Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts | Admissions Phone: 413-538-2023
E-mail: admission@mtholyoke.edu | Website: www.mtholyoke.edu
ADMISSION
Admission Rate: 51%
Admission Rate - Men: Not Offered
Admission Rate - Women: 51%
EA Admission Rate: Not Offered
ED Admission Rate: 58%
Admission Rate (5-Year Trend): +4%
ED Admission Rate (5-Year Trend): +8%
% of Admits Attending (Yield): 33%
Transfer Admission Rate: 40%
# Offered Wait List: 598
# Accepted Wait List: 313
# Admitted Wait List: 0
SAT Reading/Writing (Middle 50%): 640-720
SAT Math (Middle 50%): 650-780
ACT Composite (Middle 50%): 29-32
Testing Policy: Test Optional
SAT Superscore: Yes
ACT Superscore: Yes
% Graduated in Top 10% of HS Class: 47%
% Graduated in Top 25% of HS Class: 83%
% Graduated in Top 50% of HS Class: 98%
ENROLLMENT
Total Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,208
% Part-Time: 1%
% Male: 0%
% Female: 100%
% Out-of-State: 73%
% Fraternity: Not Offered
% Sorority: Not Offered
% On-Campus (Freshman): 99%
% On-Campus (All Undergraduate): 96%
% African-American: 4%
% Asian: 10%
% Hispanic: 7%
% White: 45%
% Other: 4%
% Race or Ethnicity Unknown: 2%
% International: 27%
% Low-Income: 13%
ACADEMICS
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 9:1
% of Classes Under 20: 77%
% of Classes Under 40: 96%
% Full-Time Faculty: 78%
% Full-Time Faculty w/ Terminal Degree: 97%
Top Programs
Area Studies
Biology
Computer Science
English
Environmental Studies
International Relations
Psychology
Retention Rate: 92%
4-Year Graduation Rate: 77%
6-Year Graduation Rate: 83%
Curricular Flexibility: Somewhat Flexible
Academic Rating: 
FINANCIAL
Institutional Type: Private
In-State Tuition: $52,040
Out-of-State Tuition: $52,040
Room & Board: $15,320
Required Fees: $218
Books & Supplies: $950
Avg. Need-Based Aid: $36,597
Avg. % of Need Met: 100%
Avg. Merit-Based Aid: $20,388
% Receiving Merit-Based Aid: 26%
Avg. Cumulative Debt: $25,538
% of Students Borrowing: 66%
CAREER
Who Recruits
1. ESPN
2. Life Technologies
3. Forester Capital, LLC
4. NERA Economic Consulting
5. Analysis Group
Notable Internships
1. United States Senate
2. Nike
3. The Coca-Cola Company
Top Industries
1. Education
2. Business
3. Social Services
4. Media
5. Research
Top Employers
1. Google
2. MassMutual
3. Microsoft
4. Amazon
5. Goldman Sachs
Where Alumni Work
1. New York City
2. Boston
3. Springfield, MA
4. Washington, DC
5. San Francisco
Median Earnings
College Scorecard (Early Career): $48,600
EOP (Early Career): $48,900
PayScale (Mid-Career): $92,100
RANKINGS
Forbes: 137
Money: 234
U.S. News: 32, Liberal Arts Colleges
Wall Street Journal/THE: 61 (T)
Washington Monthly: 38, Liberal Arts Colleges
Inside the Classroom
Stately, majestic, and Hogwarts-esque are three of the most common adjectives used to describe the grounds of Mount Holyoke College, an exclusively female liberal arts school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Situated ninety miles west of Boston, MHC is home to over 2,200 undergraduates and is part of the Five College Consortium with nearby Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, and UMass-Amherst. With fifty departmental and interdepartmental majors as well as the option to design your own major, MHC students, nicknamed “Lyons” after the college’s founder, are free to follow their academic passions, an attribute that helps explain the incredible percentage of alumni that go on to earn PhDs.
By liberal arts college standards Mount Holyoke requires a minimal amount of core coursework. While working toward the completion of the 128 credits needed for graduation, students must complete one class in each of the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and mathematics. A freshman seminar focused on sharpening writing skills is mandatory as is one semester of foreign language study, one course focused on multicultural perspectives, and physical education. Thanks to membership in the Five College Consortium, undergrads can take a good number of courses at one of the other institutions but must complete two of their final three years of study on the MHC campus.
Professors are known for their accessibility and commitment to undergraduate education. Thanks to a 9-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, roughly three-quarters of sections contain fewer than twenty students; 14 percent are single-digit seminar classes. Opportunities to research and publish alongside faculty are definitely available, and many 200- and 300-level courses have independent research baked-in as a requirement. Across all disciplines, more ambitious students can arrange summer research internships with professors. More than one hundred study abroad options are on the table, but preferred MHC-affiliated programs are definitely worth considering. Those targeted college-run programs include Globalization, Development, and Environment in Costa Rica; Economic Transformation and Business in Shanghai; and the Associated Kyoto Program that allows students to attend a full academic year of classes in Japan.
MHC isn’t a school where one or two programs are more popular and/or more respected than the rest. Rather, strong programs are found across a variety of fields—for example, in biology, English, and international relations. Among undergrads, there is a fairly even distribution between the humanities (28 percent), social sciences (35 percent), and science and mathematics (36 percent). Fellowships award season is usually kind to Mount Holyoke grads. In 2018, MHC students took home seven Fulbright Scholarships, two Davis Project for Peace awards, and two Critical Language Scholarships awarded by the US State Department.
