in.

Even the most qualified and confident applicants worry about getting into grad school. But don’t panic! Graduate school acceptance rates, which give the percentage of applicants that were admitted to a particular school or program in an academic year, can help you determine how likely you are to get into a given program. But where can you find grad school admissions statistics?

In this article, we’ll first investigate the trends and factors associated with graduate school acceptance rates. Then, we’ll take a look at some of the current acceptance rates and give you expert tips on how to find acceptance rates for your programs. Finally, we’ll show you how to determine your odds of getting into grad school.

Graduate School Acceptance Rates: Factors and Trends

Grad school acceptance rates are the same as any other acceptance rate: the lower the acceptance rate, the more selective the school or program is. Similarly, the higher the acceptance rate, the less selective the school or program is. As with undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates vary widely, from extraordinarily selective (less than 5 percent) to incredibly lenient (nearly 100 percent).

Unlike undergrad rates, though, grad school acceptance rates are usually calculated for specific programs or departments and not for entire universities. This is because with grad school, you are essentially applying to an individual program rather than an overall institution (as you did for undergrad).

Now that we’ve covered all of the basics, let’s look at a few key trends. Our research indicates there are three major factors that help determine grad school acceptance rates:

School or program prestige
Degree type
Amount of funding

Let’s look at how each of these factors influences grad school acceptance rates.

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#1: School or Program Prestige

How prestigious a particular grad school or program is can affect its overall competitiveness and selectivity. In general, the more prestigious a program is, the more competitive it’ll be and thus the lower acceptance rate it’ll have.

An easy way to determine school or program prestige is to consult official rankings, such as those listed on U.S. News . (Grad schools are typically ranked by field or program and not by overall institution.)

For example, a 2017 U.S. News list of the best political science grad programs ranked Duke’s political science program at #7 and Northwestern’s at #23. Because both of the programs have fairly high rankings, it’s safe to assume they’re probably quite selective.

And this is true: in 2016, Duke reported a mere 10 percent acceptance rate to its political science doctoral program, while Northwestern reported a 12 percent acceptance rate.

#2: Degree Type

Another major factor is degree type. Generally, doctoral programs tend to be more selective than master’s programs (though this isn’t always the case as I’ll explain in a moment). This trend is likely due to the fact that doctoral programs often look for higher-quality applicants with proven academic track records and more relevant experience in their fields.

For example, in 2016 University of Michigan’s math doctoral program had a 17.2 percent acceptance rate, whereas its master’s program had a much higher 31.8 percent rate. In this case, the doctoral program is clearly tougher to get into than the master’s program.

Still, master’s programs can have lower acceptance rates than doctoral programs. If we were to take the University of Michigan’s grad programs in computer science and engineering, we’d find that the doctoral program has a 15 percent acceptance rate and the master’s an even lower 8 percent acceptance rate .

Additionally, M.F.A. programs are particularly cutthroat. In 2015, the creative writing M.F.A. program at UT Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers only admitted 12 out of 678 applicants — that’s a mere 1.8 percent acceptance rate !

#3: Amount of Funding

Funding, too, plays a big role in how selective a grad program is.

Well-funded programs typically receive more applications than those offering little to no aid, thereby raising their selectivity. Competition is especially fierce for fully funded programs — possibly because fewer people are willing to go into debt for grad school.

Compared to fully funded doctoral programs, fully funded master’s programs are somewhat rare and thus pretty competitive. UT Austin’s Creative Writing M.F.A. program, for instance, is not only a prestigious program but also one of the most well-funded Creative Writing M.F.A. programs in the country: it offers full tuition remission and a $27,500 stipend per academic year . It’s no wonder, then, that its acceptance rate is below 2 percent!

What Are the Current Graduate School Acceptance Rates?

For this section, we’ve scoured the internet to bring you a robust assortment of acceptance rates for popular U.S. grad schools.

Before we dive in, note that not all institutions calculate grad school acceptance rates using the same methodologies. Some offer only a single acceptance rate for all of their grad schools put together, while others offer individual rates by school, field, or program.

Now, let’s see how selective these schools really are!

*Statistics for NYU are based on the number of enrolled students and not the number of admitted students. Therefore, expect actual acceptance rates to be slightly higher.

How to Find Graduate School Acceptance Rates: 4 Methods

Unfortunately, grad school admissions statistics tend to be more difficult to find than undergrad acceptance rates. But there are ways to search for them — you just have to do a lot of digging and possibly a little reaching out.

Below are our top four methods for finding grad school acceptance rates for the programs you’re applying to.

#1: Consult School Websites

By far the most reliable resources for grad school admissions statistics are school websites.

Start your search by consulting program and departmental pages, particularly admissions and FAQ pages. Look out for any statistics-related keywords or phrases, such as “admission(s) rates,” “acceptance rates,” “enrollment,” “facts and figures,” etc. Use ctrl+F to move swiftly through large chunks of text.

Not all schools publish grad admissions information online, and those that do don’t always report it in the same way as others. For example, Princeton offers a handy PDF containing acceptance rates for all academic fields of study. On the other hand, Notre Dame gives separate admissions charts for each of its grad programs (which you can access by selecting a program and then clicking “Admissions Statistics”).

Additionally, many schools release admissions statistics without explicitly publishing acceptance rates. In this case, it’s your job to take the statistics provided and use them to calculate an acceptance rate. To find the acceptance rate of a school or program, you’ll need the following information:

The total number of applicants in a year
The total number of applicants granted admission that year

The acceptance rate equals the total number of applicants offered admission divided by the total number of applicants and then multiplied by 100, or:

$$\acceptance \rate = {\number \of \applicants \offered \admission}/{\total \number \of \applicants}100$$

Be sure to avoid conflating the number of students who were offered admission with the number of students who accepted their offers of admission. These two concepts sound alike but are actually different. What you’re looking for is the first statistic — that is, the number of admitted students (regardless of whether they decided to enroll).

If you’re having trouble finding admissions statistics by browsing school websites, search on Google for “[Your School] graduate acceptance rate” and see if any relevant school pages appear. While searching for acceptance rates to use in the table above, I consistently swapped “acceptance rate” with similar phrases, such as “admission(s) rate,” “facts and figures,” “student statistics,” “admittance rates,” and “admission(s) statistics.”

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Don’t be afraid to get creative! You can also use phrases like “Ph.D. admissions statistics” or “master’s admissions statistics” to narrow your search even further. Try to think outside the box as you do your research. What are other ways people talk about acceptance rates?

#2: Check U.S. News

If your school or program doesn’t offer any admissions statistics on its website, go to U.S. News . This website offers official rankings of grad programs as well as lists of the most (and least) selective programs in various fields.

For example, I found a 2016 list of the most competitive online M.B.A. programs and a 2015 list of the most competitive online graduate engineering programs .

If U.S. News doesn’t offer any relevant lists for you to use, try skimming the current grad school rankings to gauge how competitive your program is compared with others in the same field.

#3: Search Other Websites

One less reliable method for looking up grad school admissions statistics is to look for (unofficial) websites discussing acceptance rates for your school or program.

The Grad Cafe’s admissions results section is a solid place to start. Here, applicants post whether they’ve been accepted, rejected, or waitlisted for grad programs.

Search for your program to get a rough feel for how many acceptances and rejections go out each year. You might notice that certain types of applicants are more active than others. Creative Writing M.F.A. applicants, for example, are prolific posters in winter and spring (during admissions season).

Occasionally, Google itself will provide you with grad school acceptance rates, but this only appears to work consistently for well-known law schools, medical schools, and business schools.

Additionally, while using Google, don’t assume that any acceptance rates that pop up are directly connected to your search terms. For example, when I searched “stanford graduate acceptance rate,” Google gave me this result:

This 4.8 percent acceptance rate is not the acceptance rate for Stanford’s grad programs (what I searched for) but rather the acceptance rate for undergrads. So always cross-check any statistics Google gives you.

