Quad

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (11% of graduates). 11 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 68% of colleges. 100% of faculty are full-time. Spends $18,893 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

363 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 45% of graduates; 37 programs in 18 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 45.060311% 39
    Graduates in this field earn $111,833 4 years out
  2. Psychology, General 42.01019.9% 36
    Graduates in this field earn $59,317 4 years out
  3. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01018.8% 32
    Graduates in this field earn $62,737 4 years out
  4. Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 52.07018.5% 31
  5. Mass Communication/Media Studies 09.01027.4% 27
    Graduates in this field earn $73,650 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Business, 0.0% → 8.5% of graduates since 2014–15 (31 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Economics$111,833 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $61,946

    4 years after completion$111,833
    National median: $82,686Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $82,827(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $26,967 · 121 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Computer and Information Sciences, General$103,822 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $72,158

    4 years after completion$103,822
    National median: $92,374Above typical

    Median federal debt: $27,000 · 25 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Political Science and Government$79,778 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $35,381

    4 years after completion$79,778
    National median: $63,293Above typical

    Median federal debt: $27,000 · 48 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. International Relations and National Security Studies$77,977 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $40,648

    4 years after completion$77,977
    National median: $66,596Above typical

    Median federal debt: $26,000 · 31 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Communication and Media Studies$73,650 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $50,750

    4 years after completion$73,650
    National median: $56,359Above typical

    Median federal debt: $26,500 · 97 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college11 to 1
11 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 68% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 9 to 1 in its Common Data Set.

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

75%

of classes have fewer than 20 students

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–914632%
10–1919443%
20–298920%
30–39215%
40–4920%
50–9900%
100+00%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Double major
  • English as a Second Language
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, humanities, intensive writing, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty100%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$86,030

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$18,893
$18,893
← Lessmore than 83% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$113,640
$113,640
← Lessmore than 80% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Hobart William Smith Colleges Common Data Set 2022–23, Fall 2022;Hobart William Smith Colleges Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2020;Hobart William Smith Colleges Common Data Set 2022–23, 2022–23;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)