Quad

Head-to-head

Hamilton
Bates

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Hamilton grads earn $8.9K more ten years out than Bates's ($78,411 vs. $69,498)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Hamilton costs about $6.7K less per year on average than Bates ($53,230 vs. $59,892, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Hamilton's grants cover 37% of its full price on average, vs. 28% at Bates

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Hamilton has 6 pts more Pell recipients than Bates (18% vs. 12%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    Hamilton's yield is 6 pts higher than Bates's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Hamilton's SAT midpoint is 25 points higher than Bates's

    SAT midpoint

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Hamilton admits 14%, Bates 15%; Hamilton's yield is higher, at 40%.

Acceptance rate
Hamilton14%
Bates15%
Quad's selectivity
  • HamiltonHighly selective
  • BatesHighly selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
Hamilton
1450–1550
Bates
1420–1530
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • HamiltonSchool record and prep program required
  • BatesRigor, GPA, and rank very important

Who's on each campus

Hamilton is a bit larger than Bates (2,030 vs. 1,760 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Hamilton2K
Bates1.8K
Pell Grant share
Hamilton18%
Bates12%

Majors and faculty

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics leads at both; both have 9 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
Hamilton9 to 1
Bates9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • HamiltonEconometrics and Quantitative Economics17%
  • BatesEconometrics and Quantitative Economics12%

What each costs

Hamilton costs about $6.7K less a year than Bates on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Hamilton$53.2K
Bates$59.9K
Aid generosity
Hamilton37%
Bates28%

What each pays off

Hamilton's former students earn more, a median $78.4K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 90% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Hamilton$78.4K
Bates$69.5K
Graduation rate
Hamilton92%
Bates92%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • HamiltonGrowing+68%
  • BatesGrowing+99%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Hamilton College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Bates College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;Bates College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Bates College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why