You can also consult grad school data websites such as Peterson’s and StartClass . Take their grad school acceptance rates with a grain of salt, though — their data isn’t always verifiable online. If possible, try to compare any data you find on these types of websites with the school websites themselves or U.S. News .

#4: Contact Schools

If the internet isn’t giving you the help you need, call or email your schools. Be polite but upfront: ask whether the school calculates acceptance rates for grad programs and where you can find this information online (if available).

If a school refuses to divulge admissions statistics or simply doesn’t report acceptance rates, see if they can give you estimates for how many applications they receive each year, or for how many acceptances they usually extend to applicants in your program.

Graduate School Acceptance: What Are Your Odds?

By this point, you might be wondering how likely it is you’ll actually get into the grad program you wish to attend. After all, acceptance rates are pretty broad — they tell you what everyone’s odds are but not your odds specifically.

Below are three easy steps for determining your odds of getting into grad school, including advice on when it’s better to go for it or choose another program.

Step 1: Check Program Requirements

First, go to your program’s website and pinpoint the admissions requirements page. Now, ask yourself: do you meet all of the program’s basic requirements? If not, you’ll likely wind up with a rejection (and might not even be able to apply).

However, if you’re still interested in applying, contact the program and ask if they’ll make an exception for you. Your chance of getting accepted is still low, but you’ll at least have your application considered.

If your program strongly recommends qualities you lack, don’t interpret this as an automatic rejection. Sometimes, applicants can make up for deficiencies in other ways. For example, if your undergrad GPA is 3.1 and your program recommends applicants have a minimum 3.2, don’t write off the program — you might still have a shot at getting in as long as the rest of your application is solid.

On the other hand, even if you meet all of a program’s requirements, you’re not necessarily a shoo-in. Remember, all other applicants have met these requirements, too, so you’ll need to find a unique way to make your application stand out.

Step 2: Find Average GRE Scores and GPAs

Your next step is to look up your program’s average GRE scores and GPA to see how your own scores and GPA compare with those of previously admitted applicants.

You can usually find GRE score information on admissions requirements or FAQ pages. You can also search on Google for “[Your School] [Your Program] average GRE scores.” For step-by-step instructions on how to find average GRE scores, check out my article on average GRE scores by school .

For GPAs, you can use the same basic methodology. Check admissions requirements and FAQ pages and use ctrl+F to search for “GPA.” If GPA information is available, you’ll most likely come across minimum GPAs or average GPAs (or both). For more tips on how to find GPA information for your grad schools, read our guide .

Now, compare your own GRE scores and GPA with the averages you’ve found. Below are all possible scenarios and what they mean for you and your odds of getting into the program:

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Your GRE scores and GPA are both higher than your program’s averages: Congratulations! You have an excellent chance of getting accepted, especially if the rest of your application is equally impressive. Keep up the great work!
Your GRE scores and GPA are both about the same as your program’s averages: You’re doing pretty well! You are just the type of applicant your program is looking for. The only drawback is that you probably won’t stand out as much from other applicants who have similar GRE scores and GPAs. So take time to make your application sparkle (I’m looking at you, statement of purpose).
Your GRE scores and GPA are both lower than your program’s averages (or just one of the two is lower): It ain’t over ’til it’s over! You can still make up for your deficiencies in other ways. While you can’t change your GPA, you can retake the GRE . If your GPA is low, a great strategy for combating this is to discuss it in your statement of purpose, taking care to highlight any external factors that contributed to the low GPA as well as any attributes of yours that prove you’re indeed ready for grad school.

Step 3: Decide Whether to Apply

Now, we get to the final question: do you apply to the program or not? This is a vague question that’s difficult to answer as is. The real questions you should be asking yourself are as follows:

Do I meet all of the program’s basic requirements?
Do I meet most or all of the program’s expectations of applicants (in terms of GRE scores, GPA, etc.)?
Is the program’s acceptance rate extremely low?
Do I really like this program?

Although acceptance rates and GRE/GPA comparisons are helpful, don’t base your decision to apply solely on how difficult the program is to get into. We can’t know for sure what kind of applicant a grad program is looking for or who they’re willing to make an exception for.

Take a moment to think deeply about how interested you are in this particular program. Be realistic about your chances of getting in — but don’t cross the line into pessimism. If you don’t meet most or all of a program’s expectations and you’re not super invested in it, consider applying elsewhere.

But if you meet some, most, or all of a program’s expectations and you’re extremely interested in enrolling, give the application a go. Remember, it’s totally normal (and even encouraged) to have a few reach schools. Plus, you’ll never get in if you don’t apply!

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Acceptance Rates

Grad school acceptance rates quantify for us the selectivity of grad schools and programs. More specifically, acceptance rates tell us what percentage of applicants were offered admission to a particular grad school or program.

With grad school, acceptance rates are often reported for individual schools or programs, not entire universities. Acceptance rates can vary widely depending on program prestige, the type of degree you’re seeking, and how much (or how little) funding a program offers.

Unlike undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates are somewhat difficult to locate online. You can look for them using any of the following four methods:

Peruse school websites
Check grad school facts and lists on U.S. News
Browse other websites and forums such as The Grad Cafe
Call or email your schools

When trying to determine your odds of getting into a program, look at your program’s requirements as well as the average GPA and GRE scores of previously admitted applicants to your program. If your GRE scores and GPA are comparable to those of your program, you have a decent shot at getting accepted. If one or both are lower than your program’s averages, however, you can always try to raise your GRE score with a retake or address your GPA in your statement of purpose.

At the end of the day, what ultimately matters isn’t that you get accepted to a highly competitive grad program but that you make the right decision for you and you alone!

What’s Next?

Need help with your grad school application? Learn about the most common grad school requirements and get tips on how to write a grad school CV or resume !

Is your GPA good enough for grad school ? Read our in-depth guide to learn how you can make up for a less-than-stellar GPA and ultimately raise your chances of getting into the school of your dreams.

Do you have to take the GRE for grad school ? When are grad school deadlines ? Check out our guides for answers to these questions and more.

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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Update on Harvard BBS Acceptance Rate

By PhDHopeful3 January 12, 2017 in Biology

PhDHopeful3

Hi everyone,

I just heard some information that surprised me today that I wanted to share (as it's quite different than previous post-interview acceptance rates that I had heard for Harvard BBS). There are ~70 people attending the first (January) interview weekend, and ~50 people attending the second (Feb) interview weekend. They're also still expecting to hear back from a few more people who haven't yet signed up.

They are looking to fill 65-70 spots for this cycle.

I was quite surprised, because I'd heard for Harvard BBS that if you get an interview, you're pretty much good (~90% post-interview acceptance rate), but these numbers don't indicate that.

Just wanted to share this info, as I know people are often talking about acceptance rates!

I should have added that I was told that, yes, more offers go out than the 65-70 spots that they're looking to fill (makes sense, as we know students will choose other programs for various reasons). But absolutely not to the tune of 80-90% of interviewees receiving an offer of admission.

DecCat and Kaede

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Kaede 10 posts

Nomad1111 8 posts

hippopotamus 8 posts

PhDHopeful3 7 posts

Jan 17 2017

hippopotamus

Does anyone know if Harvard BBS sends out the list of faculty that you'll be interviewing with?

1 hour ago, hippopotamus said: Does anyone know if Harvard BBS sends out the list of faculty that you'll be interviewing with?

Don't think so. Still waiting on that.

Got contact with my student host though.

8 minutes ago, desmond.bo said: Don't think so. Still waiting on that. Got contact with my student host though.

Did your grad student host contact you directly?

32 minutes ago, hippopotamus said: Did your grad student host contact you directly?

Yep. I suppose they are doing these independently.

2 weeks later...

Does anyone know when we hear back from Harvard BBS?

20 minutes ago, hippopotamus said: Does anyone know when we hear back from Harvard BBS?

From looking at the previous two years, it looks like the first round of interviews hears today.... not sure if that's the case this year, but that's how it has been previously.

10 hours ago, PhDHopeful3 said: From looking at the previous two years, it looks like the first round of interviews hears today.... not sure if that's the case this year, but that's how it has been previously.

