Dickinson is a premier four-year residential liberal-arts institution chartered in 1783 and widely recognized as a leader in global and sustainability education. We prepare our graduates to face the world’s challenges so they are always equipped and eager to collaborate with others to make an impact.
Degrees Granted
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
Campus, Facilities and Services
Our 144-acre campus includes six LEED-gold certified buildings and one LEED-platinum certified residence hall (with a commitment to pursuing LEED certification for all new projects), traditional and special-interest housing options and new state-of-the-art science, athletics and research facilities. Dining options include gluten-free, kosher, organic, vegan, vegetarian and local fruits and vegetables from our certified-organic College Farm. Dickinson is located in Carlisle, named a “most livable city” by Forbes and minutes from the state capital of Harrisburg. The campus is connected to a vibrant downtown that offers eclectic dining, shopping and entertainment options. Within a two-hour drive are Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; New York City is three hours away.
Enrollment
2,100 full-time students representing 43 states and territories, plus Washington, D.C., and 40 foreign countries; 22% domestic students of color and 12% international.
Academic Features
46 majors plus minors and certificate programs, independent research, internships, externships and Army ROTC. Pre-professional programs and articulation agreements in business, engineering, health and law. Newest majors in quantitative economics and data analytics.
Student-Faculty Ratio
9:1
Average Class Size
17
Extracurriculars
More than 110 student-run clubs and activities, 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) with 25 varsity sports, plus club and intramural sports. To date, more than 230 student-athletes have been named All-American.
Sustainability
Dickinson is recognized as a leader among educational institutions committed to sustainability 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 recognition for exemplary work from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Sierra Club, Sustainable Endowments Institute, Princeton Review and Second Nature.
Global Education
Dickinson offers one of the most respected off-campus study programs in the nation, and two-thirds of our students study abroad in more than 50 programs in 24 countries on six continents. Dickinson also is one of the nation's top institutions for foreign-language study, with 13 languages offered.
Admission
Applicants are expected to have pursued a college-preparatory course of study, including substantial sequences in math, foreign languages and science. Interviews and campus visits are strongly recommended. Students have the option to apply using the FlexApp or the Common Application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year is $62,900. Students have access to merit scholarships, and all applicants have their demonstrated financial need met. Dickinson awards more than $60 million in grants annually.
Awards
Dickinson is a leading producer of Fulbright and Peace Corps scholars. Awards for postgraduate study include Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, George J. Mitchell, Rotary Ambassadorial, Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace, the Carnegie Junior Fellowship, Udall and Goldwater.
Postgraduate Plans
95% of Dickinsonians are employed, completing an internship, attending graduate school or pursuing meaningful service one year after graduation. Our graduate school acceptances are strong: 96% for law school and 92% (in all health professions) for medical school.
Partnerships
Sharing its Carlisle location with other educational institutions, Dickinson has partnerships with the U.S. Army War College and Peacekeeping & Stability Operations Institute and the world-renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. In addition, top business, law, engineering and medical schools offer programs to accelerate admission for Dickinson graduates or give graduates credit for undergraduate courses. Agreements are in place with internationally renowned institutions such as Columbia, Northeastern and Johns Hopkins universities.
Prominent Alumni
A U.S. president, Supreme Court justices, a co-founder of America’s oldest weekly magazine (The Nation) founded by abolitionists in 1865, 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., CEO of L.L.Bean, president of the Philadelphia Phillies, agents for professional athletes, Tony and Jeff award winners, Lemelson-MIT Prize and Linus Pauling Medal Award winner, several U.S. representatives and other elected officials, award-winning poets, novelists and photographers, editor of The New York Times’ Room for Debate, founder and CEO of one of the fastest-growing natural product companies (Justin’s), three elected members of the National Academy of Sciences, member of Time magazine’s 2006 list of 100 most influential people, president and CEO of GeneOne Life Science, three inductees into the inaugural class of the U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Fame and several college presidents. Meet more of our alumni in action.
