Smith College

Smith College's program mix is anchored in the social sciences, humanities, and quantitative fields—a signature reflecting the college's liberal arts identity and emphasis on analytical thinking across disciplines. Political Science is the largest program with 76 graduates, followed by Biology, General, Research Psychology, Economics, and Computer Science.

The college's program portfolio spans 34 distinct majors, with 0 meeting Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 780 students annually across all programs. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in fields where Smith College graduates combine analytical depth with professional application.

Economics leads with median earnings of $88,067 four years after enrollment from a cohort of 43 graduates, followed by Political Science with $68,916 from 76 graduates and Biology, General with $63,133 from 46 graduates. English Language and Literature, General and Research Psychology round out the highest-earning programs, with median earnings of $52,938 and $51,267 respectively.

These patterns reflect the college's strength in fields where liberal arts training in critical thinking and communication translates directly into competitive labor-market outcomes. The program distribution—with Social Sciences representing 22%, Arts at 9%, and other STEM fields at 6%—illustrates how Smith College balances breadth across disciplines with depth in fields where graduates see strong financial outcomes.

Many of these programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the national workforce directly in professional roles, while others support graduate-school-dependent trajectories in fields like psychology and biology where four-year earnings undercount the full career arc. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market trends.

Smith College's published cost of attendance is $86,030, but need-based aid significantly reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $1,363; middle-income families pay around $6,559; higher-income families pay approximately $40,477.

Azimuth ranks Smith College #829 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Smith College's aid structure is need-based, with no merit component.

The college meets demonstrated financial need in full for admitted students under current aid policies. Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and work-study is available as part of aid packages.

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. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $17,550, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $30,366; 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 $57,618, median federal debt of $17,550 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 Smith College earn median 4-year earnings of $57,618, placing Smith College in the 32.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions.

Azimuth ranks Smith College #852 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Low-income graduates earn a median of $46,700 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon, placing this cohort in the 69.8 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern reflects Smith College's concentration in Social Sciences, which accounts for 22% of degrees. Political Science is the largest program with 76 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $68,916, performing at 1.1x the national benchmark for the field.

The Biology, General program graduates 46 students earning $63,133, and the The Research Psychology program graduates 44 students earning $51,267. Together, these programs anchor the institution's long-term financial outcomes and reflect the broad liberal arts mission that defines Smith College's educational approach.