Nothing happened to me today. Did you guys heard about anything?

56 minutes ago, desmond.bo said: Nothing happened to me today. Did you guys heard about anything?

i don't think anything came out today. maybe tomorrow

Nothing today!

Nothing in the results section either

Come on BBS, let's try for today for week 1!

PhDHopeful3 and MCF10A

jeanetics17

Maybe they're adjusting how many people they admit this year based on last year's results which they told us was a very big class (~70-75). Since so many people accepted last year, they probably think a similar trend will occur this year, and of course those are huge numbers in terms of cost for the program. When we didn't hear back last week, I suspected something was up and perhaps (I suspect) the 1st group of interviewees won't hear back until after the 2nd interview. Basically, I think they are going to pool all interviewees and cut from that instead of each weekend (reducing the amount accepted in total).

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The Office of Admissions oversees the application process for prospective students interested in master’s and PhD programs . We answer questions about the online application and work with graduate program admissions committees, who make acceptance decisions.

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Department of Classics, The University of Chicago

PhD Admissions

To apply to any of our PhD programs , you must submit an online application through the Division of the Humanities by December 15 for admission in the following Autumn Quarter. Applications submitted to the Division will then be forwarded to us for review.

We welcome your applications! We are always happy to speak with and meet with prospective students. We encourage you to contact our Administrative Assistant, Kathy Fox , and individual faculty members in your area of interest to discuss your research interests, ask questions about the admissions process, and schedule appointments.

The Autumn 2022 application is now available.

Application Requirements

We expect our applicants to have a strong background in Greek and Latin and an inquiring mind. We encourage students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than Classics to apply and explain in their application their plan for achieving language readiness.

A similarly strong background in modern languages is not a requirement. All of our students are expected to demonstrate competence at reading French and German by the end of the third year.

Applications must include the following materials:

International applicants are considered in the same way and are eligible for the same financial aid as domestic applicants, and should read the Division of the Humanities’ information for international applicants .

Before Applying

Before you apply, you should read carefully the information on the programs we offer , including the full degree requirements, and the descriptions of current and past graduate courses .

All the members of our department are happy to talk with prospective students. We encourage you to contact faculty members to discuss your research interests and the variety of possible methods by which you will be able to pursue them at the University of Chicago. In the online application portal, you will be able to indicate with which faculty members you have discussed your application.

To understand the variety and scope of the research conducted by our graduate students and the intellectual community you will be joining, we encourage you to read our student profiles . For a record of the PhD dissertations produced by our past students and their current job placements, please visit our alumni page .

If you would like to visit the University of Chicago before you apply, please contact our Administrative Assistant, Kathy Fox , or individual faculty members to arrange meetings with faculty or to sit in on graduate classes. The university offers tour of the campus led by current graduate students every weekday. To attend a tour, please register in advance.

Advice on Applying

Professor Sarah Nooter has written advice on applying to PhD programs in Classics for the publication Eidolon .

Completing the Application

The deadline for completing an application for admission in any Autumn Quarter is December 15 of the preceding year.

The application form must be completed online . Supporting documents can be uploaded as PDFs to the application portal. Before you begin to complete the application form, you should read carefully the application instructions provided by the Division of the Humanities.

When you complete the application form, you will have the opportunity to select your program .

If you have questions about the online application form, please direct them to the Division of the Humanities’ admissions team .

After Applying

Official admission decisions will be provided only through the online application portal during the first half of March. The Dean of Students will email applicants when the decision is ready to view. You should ensure that your contact information remains up to date in the application portal. We may communicate a decision with you before the official decision is available to view.

It is not possible to defer an offer of admission to a later year.

Each of our admitted students will be in close contact, via email or video call, with a faculty member who shares their interests. The Department will also organise and fund visit days for admitted students early in Spring Quarter of each year. During the visit days, admitted students will be hosted by current graduate students, meet with faculty members and attend graduate classes inside and outside the Department, and explore Hyde Park and the city of Chicago.

If you have been offered admission, you will be provided with a link to an online response form. You must respond to your decision by April 15.

Advice on Choosing a Program

Professor Sarah Nooter has also written advice on choosing a PhD program in Classics in the event that you have received multiple offers of admission.

40 Best Colleges for Classics Majors – 2024

April 11, 2024

Majoring in classics does not provide a direct career path like pre-professional fields of study. Rather, it produces graduates who thrive in the areas of critical thinking, research, writing, and communication, skills that prepare them to excel in just about any area. A glance at where Georgetown’s Classics majors end up professionally reveals everything from screenwriter to politician to surgeon to entrepreneur. Some who master Latin and Greek continue on and become the next generation of academics, pursuing Ph.D.s in the Classics or a related subject. No matter which path you choose, the following schools will help you get there.

As part of a classics major, you can expect to take courses such as the Ancient Near East, Race & Ethnicity in the Classical World, Sex & Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome, Ancient Drama, Greek & Roman Mythology, Intro to Mediterranean Archaeology, and the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Methodology

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Classics Majors.

Best Colleges

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten institutions that offer a classics major that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Harvard University

2) University of Chicago

3) Brown University

4) Stanford University

5) Williams College

6) Columbia University

7) Princeton University

8) Yale University

9) University of Notre Dame

10) Georgetown University

All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the field of the classics and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best classics colleges, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:

Cost of Attendance
Acceptance Rate
Median SAT
Median ACT
Retention Rate
Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Academic Highlights: There are 50 undergraduate fields of study referred to as concentrations; many are interdisciplinary. Even with a graduate population of over 14,000 to cater to, undergraduate class sizes still tend to be small, with 42% of sections having single-digit enrollments and 71% being capped at nineteen. Economics, government, and computer science are the three most popular areas of concentration at Harvard. Biology, chemistry, physics, math, statistics, sociology, history, English, and psychology all sit atop most departmental ranking lists.

Professional Outcomes: The Crimson Class of 2022 saw 15% of students head directly into graduate/professional school. Of the graduates entering the world of work (virtually everyone else), 58% were entering either the consulting, finance, or technology field. Over 1,000 Harvard alumni presently work for Google and over 500 for Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. Turning our attention to those moving on to graduate school, Harvard grads with at least a 3.5 GPA typically enjoy acceptance rates into medical school of 90% or greater.

Enrollment: 7,240
Cost of Attendance: $79,450
Median SAT: 1550
Median ACT: 35
Acceptance Rate: 3%
Retention Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 98%

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights: There are 53 majors at UChicago, but close to half of all degrees conferred are in four majors: economics, biology, mathematics, and political science, all of which have particularly sterling reputations. Economics alone is the selection of roughly one-fifth of the undergraduate population. Over 75% of undergrad sections have an enrollment of nineteen or fewer students, and undergraduate research opportunities are ubiquitous as 80% of students end up working in a research capacity alongside a faculty member.

Professional Outcomes: On commencement day, 99% of the Class of 2023 were employed or continuing their education. Business and financial services (30%) and STEM (12%) were the two sectors that scooped up the most graduates, but public policy and consulting were also well-represented. The most popular employers of recent grads include Google, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Citi, and Accenture. For those heading to grad school, the top seven destinations are Yale, Columbia, Penn, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, and Johns Hopkins.

Enrollment: 7,653 (undergraduate); 10,870 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $89,040
Median SAT: 1540
Acceptance Rate: 5%
Retention Rate: 99%
Graduation Rate: 96%

Brown University

Providence, RI

Academic Highlights: Students must choose one of 80+ “concentration programs,” but there are no required courses. Class sizes tend to be small—68% have fewer than twenty students—and 35% are comprised of nine or fewer students. Biology, economics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering are among the most popular areas of concentration at Brown; however, it is hard to distinguish any one program, because Brown possesses outstanding offerings across so many disciplines.

Professional Outcomes: Soon after receiving their Brown diplomas, 69% of graduates enter the world of employment. Companies employing the greatest number of Brown alums include Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, Apple, McKinsey & Company, and Bain & Company. The Class of 2022 saw 27% of graduates go directly into graduate/professional school. Right out of undergrad, Brown students boasted an exceptional 81% admission rate to med school and an 81% admission rate to law school.

