History
Chartered in 1783 and founded by Benjamin Rush, Dickinson was the first college chartered in the newly recognized United States. It was named in honor of John Dickinson, penman of the American Revolution and a signer of the U.S. Constitution.
Character
An independent, highly selective, residential liberal-arts college of national standing.
Degrees Granted
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
Campus, Facilities and Services
180-acre campus; 61 separate general and special-interest housing facilities; three LEED gold-certified buildings; a variety of dining options, including gluten-free, kosher, organic, vegan, vegetarian, local fruit and fresh vegetables from the college's organic farm.
Enrollment
2,340 full-time students representing 44 states and territories and 41 foreign countries; 14 percent students of color and 6 percent international.
Academic Features
42 majors plus minors and certificate cate programs, self-developed majors, independent research, internships and Army ROTC.
Faculty
240 faculty members, 96 percent of whom hold Ph.D.s or the highest degree in their field.
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
Average Class Size
17
Extracurriculars
More than 130 student-run clubs, including music and drama, publications, fraternities and sororities and religious, political, special-interest and community-service organizations.
Athletics
Member of the Centennial Conference (NCAA Division III); 11 men's and 12 women's varsity sports, plus club and intramural sports. To date, 173 student-athletes have been named All-American.
Sustainability
Dickinson is recognized as a leader among educational institutions committed to environmental, political and economic sustain-ability and green initiatives. The Center for Sustainability Education provides assistance as Dickinson integrates sustainability into its academics, facilities, operations and campus culture. Dickinson has received the highest awards from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Sierra Club, Sustainable Endowments Institute, Princeton Review and Second Nature.
Global Education
Dickinson sponsors more than 40 programs on six continents in 24 countries. The college has 14 programs of its own in Australia, Cameroon, China, England (two), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain and the United States. More than half of Dickinson students study abroad.
Recent Initiatives
Taking advantage of its location in Carlisle, home to other unique educational institutions, the college has developed collaborative opportunities for students. Dickinson launched partnerships with the U.S. Army War College and the United States Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, which provides active-learning opportunities like independent study and internships. A new certificate program in security studies and interdisciplinary courses enhance our commitment to a global, useful education relevant to today's culture. An additional certificate program in conjunction with the world-renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet gives serious dance students the opportunity to combine rigorous liberal-arts study with high-level courses in the technique of classical ballet.
Admission
Applicants are expected to have pursued a college-preparatory course of study, including substantial sequences in math, foreign languages and the physical sciences. SAT and ACT scores are optional, but may prove helpful. Interviews and campus visits are strongly recommended.
Tuition and Financial Aid
2011-12 tuition is $42,610. Room and board is $10,800 and a $450 student-activities fee is required. Dickinson awarded almost $39 million in grants in the 2011-12 academic year.
Academic Scholarships
Dickinson offers scholarships not based on need to about 6 percent of its entering class. Consideration is based on classroom performance, testing and significant commitment to, and leadership in, school or community activities.
Awards
Awards for postgraduate study include Fulbright, George J. Mitchell, Rotary Ambassadorial, Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace, the Carnegie Junior Fellowship, Udall and Goldwater. Dickinson is a leading producer of Fulbright scholars.
Postgraduate Plans
96 percent of Dickinsonians are either employed or in a graduate program one year after graduation. Graduate school acceptance rates are strong: 81 percent for law school and 88 percent (of those recommended) for medical school.
Graduate School Partners
Top business, law, engineering and medical schools offer programs to accelerate admission for Dickinson graduates or give graduate credit for undergraduate courses.
Prominent Alumni
U.S. president, Supreme Court justice, second secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, retired chairman and CEO of Wyeth, first editor of USA Today and chairman and CEO of Gannett Co. Inc., head of Barclays Wealth Management, president of the Baltimore Orioles, agents for professional athletes, Tony and Jeff award winners, Lemelson-MIT Prize winner, several U.S. representatives and other elected officials, co-head of William Morris Independent and senior vice president of the motion-pictures department, award-winning poets, novelists and photographers, three elected members of the National Academy of Sciences, member of Time magazine's 2006 list of 100 most influential people and several college presidents.