How many students go to Dartmouth College?
I've been researching smaller Ivy League schools and Dartmouth caught my eye because I heard it's more intimate than some of the others. Still, it's hard to get a feel for what "small" actually means. If you go to Dartmouth or have visited, can you tell me how many undergrads are there? Do you see the same people every day or does it still feel like there's lots of new faces around campus?
I'm trying to figure out if this would be a good fit for someone who doesn't want a huge student body but still wants some variety in social life. Just curious if anyone knows what the real numbers are for both undergrad and grad students, and what that feels like day-to-day.
I'm trying to figure out if this would be a good fit for someone who doesn't want a huge student body but still wants some variety in social life. Just curious if anyone knows what the real numbers are for both undergrad and grad students, and what that feels like day-to-day.
4 months ago
•
96 views
Grayce Gibbs
• 4 months ago
Advisor
Dartmouth College is considered the smallest Ivy League school in terms of undergraduate enrollment, and that definitely affects the campus atmosphere. As of the 2023-2024 academic year, Dartmouth has around 4,500 undergraduate students. For graduate programs, there are roughly 2,200 graduate students enrolled, but undergrads and grads have fairly separate experiences and social circles, so day-to-day you’ll mostly interact with other undergrads.
The size of the student body means you’ll probably recognize familiar faces often—whether that’s in class, the dining halls, or around campus. It’s not so small that you know every single person, but it’s common to see the same people in different social or academic settings. For example, if you join a few clubs or take part in campus traditions, odds are you’ll run into those people again and again, making it easier to build close friendships.
At the same time, 4,500 is still large enough to keep things interesting. There’s definitely room to meet new people throughout the year. Dartmouth’s D-Plan and popular off-campus programs mean that people are often coming and going, so the campus population rotates a bit and keeps your social circle from feeling stagnant. If you like the idea of a college where most people at least seem familiar but you can keep meeting new friends, Dartmouth is a strong choice.
If you’re after even more variety, things like joining different student organizations, trying out club sports, or living in different housing communities really expand your social network. The balance between an intimate feel and plenty of opportunities to get to know new people is one reason a lot of students pick Dartmouth over bigger Ivies.
The size of the student body means you’ll probably recognize familiar faces often—whether that’s in class, the dining halls, or around campus. It’s not so small that you know every single person, but it’s common to see the same people in different social or academic settings. For example, if you join a few clubs or take part in campus traditions, odds are you’ll run into those people again and again, making it easier to build close friendships.
At the same time, 4,500 is still large enough to keep things interesting. There’s definitely room to meet new people throughout the year. Dartmouth’s D-Plan and popular off-campus programs mean that people are often coming and going, so the campus population rotates a bit and keeps your social circle from feeling stagnant. If you like the idea of a college where most people at least seem familiar but you can keep meeting new friends, Dartmouth is a strong choice.
If you’re after even more variety, things like joining different student organizations, trying out club sports, or living in different housing communities really expand your social network. The balance between an intimate feel and plenty of opportunities to get to know new people is one reason a lot of students pick Dartmouth over bigger Ivies.
Grayce Gibbs
Denver, CO
Dartmouth College (AB); Colorado School of Mines (MS)
Experience
4 years