Enrollment: 7,639
Cost of Attendance: $84,828
Median SAT: 1530

Stanford University

Palo Alto, CA

Academic Highlights: Stanford has three undergraduate schools: the School of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. 69% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and 34% have a single-digit enrollment. Programs in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, international relations, and economics are arguably the best anywhere. In terms of sheer volume, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), computer science (16%), engineering (15%), and interdisciplinary studies (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Stanford grads entering the working world flock to three major industries in equal distribution: business/finance/consulting/retail (19%); computer, IT (19%); and public policy and service, international affairs (19%). Among the companies employing the largest number of recent grads are Accenture, Apple, Bain, Cisco, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Microsoft, and SpaceX. Other companies that employ hundreds of Cardinal alums include LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Airbnb. Starting salaries for Stanford grads are among the highest in the country.

Enrollment: 8,049 (undergraduate); 10,236 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $87,833
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Graduation Rate: 95%

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

Academic Highlights: The school’s 25 academic departments offer 36 majors and a number of concentrations rather than minors. An unparalleled 40% of courses have fewer than ten students enrolled; the median class size is 12 students. Programs in economics, English, history, math, and political science are especially renowned, and the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (26%), the physical sciences (10%), math and statistics (9%), psychology (9%), and computer science (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Among the Class of 2022, 92% were employed or continuing their educational journey within six months of graduating. Business and education typically attract the most students, with popular companies/organizations including Apple, Google, Goldman Sachs, The New York Times Co., the Peace Corps, and Teach for America. The median annual income for 2022 grads was $75,000. 75% pursue an advanced degree within five years of leaving Williams, with the most frequently attended graduate programs being Harvard, Columbia, and Yale.

Enrollment: 2,152 (undergraduate); 53 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $81,160
Median SAT: 1520
Acceptance Rate: 8%
Retention Rate: 97%

Columbia University

New York, NY

Academic Highlights: Columbia offers 100+ unique areas of undergraduate study as well as a number of pre-professional and accelerated graduate programs. Class sizes at Columbia are reasonably small and the student-to-faculty ratio is favorable; however, in 2022, it was revealed that the university had been submitting faulty data in this area. It is presently believed that 58% of undergraduate courses enroll 19 or fewer students. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (22%), computer science (15%), engineering (14%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Examining the most recent graduates from Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science, 73% had found employment within six months, and 20% had entered graduate school. The median starting salary for graduates of Columbia College/Columbia Engineering is above $80,000. Many graduates get hired by the likes of Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Google, Citi, McKinsey, and Microsoft.

Enrollment: 8,832
Cost of Attendance: $89,587

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

Academic Highlights: 39 majors are available at Princeton. Just under three-quarters of class sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 31% have fewer than ten students. Princeton is known for its commitment to undergraduate teaching, and students consistently rate professors as accessible and helpful. The Engineering Department is widely recognized as one of the country’s best, as is the School of Public and International Affairs.

Professional Highlights: Over 95% of a typical Tiger class finds their next destination within six months of graduating. Large numbers of recent grads flock to the fields of business and engineering, health/science, & tech. Companies presently employing hundreds of Tiger alumni include Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Meta. The average salary ranges from $40k (education, health care, or social services) to $100k (computer/mathematical positions). Between 15-20% of graduating Tigers head directly to graduate/professional school.

Enrollment: 5,604 (undergraduate); 3,238 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $86,700
Acceptance Rate: 6%

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Academic Highlights: Yale offers 80 majors, most of which require a one- to two-semester senior capstone experience. Undergraduate research is a staple, and over 70% of classes—of which there are over 2,000 to choose from—have an enrollment of fewer than 20 students, making Yale a perfect environment for teaching and learning. Among the top departments are biology, economics, global affairs, engineering, history, and computer science. The social sciences (26%), biology (11%), mathematics (8%), and computer science (8%) are the most popular areas of concentration.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduating, 73% of the Yale Class of 2022 had entered the world of employment and 18% matriculated into graduate programs. Hundreds of Yale alums can be found at each of the world’s top companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. The most common industries entered by the newly hired were finance (20%), research/education (16%), technology (14%), and consulting (12%). The mean starting salary for last year’s grads was $81,769 ($120k for CS majors). Nearly one-fifth of students immediately pursue graduate school.

Enrollment: 6,590 (undergraduate); 5,344 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $87,705

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Academic Highlights: 75 majors are offered across six undergraduate colleges: the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Letters, the Mendoza School of Business (one of the country’s best business schools), the College of Engineering, the Keough School of Global Affairs, and the College of Science. In 2022, the most degrees were conferred in business (20%), the social sciences (18%), engineering (12%), and biology (8%). A solid 60% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 15% have single-digit numbers. 75% of Notre Dame undergrads study abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 69% of 2022 grads directly entered the world of employment, with the most common industries being financial services (21%), consulting (17%), technology (12%), and health services (9%). Massive numbers of alumni can be found at Deloitte, EY, PwC, IBM, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and McKinsey & Co. The median early-career salary was $76,000. Of the 20% of grads who went directly into their graduate/professional studies, 18% were pursuing medical degrees and 9% were studying law.

Enrollment: 8,971 (undergraduate); 4,134 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $86,125
Median SAT: 1500
Median ACT: 34
Acceptance Rate: 13%

Georgetown University

Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 60% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. While some classes are a bit larger, only 7% cross the 50-student threshold. Those desiring to join the world of politics or diplomacy are in the right place. The Government and International Affairs programs are among the best in the country. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (38%) followed by business (20%), interdisciplinary studies (8%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 75% of members of the Class of 2022 entered the workforce, 19% went directly into a graduate or professional program of study, and 3% were still seeking employment. The Class of 2022 sent massive numbers of graduates to a number of major corporations including JPMorgan Chase (22), Citi (21), BOA (18), Morgan Stanley (16), and EY (10). Those attending grad school stay at Georgetown or flock to other elite schools like Columbia and Harvard.

Enrollment: 7,900
Cost of Attendance: $85,000
Acceptance Rate: 12%

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights : 90 distinct degrees are available across four schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Applied Science and Engineering, the College of Nursing, and the world-renowned Wharton School. The greatest number of students pursue degrees in business (19%), social sciences (14%), biology (11%), health sciences (9%), engineering (9%), and computer science (9%). The university boasts an exceptional 26% of courses with an enrollment under ten and 59% with an enrollment under twenty as well as multiple ways for undergrads to conduct research.

Professional Outcomes: 75% of Class of 2022 grads were employed within six months of graduating, and 18% were in graduate school. Finance attracted the highest percentage of grads (30%) followed by consulting (20%), technology (15%), and healthcare (10%). Employers hiring the greatest number of 2022 grads included JPMorgan, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, Bain & Company, Meta, and Goldman Sachs. The median starting salary for all graduates is $80,000. For those continuing their educational journeys, the most popular move is to remain at Penn, followed by Columbia and Harvard.

Enrollment: 9,760 (undergraduate); 13,614 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $89,028
Acceptance Rate: 7%

Cornell University

Academic Highlights: A diverse array of academic programs includes 80 majors and 120 minors spread across the university’s seven schools/colleges. Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 55% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Most degrees conferred in 2022 were in computer science (17%), engineering (13%), business (13%), and biology (13%). The SC Johnson College of Business houses two undergraduate schools, both of which have phenomenal reputations.

Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 68% entered the workforce, 28% entered graduate school, 1% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 3% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. The top sectors attracting campus-wide graduateswere financial services (18%), technology (17%), consulting (15%), and education (10%). Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 15% were pursuing JDs, 5% MDs, and 22% PhDs.

