“Founded in 1783 by Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was one of the first colle”
Founded in 1783 by Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was one of the first colleges chartered in the newly independent United States. Named after John Dickinson, the 'Penman of the Revolution,' the college was founded with the express purpose of preparing citizens for democratic leadership. Dickinson's mission today continues this tradition: the college emphasizes global education, sustainability, and civic engagement as core pillars of a useful liberal arts education. Its motto, 'Freedom is made safe through character and learning,' captures the founding conviction that education is essential to a functioning democracy.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Decision I
Binding; decisions ~1 month later
Early Decision II
Binding; decisions ~1 month later
Regular Decision
Decisions ~2 months later
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$65,650
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Dickinson offers over 45 majors, minors, and certificate programs with particular distinction in international studies, security studies, environmental science, and the humanities. The college's Center for Sustainability Education integrates environmental awareness across disciplines, and the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) engages students in citizen-science water quality research. International education is a defining strength: Dickinson operates study centers in 14 countries across six continents, and the Stern Center for Global Education coordinates comprehensive global programming. The security studies program, leveraging proximity to the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, offers unique access to military and policy professionals. The Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues brings prominent speakers to campus, fostering public discourse on pressing topics.
4 years
Dickinson's flagship interdisciplinary major, integrating language, politics, economics, and a required Dickinson-run semester or year abroad. Consistently ranks among the strongest undergraduate international-studies programs in the US.
4 years
Leverages the college's Center for Sustainability Education, a working 50-acre farm, and campus-wide carbon-neutral operations since 2020. Students access faculty research across policy, conservation, and climate science.
5 years
Three years at Dickinson plus two years at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Case Western Reserve University, earning both a Dickinson BA/BS and a partner-school BS in engineering.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $65,650
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
