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Student Achievements

Students who attend Hope College come from a wide array of backgrounds and locations, as Hope continually aspires to present a community that embodies a global perspective. These students are academically driven and work closely with top educators in their field. The result? High retention rates and success after graduation.

Our Student Body

Spring 2024

Total Enrollment	3,369
Males (full time)	1,339
Females (full time)	2,029
Students from outside Michigan	31%
U.S. ethnic minority students	18%
International students	2.5%
First to second year retention rate (2022 cohort)	90.2%
Four-year graduation rate (fall 2018 cohort)	72.3%
Six-year graduation rate (fall 2016 cohort)	79.5%

First-Year Retention Rates

First-year retention rates are the percentage of first-time degree-seeking students who enrolled at Hope in the fall and were again enrolled in the following fall.

Cohort Year	First Year
2009	86.8%
2010	89.4%
2011	88.9%
2012	88.3%
2013	90.4%
2014	86.5%
2015	89.3%
2016	88.1%
2017	89%
2018	92%
2019	87%
2020	87%
2021	89.5%
2022	90.2%

National average: < 75%
(Digest of Education Statistics Retention of first-time degree seeking undergraduates at degree-granting postsecondary institutions Table 326.30)

Six-Year Graduation Rates

Six-year graduation rates are the the percentage of first-time degree-seeking students who enrolled at Hope and graduated within six years.

Cohort Year	Six-Year Grad Rate
2003	79.3%
2004	78.0%
2005	79.1%
2006	77.7%
2007	78.1%
2008	79.6%
2009	75.9%
2010	79.1%
2011	80.3
2012	79%
2013	81%
2014	76%
2015	80.1%
2016	79.5%

National Average: < 60%
(National Center for Education Statistics)

Licensure Pass Rates

Nursing – NCLEX pass rates for first time attempts

2019: 96%
2020: 90%
2021: 98%
2022: 98%
2023: 95%

Education – Michigan Test for Teacher Certification
Annual Summary of State Results: Initial & Cumulative
Program Year: August 2018–July 2021

KEY:

N = Number of Eligible Test Takers
N Pass (% Pass) = Number (Percent) of Eligible Test Takers Who Passed the Test

		Attempt Type
		Initial		Cumulative
TEST	N	N Pass	% Pass	N Pass	% Pass
002 English	18	17	94.4	18	100
009 History	8	—	—	—	—
010 Political Science	1	—	—	—	—
011 Psychology	6	—	—	—	—
017 Biology	4	—	—	—	—
018 Chemistry	3	—	—	—	—
019 Physics	1	—	—	—	—
022 Mathematics (Sec)	10	9	90	10	100
023 French	2	—	—	—	—
028 Spanish	13	13	100	13	100
043 Health	11	11	100	11	100
044 Physical Education	8	—	—	—	—
046 Dance	4	—	—	—	—
059 Emotional Impairment	19	19	100	19	100
063 Learning Disabilities	22	21	95.5	22	100
084 Social Studies	5	—	—	—	—
086 ESL	13	13	100	13	100
089 Mathematics (Elem)	7	—	—	—	—
090 Language Arts (Elem)	16	14	87.5	15	93.8
093 Integrated Science (Elementary)	5	—	—	—	—
094 Integrated Science (Secondary)	5	—	—	—	—
095 Visual Arts	3	—	—	—	—
099 Music Education	8	—	—	—	—
103 Elementary Education	116	103	88.8	108	93.1
105 Social Studies (Elem)	4	—	—	—	—
106 Early Childhood Education (Gen & SPED)	29	24	82.8	27	93.1
114 Learning Disabilities	24	23	95.8	24	100
All Tests (Excluding PRE)	365	332	91	347	95.1

First-Year Students

Fall 2023

GPA (middle 50%)	3.5-4.0
ACT (middle 50%)	25-30
SAT (middle 50%)	1080-1320
Acceptance rate	80.4%

After Hope

Class of 2023

Employed within six months of graduation	77%
In graduate school within six months of graduation	24%
Satisfied or very satisfied with employment	82%
Of those employed, graduates working in their field of study	85%
Accepted to first or second choice graduate school	92%
Participated in experiential learning while at Hope	93%
Planned their future with mentoring from faculty & staff	89%
Source: 2023 Graduate Survey; Frost Center, Institutional Research 2022–23 Hope graduates

Learn more by reading this year’s graduate report