Enrollment: 15,735
Cost of Attendance: $88,150

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Academic Highlights : Northwestern is home to six undergraduate schools, including Medill, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s best journalism schools. The McCormick School of Engineering also achieves top rankings, along with programs in economics, social policy, and theatre. The social sciences account for the greatest number of degrees conferred (19%), followed by communications/journalism (13%), and engineering (11%). 45% of classes have nine or fewer students enrolled; 78% have fewer than twenty enrollees. 57% of recent grads had the chance to conduct undergraduate research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 69% of the Class of 2022 had found employment and 27% were in graduate school. The four most popular professional fields were consulting (18%), engineering (18%), business/finance (16%), and communications/marketing/media (13%). Employers included the BBC, NBC News, The Washington Post , NPR, Boeing, Google, IBM, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Northrop Grumman, and Goldman Sachs. Across all majors, the average starting salary was $73k. Of those headed straight to graduate school, engineering, medicine, and business were the three most popular areas of concentration.

Enrollment: 8,659 (undergraduate); 14,073 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $91,290
Graduation Rate: 97%

Duke University

Academic Highlights: The academic offerings at Duke include 53 majors, 52 minors, and 23 interdisciplinary certificates. Class sizes are on the small side—71% are nineteen or fewer, and almost one-quarter are less than ten. A stellar 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps keep classes so reasonable even while catering to five figures worth of graduate students. Computer Science is the most popular area of concentration (11%), followed by economics (10%), public policy (9%), biology (8%), and computer engineering (7%).

Professional Outcomes: At graduation, approximately 70% of Duke diploma-earners enter the world of work, 20% continue into graduate schools, and 2% start their own businesses. The industries that attract the largest percentage of Blue Devils are tech (21%), finance (15%), business (15%), healthcare (9%), and science/research (6%). Of the 20% headed into graduate school, a hefty 22% are attending medical school, 18% are in PhD programs, and 12% are entering law school. The med school acceptance rate is 85%, more than twice the national average.

Enrollment: 6,640
Cost of Attendance: $85,238
SAT Range: 1490-1570
ACT Range: 34-35

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Academic Highlights: Dartmouth sports 60+ majors and a stunning breadth of course selections for an institution of its size. The learning environment at Dartmouth is extraordinarily intimate. Not only do 61% of course sections have under twenty students, but 18% have single-digit enrollments. The student-to-faculty ratio is an outstanding 7:1. Top programs offered by Big Green include biology, economics, neuroscience, and government. The social sciences are the most popular, accounting for 32% of degrees conferred, followed by computer science (10%), mathematics (9%), engineering (9%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: A great reputation along with a passionate alumni network that is 80,000 strong leads Dartmouth grads to successful transitions into graduate school and the world of work. Included in the top ten employers of Dartmouth grads are a number of investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bain & Company, Citibank, and Deutsche Bank. Right off the bat, 52% of graduates make more than $70,000 in salary. Those pursuing graduate degrees often flock to the likes of Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton.

Enrollment: 4,458
Cost of Attendance: $87,793

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can study within one of seven colleges/schools, which all offer many small classes; 15% boast single-digit enrollment and 48% contain 19 or fewer students. The McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Engineering and Applied Science have glowing reputations. Other notable strengths include computer science, economics, and political philosophy, policy, and law. The most popular degree areas are liberal arts/general studies (22%), the social sciences (14%), engineering (11%), business/marketing (8%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their degree, 95% of the Class of 2022 immediately joined the workforce–with an average starting salary of $90k–or headed directly to graduate school. The most popular industries were internet & software, higher education, and management consulting. Capital One (85), Deloitte (46), Amazon (38), and Bain & Co. (26) scooped up the greatest number of 2022 grads. UVA itself was the most popular grad school destination followed by Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins.

Enrollment: 17,496 (undergraduate); 8,653 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $39,494-49,874 (in-state); $78,214-90,378 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1470
Median ACT: 33
Acceptance Rate: 19%

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Academic Highlights : WashU admits students into five schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs: Arts & Sciences, the Olin School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the Art of Architecture programs housed within the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (13%), social sciences (13%), business (13%), biology (11%), and psychology (10%). 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. 65% double major or pursue a minor.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 sent 52% of grads into the workforce and 28% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Amazon, Bain, Boeing, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Of the employed members of the Class of 2022 who reported their starting salaries, 79% made more than $60k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford.

Enrollment: 8,132 (undergraduate); 8,880 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $83,760
Acceptance Rate: 11%
Retention Rate: 96%
Graduation Rate: 93%

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

Academic Highlights: The college offers thirty traditional majors as well as additional subjects in which one can pursue a student-designed major. The average class size is a manageable 19 students, and 62% of courses have enrollments lower than that. There are no majors that undergrads flock to in overwhelming numbers, but the most popular are the social sciences (29%), psychology (14%), history (7%), and biology (6%). All of those popular departments also rank well nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after moving their tassels to the left, 68% of the Class of 2021 (most recent stats available) were employed, 19% were in graduate school, and only 3% were still seeking full-time employment. Organizations employing more than one recent graduate include Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Massachusetts General Hospital, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Oracle, and Dell. Among those enrolled in graduate school, 14% were in law school, 14% were pursuing degrees in a health profession, and 6% were in PhD programs.

Enrollment: 3,233
Cost of Attendance: $78,600
Median SAT: 1360
Median ACT: 30
Acceptance Rate: 36%
Retention Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 91%

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA

Academic Highlights: Grinnell offers 42 areas of study and over 500 courses each semester. Thanks to a 9:1 student/faculty ratio and no competition from graduate students, 64% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and roughly one-quarter of sections have single-digit student enrollments. A top producer of PhDs in both the sciences and the social sciences, Grinnell has strong offerings in biology, chemistry, physics, economics, and history. The largest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences, foreign languages, biology, and computer science.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduation, 62% of Grinnell students head into the workforce, 26% to graduate school, 2% to postgraduate service, and 2% earned fellowships. Multiple recent grads accepted positions with JPMorgan, Epic, and Google. The mean salary of those employed was roughly $64,397. Close to 40% of those entering graduate school pursue PhDs or master’s degrees in the hard sciences, 8% head to law school, and 3% were bound for medical school; 88% of all applicants were accepted into their first or second choice program.

Enrollment: 1,759
Cost of Attendance: $82,890
Median SAT: 1460
Retention Rate: 93%
Graduation Rate: 88%

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA

Academic Highlights: The university offers 36 majors and 29 minors. With an exceptionally low 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, over 80% of class sections contain 19 or fewer students. Instructors earn rave reviews. The renowned Williams School of Commerce, Politics, and Economics offers outstanding programs, as do the Journalism and Mass Communication, English, and History Departments. Altogether, business accounts for 23% of the degrees conferred; the social sciences (25%), biology (9%), and foreign language (6%) are also popular.

Professional Outcomes: Last year, 69% of recent graduates found employment within six months of leaving Lexington; the most frequently entered industries were financial services, economics/finance, education, consulting, and real estate. Companies presently employing more than two dozen Generals including EY, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, PwC, JPMorgan, Capital One, and Morgan Stanley. Starting salaries are solid with the majority of the cohort being paid $55,000 or more while 18% brought home in excess of $75,000.

Enrollment: 1,867 (undergraduate); 376 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $87,000
Median SAT: 1480
Acceptance Rate: 17%
Graduation Rate: 94%

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Academic Highlights: With 53 majors as well as 51 minors, JHU excels in everything from its bread-and-butter medical-related majors to international relations and dance. Boasting an enviable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and with 78% of course sections possessing an enrollment under 20, face time with professors is a reality. Many departments carry a high level of clout, including biomedical engineering, chemistry, English, and international studies. Biology, neuroscience, and computer science, which happen to be the three most popular majors, can also be found at the top of the national rankings.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 saw 94% of graduates successfully land at their next destination within six months of exiting the university; 66% of graduates entered the world of employment and a robust 19% went directly to graduate/professional school. The median starting salary across all majors was $80,000 for the Class of 2022. JHU itself is the most popular choice for graduate school. The next most frequently attended institutions included Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and MIT.

