Hillsdale College

Student instruction Hillsdale College maintains its defense of the classical liberal arts curriculum, convinced that it is the best preparation for meeting the challenges of modern life and that it offers to all people of all backgrounds not only an important body of knowledge, but also timeless truths about the human condition. The liberal arts are dedicated to stimulating students' intellectual curiosity, to encouraging the critical, well-disciplined mind, and to fostering personal growth through academic challenge. As such, the College maintains a rigorous core curriculum of 50 academic credits, including required courses in western and american history, the great books, the u.s. constitution, logic and rhetoric, philosophy, theology, mathematics, the arts and sciences, and more. In addition to the core curriculum, students choose from 30 majors and seven interdisciplinary majors. Seven minors-only programs and nine pre-professional programs are also offered. The four-year undergraduate course of study culminates in a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. Hillsdale College is consistently ranked high on lists of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation by such publications as u.s. news & world report, the princeton review, forbes, and kiplinger's personal finance. In addition to its undergraduate program of instruction, the College operates the van andel graduate school of statesmanship on campus, offering master's and doctoral degrees in politics; the steve & amy van andel graduate school of government in Washington, d.c., offering a master of arts degree in government; and the diana davis spence graduate school of classical education offering a masters of arts degree in classical education. The College is committed to the excellence of its students in both intellect and character. This commitment is reflected in the student honor code, which reads, "a Hillsdale College student is honorable in conduct, honest in word and deed, dutiful in study and service, and respectful of the rights of others. Through education the student rises to self-government." Hillsdale boasts a student-faculty ratio of 9 to 1. It has 157 full-time faculty, 90 percent of whom hold the highest degree in their disciplines.

Student services Hillsdale's student services include the admissions office, career services, academic services, student affairs, and health and wellness services. The admissions office receives an increasing number and higher caliber of applications each year, leading to a selective acceptance rate of 23 percent for the most recent academic year. The office emphasizes a holistic approach to application reviews and conducts personal interviews with most applicants. The career services office helps students develop their strengths and introduces them to opportunities through mentoring, network-building, job fairs, and other programs. The College has a 97 percent five-year graduate placement average. A survey of the graduating class showed that 65 percent were employed, 27 percent in continuing education and graduate programs, and 2.5 percent in military and volunteer service. Hillsdale's student affairs department oversees a number of student interest groups, academic honoraries, volunteer organizations, and the College's four fraternities and three sororities. Hillsdale students contribute an average of 13,000 hours of volunteer service to the community each year. Health and wellness services provides medical and mental health services to students, faculty, and staff.

Student scholarships and grants Hillsdale College has been committed to independence since its founding in 1844. When a 1984 u.s. supreme court ruling threatened Hillsdale with the entire range of federal regulations because some of its students received federal financial aid, the College resolved that not a single Hillsdale student would accept even one cent of federal grants, loans, or scholarships. Instead, Hillsdale established the privately funded student independence scholarship and loan fund in place of taxpayer-funded aid for deserving students who seek the kind of classical liberal arts education offered at Hillsdale. Since the student independence scholarship and loan fund was established in 1985, Hillsdale has replaced federal and state grants and loans with over $140 million in private awards. The annual cost of replacing government aid was over $6.3 million in the 2021-2022 academic year; this total assisted 486 students. In addition, the College awarded approximately $25 million in private scholarships that year on the basis of financial need, academic merit, campus leadership, athletic and music participation, and other qualifications. Approximately 97 percent of Hillsdale students qualify for and receive some form of institutional aid.

These additional program service expenses include, but are not limited to, auxiliary services (bookstore, residential, dining) and plan and maintenance of campus grounds and buildings.