Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, with substantial depth in quantitative and analytical fields that reflect the institution's research-university identity. Social Sciences accounts for 32% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 9% and Arts at 5%.

Across 33 programs serving roughly 1,269 students annually, 16 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — and several sit near the top nationally. Computer Science is the program that combines the largest cohort with strong earnings, making it a central driver of Dartmouth College's overall financial profile.

Economics is the largest program with 170 graduates earning median earnings of $152,929 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #6 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Computer Science delivers the highest four-year median earnings at Dartmouth College at $201,702 with a cohort of 130 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #14 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Mathematics #4 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 45 graduates earning $168,580 — a strong showing from a quantitative field with broad [labor-market demand](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/). Several of Dartmouth College's strongest programs are grad-school-dependent pathways — notably Political Science and Computer Science — where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical, law, or doctoral programs.

Engineering Science (94 graduates, median earnings of $113,749) and Research Psychology (71 graduates, median earnings of $99,344) represent fields where graduates more often enter the workforce directly, and early earnings better reflect labor-market positioning. Understanding which programs follow which pathway matters when [evaluating program-level outcomes](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). ```

Dartmouth College's published cost of attendance is $87,793, but need-based aid reshapes that figure substantially across income levels. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $41, while middle-income families pay around $2,695, and higher-income families pay approximately $52,036.

Azimuth ranks Dartmouth College #1061 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Dartmouth's aid structure is need-based, with the college committing to meet demonstrated financial need in full for qualifying students. Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and the aid package typically combines grants, work-study, and limited self-help components.

The gap between sticker price and what low-income families actually pay reflects the depth of institutional grant funding — a dynamic worth understanding before assuming the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) applies here. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $17,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $44,481; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $111,883, median federal debt of $17,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $198 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Dartmouth College earn median earnings of $111,883 four years after enrollment, placing Dartmouth College in the 99.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $8,620 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Dartmouth College in the 83.8 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Dartmouth College #11 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at Dartmouth College reflects a social-sciences-heavy program mix — Social Sciences accounts for 32% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 9% and Arts at 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the institution's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Economics #6 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 170 graduates earning median earnings of $152,929. The Political Science program graduates 153 students with median earnings of $106,153, and Azimuth ranks Computer Science #14 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 130 graduates earning median earnings of $201,702.

Azimuth ranks Engineering Science #1 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, and Research Psychology ranks #1 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment with 71 graduates earning median earnings of $99,344.