Enrollment: 6,044
Cost of Attendance: $86,065

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

Academic Highlights: With its small size, the impressive part of the college is the exceptional quality of its offerings, not the breadth of them, as only 37 majors are available. The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, which allows the college to ensure that 62% have fewer than twenty students and 24% have enrollments you can count on two hands. Overall, the average number of students per class is only 18. Top programs at Davidson include psychology, political science, chemistry, and English; biology is also quite popular, accounting for 12% of degrees conferred in 2022.

Professional Outcomes: Looking at the outcomes data for 2022 grads, 70% landed jobs within six months of graduation, 26% were enrolled in a graduate program, and 3% were still seeking employment. Of those who attended grad school, the highest number were in healthcare-related programs (including MDs), law school, and laboratory sciences. Significant numbers of students pursue advanced degrees at other Southern gems including Vanderbilt, Emory, Duke, Wake Forest, and UNC.

Enrollment: 1,927
Cost of Attendance: $76,450
Median SAT: 1430
Median ACT: 32
Retention Rate: 94%
Graduation Rate: 92%

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA

Academic Highlights: On the home campus, undergraduates can choose from 35 majors and 50 minors. Roughly 35% of the student body earns degrees in the natural sciences or mathematics, a figure four times the national average for women. By volume, the most popular majors are mathematics, psychology, biology, English, and computer science. An 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to small class sizes with 74% of sections having fewer than twenty students, and 24% of sections enrolling nine students or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: One year after receiving their diplomas, 57% of Bryn Mawr graduates had found employment and a robust 28% had already entered graduate school. Most of the organizations employing the greatest number of alumni are universities and hospital systems, although Google, Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, and Vanguard do employ a fair number of Bryn Mawr graduates. Among recent grads pursuing further education, 63% were in master’s programs, 13% were already working on their PhD, and 10% were in medical school.

Enrollment: 1,409
Cost of Attendance: $79,880
Median SAT: 1400
Median ACT: 31
Acceptance Rate: 31%
Retention Rate: 90%
Graduation Rate: 83%

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are small—64% contain fewer than twenty students—and 21% have fewer than ten students. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1. More than half of Bowdoin undergrads report interacting with a professor outside of regular class time at least once per week. The greatest percentage of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (30%), biology (13%), area/ethnic/gender studies (8%), computer science (7%), and mathematics (7%). Economics and government and legal studies are two of the more popular majors within the social sciences.

Professional Outcomes: An examination of three recent years’ worth of outcomes data reveals that one year after graduation, between 73 and 77% of recent grads have found full-time employment, and 15% have gone directly into graduate school. Of those entering graduate school, 48% were enrolled in master’s programs, 23% in PhD programs, 13% in law school, and 8% in med school. The top twenty graduate schools attended, by volume, in the last five years make an exclusive list including six Ivies along with Duke, MIT, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford.

Enrollment: 1,915
Cost of Attendance: $82,600
Median SAT: 1510
Acceptance Rate: 9%

Rice University

Houston, TX

Academic Highlights : Rice offers more than 50 majors across six broad disciplines: engineering, architecture, music, social science, humanities, and natural science. Programs in biology, biochemistry, cognitive science, and music are incredibly strong, while the School of Architecture and the George R. Brown School of Engineering are among the highest-ranking schools in their disciplines. One-third of computer science majors are female, almost twice the national average. Class sizes are ideally small with 66% containing fewer than 20 students and a median class size of only fourteen.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 88% of Rice grads have found careers or a graduate school home. Companies that employ many recent grads include Deloitte, Capital One, JP Morgan Chase, Google, and Microsoft. Over one hundred alumni are also current employees of companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Amazon, Accenture, and Meta. Across all majors, the average starting salary is $73k. One-third of graduates move directly into graduate or professional school, with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, and Berkeley being the most popular destinations.

Enrollment: 4,494 (undergraduate); 4,178 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $78,278
Median SAT: 35

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT

Academic Highlights: Midd offers 50 departments and programs in which to major and minor. The school’s 9:1 student-faculty ratio allows 100% of courses to be taught by professors, not graduate assistants. Most classes are small; the mean class size is 16, and 14% of sections contain fewer than ten students. Middlebury is renowned for its Language Department as well as its programs in economics and international studies. The college has a robust international program (75 programs in 40 countries); over 50% of juniors take a semester abroad.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 81% of the Class of 2022 had landed jobs and 12% were in graduate school. The most commonly held jobs fell under the categories of financial services (19%), consulting (14%), science and healthcare (14%), and media and technology (12%). Many Middlebury grads now enter tech-related fields; Google and Facebook are two of the leading employers alongside Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Amazon, and JP Morgan. More than 100 alumni work in the US State Department.

Enrollment: 2,773 (undergraduate); 70 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $89,850

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA

Academic Highlights: As students immerse themselves in one of 46 areas of concentration, Dickinson supports them with a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of fifteen, with 78% of classes being capped at 19 students. By discipline, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (27%), biology (12%), business (10%), psychology (7%), and foreign languages (5%). The college’s foreign language program, which features 13 offerings—including Arabic, Hebrew, and Portuguese—is recognized as one of the top programs in the country.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 95% of Dickinson grads have found jobs or full-time volunteer work, or have enrolled in graduate school. Companies employing more than 25 Dickinson alumni include Deloitte, IBM, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Merck, EY, PNC, PwC, Google, and Amazon. It’s interesting that more alumni can be found in New York City than in Pennsylvania. Within five years of receiving their diplomas, 55-60% of recent grads have entered or finished graduate school.

Enrollment: 2,125
Cost of Attendance: $86,151
Median SAT: 1355
Acceptance Rate: 35%
Retention Rate: 89%
Graduation Rate: 84%

College of William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Academic Highlights: Forty undergraduate programs are available and William & Mary has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Class sizes are rarely tiny seminars, but 44% do enroll fewer than twenty students, and only 9% contain more than fifty. Among the college’s most notable academic programs are (1) government and (2) international relations, both of which serve as pipelines to Washington, DC, employers. The Mason School of Business is highly regarded in the corporate world. The social sciences (20%) and biology (11%) are also popular.

Professional Outcomes: 52% of the most cohort joined the workforce, and 36% entered graduate school within six months of graduation. Over 500 employers snatched up at least one member of the Tribe. Companies hiring at least four 2020 grads included Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, KPMG, and Deloitte. Many of those opting for immediate entry into graduate school stayed at their alma mater and the next most frequented universities included Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Northwestern, and the University of Chicago.

Enrollment: 6,797
Cost of Attendance: $39,595 (In-State); $63,967 (Out-of-State)
Acceptance Rate: 33%

Smith College

Northampton, MA

Academic Highlights: Smith has 50 academic departments and programs. The social sciences are most popular, accounting for 21% of the degrees conferred, with programs in economics and government carrying very strong reputations. Next in line are biology (6%), computer science (5%), English (5%), data science (5%), and engineering science (5%); more than two-fifths of current students are majoring in a STEM field. 19% of undergraduate sections have single-digit enrollments, and 69% of total class sections enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 97% of alumnae had found employment. More than 25 alumnae can be found at the US Department of State, Google, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, Fidelity Investments, Deloitte, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, and Amazon. Within two years of graduating, 40% of alumni had already entered a graduate program, and within ten years, 70% had earned or were working toward an advanced degree. Many Smith women rise to high ranks —twenty years after graduation, 18% of alumnae report holding a chief executive or other executive-level position.

Enrollment: 2,523 (undergraduate); 350 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $88,980
Median SAT: 1440
Acceptance Rate: 23%
Retention Rate: 91%
Graduation Rate: 89%

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY

Academic Highlights: An undergraduate-only institution, there are 40+ majors to choose from with the most popular being business, English, psychology, political science, economics, studio art, theater, biology, and environmental studies. Known for its superior undergraduate teaching, Skidmore’s average class size is only 16 students, and 98% of sections have fewer than thirty students. The most degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), business (14%), visual and performing arts (13%), and biology (12%).

