Hamilton College Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 Admissions Statistics

Hamilton College admitted 1,210 students from a pool of 8,904 applicants for the Class of 2029, resulting in an acceptance rate of 13.59%.

For the Class of 2030, the college released Early Decision (ED) I and II results in December 2025 and February 2026, respectively, and Regular Decision (RD) decisions in late March 2026. However, official admissions statistics have not yet been released and are expected after enrollment is finalized later in 2026.

In this blog, we’ll examine Hamilton College’s latest available overall, early, regular, transfer, and waitlist acceptance rates and explore how admission trends have changed over time.

• Hamilton College Acceptance Rates
• Hamilton College Early Decision Acceptance Rate
• Hamilton College Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
• Hamilton College Transfer Acceptance Rate
• Hamilton College Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Hamilton College Acceptance Rates

Hamilton College’s acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was 13.59%, virtually unchanged from 13.62% for the Class of 2028. Applications increased slightly from 8,531 to 8,904, while the number of admitted students rose from 1,162 to 1,210.

Over the past decade, Hamilton has become considerably more selective, with its acceptance rate falling from 24.22% for the Class of 2021 to just 13.59% for the Class of 2029. Here’s the complete breakdown:

Note: All data has been compiled from Hamilton College’s Common Data Set.

Hamilton’s applicant pool grew substantially over the past decade, rising from 5,678 applicants for the Class of 2021 to a peak of 9,899 for the Class of 2026 before settling at 8,904 for the Class of 2029. Applications increased sharply after Hamilton adopted a test-optional admissions policy during the 2021–2022 academic year, climbing by more than 4,000 applicants between the Classes of 2021 and 2026.

Meanwhile, the number of admitted students remained relatively consistent, ranging from 1,135 to 1,375 across all classes shown. As applications increased while the size of the admitted class changed little, Hamilton’s acceptance rate fell from 24.22% for the Class of 2021 to 11.77% for the Class of 2027 before stabilizing at roughly 13.6% for the Classes of 2028 and 2029.

Hamilton College Early Decision Acceptance Rate

The most recent Early Decision figures we have are from the Class of 2029, when Hamilton received 1,120 ED applications and admitted 315 students for an acceptance rate of 29.44%, down from 30.16% for the Class of 2028.

ED applicants have consistently had an admissions advantage over those applying through the regular round since they tend to have stronger applications.

Hamilton College Early Decision acceptance rate trends

Hamilton’s ED acceptance rate has become increasingly selective over the past decade, plummeting from above 40% for the Class of 2021 to below 30% for the Class of 2029. Here’s the complete picture:

Note: All data has been sourced from Hamilton College’s Common Data Set.

Hamilton’s ED applicant pool grew from 620 applicants for the Class of 2021 to a record 1,120 for the Class of 2029. Meanwhile, the number of admitted students increased more modestly, from 252 to 315, contributing to a decline in the ED acceptance rate from 40.65% to 29.44% over the same period.

Hamilton College Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

The most recent Regular Decision figures we have are from the Class of 2029, when Hamilton received 7,784 RD applications and admitted 895 students for an acceptance rate of 11.50%, down from 11.90% for the Class of 2028.

Hamilton College Regular Decision acceptance rate trends

Hamilton’s RD acceptance rate has become increasingly selective over the past decade, falling from above 22% for the Class of 2021 to 11.50% for the Class of 2029. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: RD figures are estimates derived by subtracting ED data from Hamilton College’s Common Data Set.

Hamilton’s RD applicant pool grew from 5,058 applicants for the Class of 2021 to a peak of 9,156 for the Class of 2026 before settling at 7,784 for the Class of 2029. Meanwhile, the number of admitted students declined from 1,123 to 895, contributing to a drop in the RD acceptance rate from 22.20% to 11.50% over the same period. Even as both pathways became more selective, RD acceptance rates consistently trailed Hamilton’s ED acceptance rates.

Hamilton College Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent available Hamilton College transfer data comes from Fall 2025, with an acceptance rate of 18.67%. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Fall 2025 transfer data is from Hamilton College’s Common Data Set for 2025-2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

Hamilton’s transfer acceptance rate reflects significant competition for a limited number of transfer spots, but it’s still higher than the first-year acceptance rate of 13.59% for the Class of 2029.

Hamilton College Waitlist Acceptance Rate

The most recent waitlist data comes from the Class of 2029, when Hamilton admitted just 4% of students from the waitlist. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: The waitlist data is sourced from Hamilton College’s Common Data Set for 2025-2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

Hamilton’s 4% waitlist acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was far lower than its ED and RD acceptance rates, highlighting the difficulty of gaining admission through the waitlist process since it highly depends on how many first-year and transfer admits confirm their spots.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Hamilton College’s current acceptance rate?

Hamilton College’s most recent acceptance rate is 13.59% for the Class of 2029, with 1,210 students admitted from a pool of 8,904 applicants.

2. Is it easier to get into Hamilton College through Early Decision or Regular Decision?

Early Decision applicants are admitted at higher rates than Regular Decision applicants. For the Class of 2029, Hamilton’s ED acceptance rate was 29.44%, compared with 11.50% for RD.

3. How hard is it to transfer to Hamilton College?

Transfer admission is competitive. For Fall 2025, Hamilton admitted 42 of 225 transfer applicants, resulting in a transfer acceptance rate of 18.67%.

4. What are my chances of getting off Hamilton College’s waitlist?

The odds are relatively low. For the Class of 2029, Hamilton admitted just 49 of the 1,226 students who chose to remain on the waitlist, resulting in a 4% waitlist acceptance rate.

5. Why has Hamilton College’s acceptance rate declined in recent years?

Hamilton’s acceptance rate has declined primarily because application volume has grown significantly while the size of the admitted class has remained relatively stable. Applications increased from 5,678 for the Class of 2021 to 8,904 for the Class of 2029, making admission increasingly competitive.

Takeaways

• Hamilton College’s acceptance rate was 13.59% for the Class of 2029, reflecting the school’s continued selectivity.
• The college has become significantly more competitive over the past decade, with its acceptance rate falling from 24.22% for the Class of 2021 to 13.59% for the Class of 2029.
• Early Decision applicants had a substantial admissions advantage, with a 29.44% acceptance rate compared with 11.50% for Regular Decision applicants.
• Hamilton admitted 18.67% of transfer applicants in Fall 2025, while just 4% of students who remained on the waitlist were ultimately offered admission.
• As admission becomes increasingly selective, working with an admissions expert can help you build a stronger application and stand out in Hamilton’s applicant pool.