Smith College vs Davidson College

Smith College and Davidson College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Smith, a women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, boasts a 44% acceptance rate and a student body of over 2,600 undergraduates. Davidson, a coeducational college in Davidson, North Carolina, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 33% and a slightly larger undergraduate population of over 2,300. Both colleges offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors at Smith including social sciences, biological sciences, and arts, while Davidson's popular majors include economics, biology, and political science. While Smith's graduation rate is slightly higher at 88%, Davidson's is still impressive at 86%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two excellent institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Davidson College logo

Davidson College

Smith College logo

Smith College

Overview

Location Davidson, North Carolina Northampton, Massachusetts
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.8% 29.9%
Application fees $50 $60
SAT range N/A 1370 - 1530
ACT range N/A 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0%
Total number of applicants 6,434 6,064
Total number of admissions given out 1,145 1,814
Admitted students who chose to enroll 547 676
Yield rate 47.8% 37.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $73,200 $68,128
Average net price $25,794 $29,569
Tuition $54,460 $55,830
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,700

Meal plan: $7,525
Room/dormitory: $9,700

Meal plan: $9,720
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

64.0%
Average amount $47,889
70.0%
Average amount $44,108
Students receiving federal student loan 10.0%
Average amount $5,095
35.0%
Average amount $3,560
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $33,219
5.0%
Average amount $8,280

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,973
Men 47.2% Women 52.8%
2,566
Men 0.1% Women 99.9%
Graduate students N/A 358
Men 16.2% Women 83.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 76.8% N/A
International students 8.2% 13.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,830 2,519
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina Virginia Texas New Jersey Florida Mississippi New York California Connecticut Maryland

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Psychology
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.6% 91.0%
Dropout rate 10.0% 3.6%
Transferred out N/A 5.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $60,797
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $80,388
Political Science and Government (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $42,752
  • Year 2: $45,715
  • Year 3: $53,747
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,240
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $41,099
  • Year 2: $35,330
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,670
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $34,292
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
History (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,075
  • Year 3: N/A
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,496
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $70,990
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $56,651
Social Work (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,011
  • Year 2: $45,554
  • Year 3: $53,962
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,620
  • Year 3: $53,886
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $48,619
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,776
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $43,120
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,839
  • Year 3: $41,147
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,006
  • Year 2: $18,566
  • Year 3: $41,145
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,954
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: $40,411
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,603
  • Year 3: $38,497

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