Professional Outcomes: 65% of 2022 grads were employed within six months of completing their degrees and 26% were enrolled in graduate school. The most frequently entered industries were STEM (20%), business (17%), education (16%), health science (9%), and finance (7%). The median starting salary range for Class of 2022 grads was $40,000-$49,000. Fairly large numbers of Skiddies can be found at major corporations including Google, Morgan Stanley, EY, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Fidelity Investments, and IBM.

Enrollment: 2,776
Cost of Attendance: $85,240
Median SAT: 1380
Graduation Rate: 82%

Trinity University

San Antonio, TX

Academic Highlights: Trinity offers 57 majors and a demanding, carefully crafted liberal arts core curriculum. 68% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 80% of students engage in some type of hands-on learning, whether through research or an internship. The well-regarded School of Business is most popular as finance, accounting, and business administration degrees account for 27% of the total degrees conferred. The social sciences (16%), biology (12%), foreign language (6%), and communication (5%) also have strong representation.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their diplomas, 98% of 2022 Trinity grads were either employed full-time or matriculated into graduate school; only 2% were still seeking employment. The companies employing the largest number of alumni include USAA (a San Antonio-based financial firm), PwC, EY, Deloitte, Dell, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, and Amazon. Recent bachelor’s degree earners have been accepted into graduate school at an overall rate of 75%.

Enrollment: 2,531 (undergraduate); 163 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $68,224
Median SAT: 1370
Acceptance Rate: 28%
Retention Rate: 92%

Amherst College

Amherst, MA

Academic Highlights: A 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows for 66% of courses to have fewer than twenty students and 32% to have single-digit enrollments. By senior year, 98% of seniors report feeling close enough to a faculty member to ask for a letter of recommendation. Amherst possesses strong offerings across the board, most notably in economics, English, history, mathematics, and law The social sciences account for 22% of degrees conferred, while 14% are in mathematics, 11% in biology, and 7% in computer science

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 93% of the Class of 2022 had already found its way into the world of employment, graduate school, or a volunteer organization. The largest employers of Amherst grads includes Google, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. The schools where the highest number of Amherst grads can be found pursuing advanced degrees include MIT, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania. Fifty to sixty Amherst grads apply to medical school each year, and the acceptance rate hovers around 75-80%.

Enrollment: 1,898
Cost of Attendance: $84,840

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Academic Highlights: Three schools serve Tufts’ undergraduate population: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. The three schools combined offer more than 90 majors and minors; approximately one-third of all students double major, and half declare a minor. 15% of all courses see fewer than ten students enrolled, and 60% have sub-twenty enrollments. The most popular majors include international relations, economics, computer science, political science, and biology—all of which receive very high marks.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after earning their diplomas, 97% of 2022 graduates were employed or attending graduate school. The most commonly entered fields were finance, consulting, real estate (23%); engineering and technology (22%); health, life sciences, environmental (21%); and education, advocacy, social services (11%). Prolific employers of Tufts alums include Booz Allen Hamilton, JPMorgan, MITRE, Google, Deloitte, Amazon, Raytheon, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock. Of the 21% of 2022 grads who went directly to graduate school, 85% were accepted into their first-choice institution.

Enrollment: 6,815 (undergraduate); 6,616 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $88,300
Acceptance Rate: 10%

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 90 undergraduate majors across three schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Creative Studies. The social sciences are the most popular area of study, accounting for 27% of the total degrees conferred. Biology (10%), math (9%), and psychology (9%) are next in popularity. The school has highly regarded programs in communication, computer science, engineering, physics, environmental science, and the performing arts. More than half of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 72% enroll 29 or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of earning their diplomas, 84% of grads had found employment. The most popular industries were science/research (16%), engineering/computer programming (14%), business (13%), finance/accounting (11%), and sales (10%). Top employers of recent grads include Google, EY, KPMG, Oracle, Amazon, IBM, and Adobe. Many alumni also can be found at Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce. Two years after graduating, UCSB alumni make an average salary of $55k; more than half make $100k by mid-career.

Enrollment: 23,460 (undergraduate); 2,961 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $41,289 (in-state); $73,863 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: Test Blind
Median ACT: Test Blind
Graduation Rate: 86%

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Ultimately, the greatest number of students go on to earn degrees in the social sciences (15%), biology (14%), business (14%), health professions (12%), and mathematics (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 66% of 2022 grads were already employed, and 96% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Deloitte, Epic, ScribeAmerica, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and Cloudmed. Graduates of the Goizueta Business School found strong starting salaries with an average of $81k. In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top law schools like Columbia, Berkeley, and Georgetown. Med school acceptances included Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

Enrollment: 7,101
Cost of Attendance: $83,702
Graduation Rate: 90%

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

Academic Highlights: Over 60 majors and 70 minors are on tap across three undergraduate schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. Getting well-acquainted with your professors is easy with a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, and class sizes are reasonably small. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the areas of the social sciences (26%), engineering (14%), business (14%), biology (11%), and psychology (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after graduation, 94% of the Class of 2022 had launched their careers or entered graduate school. Financial services is the most common sector for Bucknell grads to enter, attracting 24% of alumni. Across all disciplines, the average salary for a Class of 2022 grad was $69,540. Bucknell saw 18% of 2022 grads go directly into an advanced degree program. Bison alumni heading to graduate school predominantly pursue degrees in the medical field, social sciences, business, or engineering.

Enrollment: 3,747
Cost of Attendance: $80,890
Graduation Rate: 87%

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Academic Highlights: Students can choose one of 55+ programs within four schools: the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the College of Nursing. The university sports a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and offers average undergraduate classes of twenty-three students. Business is the most popular major (30%) followed by the social sciences (13%), engineering (12%), and nursing (10%). Villanova’s business, accounting, and engineering programs are among the school’s top-rated programs.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, Class of 2022 graduates had a placement rate of 99% with 74% entering the workforce and 21% matriculating into graduate or professional school. The most popular employers are Vanguard, Verizon, PwC, JPMorgan Chase, Merck, Comcast, EY, Deloitte, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary was $71,363. Recent grads went on to study at graduate institutions like Dartmouth, Stanford, Notre Dame, Harvard, Tufts, Columbia, and Penn.

Enrollment: 6,989 (undergraduate); 3,394 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $85,316

The University of Texas at Austin

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 150 majors, including those at the Cockrell School of Engineering, one of the most heralded undergraduate engineering schools around, and The McCombs School of Business, which dominates in the specialty areas of accounting and marketing. The computer science department is also top-ranked. In terms of degrees conferred, engineering is tied with biology (12%) followed by communication (11%), business (11%), and the social sciences (8%). The elite Plan II Honors Program is one of the best in the country.

Professional Outcomes: Within the College of Liberal Arts, six months after graduating, 68% of Longhorns are employed and 24% have entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.

Enrollment: 41,309 (undergraduate); 11,075 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $30,752-$34,174 (in-state); $61,180-$69,310 (out-of-state)

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

Academic Highlights: Swarthmore offers forty undergraduate programs and runs 600+ courses each academic year. Small, seminar-style courses are the norm—an outstanding 33% of sections enroll fewer than ten students, and 70% contain a maximum of nineteen students. Social science degrees are the most commonly conferred, accounting for 24% of all 2022 graduates. Future businessmen/women, engineers, and techies are also well-positioned, given Swat’s incredibly strong offerings in economics, engineering, and computer science.

Professional Outcomes: 68% of Class of 2022 grads entered the workforce shortly after graduation. Popular industries included education (17%), consulting (16%), and financial services (13%); the median starting salary was $60,000. Google is a leading employer of Swarthmore grads followed by Amazon, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and a number of the top universities. 18% of 2022 grads pursued advanced degrees, with 35% pursuing a PhD, 35% entering master’s programs, 10% heading to law school, and 7% matriculating into medical school.