Outside the Classroom
Roughly 95 percent of undergraduates live on campus in one of eighteen residential halls. The last time sororities existed on campus was 1910 when they were dissolved for being “undemocratic.” The college’s thirteen sports teams compete in NCAA Division III, including a stellar equestrian program. Of the over one hundred student organizations, a cappella and glee are among the most popular along with volunteerism in many forms. Each year over half of MHC students volunteer at local schools, hospitals, YMCAs, and other community organizations. Speakers, including many authors, appear frequently on campus to give well-attended talks. Thanks again to membership in the Five College Consortium, social opportunities are expanded to include those offered at Smith, UMass, Amherst, and Hampshire. Campus, which is almost always cited as one the nation’s prettiest, is a spacious 800 acres that features notable man-made highlights such as the MHC Art Museum, a fitness center that is less than a decade old, and an eighteen-hole golf course in addition to natural highlights such as two lakes and several hiking trails. South Hadley is a small town exploding with quaint New England charm. Those seeking more adventure can make the two-hour trip to Boston.
Career Services
The Career Development Center (CDC) is staffed by ten professionals (not counting communications staff or admin assistants) who work directly with, or on behalf of, students in the following capacities: career counseling, internships, experiential learning, and external relations. That 221:1 student-to-advisor ratio is superior to the majority of schools featured in this guidebook. Ample individualized attention is at the fingertips of undergraduates—thirty-minute advising sessions are available as often as once per week for current students or three times per year for recent graduates. The CDC does not host many large events itself; rather, it takes advantage of the school’s geographic location and takes part in events such as the Smith College Life Sciences & Technology Fair, the UMASS Amherst Computer Science & Engineering Fair, and the MIT Asian Career Fair.
Through an approach dubbed the “Lynk,” Mt. Holyoke strives to systematically assist students in connecting their curriculum to their future career. That goal is accomplished through the offering of experiential learning opportunities, internship connections (funding is guaranteed), industry site visits, and networking with past students who have entered fields of interest. In fact, a thriving career directory maintained by the college connects undergrads with 20,000 willing-to-help alumni, and almost 1,400 students connect with a member of that directory each year. Overall, the CDC excels in helping young women find their next destination as evidenced by a low percentage of students still seeking employment six months out and the strength of its graduate school preparation (more in a moment). Even with salaries on the lower end and a dearth of on-campus recruiting, the Mount Holyoke Career Development Center works hard to connect its students to fulfilling and relevant career paths.
Professional Outcomes
Six months after commencement 63 percent of 2018 grads had found employment, 20 percent had entered graduate/professional school, 7 percent had landed fellowships/internships, and only 5 percent were still searching for jobs. Education was the most frequently entered field (26 percent). It was followed by technology, science, and engineering (11 percent); social services, public administration, or advocacy (10 percent); and health care (8 percent). The top Lyon employers of 2018 included Google, Goldman Sachs, Barclay’s, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Microsoft, IBM, Harvard University, and Amazon also employ a healthy number of Lyons. Given the number of grads entering the public sector or pursuing graduate degrees, it isn’t shocking that average salary statistics for alumni tend to be on the low side. The midcareer median salary is $49k, more than $7,000 less than the median salary for a Wellesley graduate. Over one-third of students remain in Massachusetts after obtaining their diplomas. Plenty of alumni also can be found in New York, California, or international locales.
Ten years after graduation close to 80 percent of alumni have enrolled in graduate or professional school. The college produces an exceptional number of future STEM PhDs. Between 2004-2013 it saw 171 of its graduates go on to earn doctorates in hard sciences. In recent years the law school acceptance rate has fluctuated between 75 percent and 100 percent. Recent acceptances include Harvard Law School, Boston College, University of Michigan, and Stanford. Medical school acceptance rates tend to be above average, and recent graduates have attended Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Emory, Columbia, UVA, and Washington University. Across all disciplines the graduate schools accepting the most recent alumni included Yale, Cornell, NYU, and Duke. Massachusetts-based Simmons, UMASS-Amherst, and Mt. Holyoke itself also cracked the list.
Admission
The 3,699 applicants for membership in the Class of 2022 saw a generous—particularly by the standards of this book—51 percent succeed, and one-third of those who were accepted ultimately enrolled in the college. The profile of the typical Mt. Holyoke student is quite different than your average college that has an acceptance rate of more than 50 percent. The middle-50 percent range for SATs was 1290-1500, and 47 percent of those attending placed in the top decile of their high school class; 83 percent were in the top quartile. Just under 60 percent earned GPAs of 3.75 or higher.
Four factors reign supreme in the eyes of the admissions committee: rigor of coursework, GPA, recommendations, and essays. Factors such as class rank, the interview, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, volunteer work, and work experience also are deemed “important” in the evaluation process. Missing from this list are standardized test scores because Mount Holyoke is a test-optional school. Among freshmen in the 2018-19 school year, 57 percent submitted SATs and 23 percent submitted ACTs as part of their applications. Given that some applicants likely submitted both SAT and ACT scores, it is fair to infer that more than one-quarter of current students were admitted via test-optional applications. A self-selecting applicant pool leads to a deceptively high acceptance rate. Yet, the women who are offered admission at Mount Holyoke tend to be high achieving with impressive high school transcripts to their names. Those sure that this is the Seven Sisters school for them can gain a slight advantage by applying early—58 percent of 2018 ED applicants were admitted.
Worth Your Money?
Mt. Holyoke has an annual cost of attendance approaching the $70,000 mark, yet thanks to the generosity of its aid offers, many pay far less. In fact, 63 percent of the undergraduates at the college qualify for need-based aid, and the average grant in $37k, a figure that covers 100 percent of demonstrated need for every single recipient. Further, the school is not stingy with merit aid either, dishing out an average package of $20,000 per year to 26 percent of the student population. While many graduates don’t immediately land high-paying jobs, the swarms of alumni earning advanced degrees do just fine financially in the long run.