Enrollment: 1,625
Cost of Attendance: $81,376

Colby College

Waterville, ME

Academic Highlights: Offering 56 majors and 35 minors, Colby provides a classic liberal arts education with a high degree of flexibility and room for independent intellectual pursuits. A 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio is put to good instructional use as roughly two-thirds of courses have fewer than 19 students. Being a true liberal arts school, Colby has strengths across many disciplines, but biology, economics, and global studies draw especially high praise. These programs along with government and environmental science attract the highest number of students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 93% of the Class of 2022 had either obtained jobs or were enrolled full-time in a graduate program. Eighteen percent of graduates enter the financial industry and large numbers also start careers in education, with government/nonprofit, STEM, and healthcare next in popularity. The Medical school acceptance rate over the past five years is 68%, nearly double the national average.

Enrollment: 2,299
Cost of Attendance: $86,720
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 33

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Classics Majors to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including:

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A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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Graduate Admissions

Thank you for your interest in Stanford Classics! For admission into the graduate program you should have a strong background in Classics or a related field. Depending on your particular interests, this might include Comparative Literature, History, Political Science, Archaeology, Anthropology or Philosophy.

Above all, the Department of Classics welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

The Department of Classics recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

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Deadline for Autumn 2024 admission: Tuesday, December 05, 2023.*

Please note our Master of Arts degree is available to current Stanford students only. Our external M.A. degree has been discontinued.

*All applicants are encouraged to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about KHS admission .

The selection of PhD students admitted to the Department of Classics is based on an individualized, holistic review of each application, including (but not limited to) the applicant’s academic record, the letters of recommendation, the statement of purpose, personal qualities and characteristics, and past accomplishments. Admissions decisions will be communicated in March.

Application Requirements Checklist

Completed online through the University Graduate Admissions website

For information on eligibility for fee waivers please refer to Graduate Application Fee Waiver

Reasons for applying, preparation, specific study and research interests, future career plans, and any other information about yourself as a scholar and future faculty.

Three letters of recommendation are required from faculty members or others who are qualified to evaluate academic work and teaching potential. Recommenders submit their letters through the online system by the application deadline.

Unofficial transcripts from all universities and colleges you have attended for one year or more must be uploaded to the online application. Graduate Admissions only requires admitted applicants who accept the offer of admission to submit official transcripts that show degree conferral. Please do not send or have sent any official transcripts to us at this time.

An academic paper in your field of interest, 15-25 pages in length.

Academic resume of your qualifications. Included in this C.V. should be a list of your language qualifications. Ancient languages should be demonstrated by a list of works read in the original. Modern languages may be indicated using the labels "Beginner", "Intermediate", "Advanced" and "Fluent", along with the number of years studied.

Required for all international applicants (whose primary language is not English) sent via ETS. Not required if your most recent academic program is in an institution where English is the primary language of scholarship and instruction. Please check the Exam Requirements for International Applicants to confirm applicability.

Inquiries about the admissions process and the application can be sent to classics [at] stanford.edu (classics[at]stanford[dot]edu) . You may also check our F.A.Q. for common answers.

Start Application

Knight-hennessy scholars.

Join dozens of Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about KHS admission .

Have Questions Along the Way?

Contact the team at classics [at] stanford.edu (classics[at]stanford[dot]edu)

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Areopagitica by John Milton

COMMENTS

Graduate Programs
Introduction. The Department offers doctoral degrees in ancient history, Byzantine Greek, classical archaeology, classical philology, classical philosophy, medieval Latin, and modern Greek. Our faculty and graduate students take innovative approaches to the study of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, drawing from fields and methodologies that ...
Classics
You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of the Classics. Writing Sample A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be a term paper, senior thesis, or master's essay no longer than 15 pages.
Department of the Classics
Harvard University Department of the Classics 204 Boylston Hall Harvard Yard Cambridge MA 02138 (617) 495-4027 [email protected]
Exploring the Classics Program at Harvard University
The Classics Program at Harvard University has a long and illustrious history. It was established in the early years of the university, making it one of the oldest classics programs in the United States. Over the years, the program has evolved and grown, attracting renowned scholars who have made significant contributions to the field.
Department of the Classics
Department of the Classics at Harvard University provides on-going educational opportunities to those students seeking advanced degrees. ... (PhD) Byzantine Greek Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) ... Acceptance Rate. 73 Applied 5 ...
Classics
Harvard Griffin GSAS rules require at least three signatures on the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate. The dissertation as approved shall be accompanied by two copies of a summary not over 1,200 words, which the director will promptly forward to the editor of Harvard Studies in Classical Philology for publication.
Academics
In addition to the PhD in Classical Philology, the Department also offers degrees in Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Classical Philosophy, Medieval Latin, Byzantine Greek, and Modern Greek. ... Harvard University Department of the Classics 204 Boylston Hall Harvard Yard Cambridge MA 02138 (617) 495-4027 [email protected].
Prospective Students
The Department of the Classics normally welcomes visits from prospective students and their families. We are located on the second floor of Boylston Hall, on the Mass. Ave. side of Harvard Yard ( Google map ). It is advisable that you set up an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (or Director of Graduate Studies) beforehand ...
Admissions Statistics
Harvard, federal and outside scholarships. $64,500. Student term-time work expectation. $2,750. Parent contribution. $13,000. Student asset contribution. $350. Harvard welcomes students from across the country and all over the world, with diverse backgrounds and far-ranging talents and interests.
Placement Exams
The Department of the Classics offers placement exams in Latin, ancient Greek, and modern Greek. Students with prior experience in a language who wish to continue their study here should take the relevant placement exam. This allows the faculty to guide you toward the most appropriate course(s). Unless their placement score so indicates, students with one year or more of recent, formal study ...
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The classics program at Harvard awarded 3 master's degrees in 2020-2021. About 33% of these degrees went to men with the other 67% going to women. The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Harvard University with a master's in classics. Ethnic Background.
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Harvard: Business School: 10.7% (2015) John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences: 9.9% (2014) ... [Your School] graduate acceptance rate" and see if any relevant school pages appear. While searching for acceptance rates to use in the table above, I consistently swapped "acceptance rate" with similar phrases, such as ...
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The total interviewee number (onsite+skype)=120/ (1-0.15)=142 . (5) The conclusion: BBS will interview ~140 students and accept 120-130 students, which makes the post-interview acceptance rate 86-93%. Not bad at all. So guess we can just chill. The Precambrian Rabbit, desmond.bo, Nomad1111 and 2 others. 5.
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The Interview Process at Harvard. Beyond the written application, there exists the equally demanding interview process. The interview is a crucial step in the admissions process, allowing the admissions committee to gain a deeper understanding of the applicant's qualifications, motivations, and potential contributions to the Harvard community.
Admissions
Alex Kent. Assistant Director of Admissions and Director of the Visiting Students Program. Phone. 617-495-5315. Email. [email protected].
PhD Admissions
PhD Admissions. To apply to any of our PhD programs , you must submit an online application through the Division of the Humanities by December 15 for admission in the following Autumn Quarter. Applications submitted to the Division will then be forwarded to us for review. We welcome your applications!
40 Best Colleges for Classics Majors
Over 1,000 Harvard alumni presently work for Google and over 500 for Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. Turning our attention to those moving on to graduate school, Harvard grads with at least a 3.5 GPA typically enjoy acceptance rates into medical school of 90% or greater.
Graduate Admissions
Admission Deadline. Deadline for Autumn 2024 admission: Tuesday, December 05, 2023.*. Please note our Master of Arts degree is available to current Stanford students only. Our external M.A. degree has been discontinued. *All applicants are encouraged to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023.
Harvard PhD acceptance rates : r/GradSchool
Harvard PhD acceptance rates . Admissions & Applications Does anyone have any insights into Harvard's PhDs in medical/biological sciences admission rates? For context, I have completed my MSc in a related field in another Ivy (got a Distinction for it) and have published 2 papers, one in a >100 impact factor medical journal (was very lucky with ...
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1438. Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate Fall 2022. 41%. Though the difference can be vast between different majors. The Santa Clara University acceptance rate for the School of Engineering was just 11%, while the acceptance rate for the Leavey School of Business was 36%. Eligibility Factors.