Rankings and Recognitions

AMONG THE NATION’S BEST COLLEGEs

U.S. News & World Report

• Among the best in the nation: Hope is listed in the first tier among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation (as opposed to region), placing 102 out of 210 institutions for 2023.
• Outstanding research: Hope ranked #22 and is one of only 62 colleges and universities recognized for providing outstanding undergraduate research/creative project opportunities, counted ahead of Cornell and among universities like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Michigan, Amherst and Wooster.
• Also included in
  • #49 Best Undergraduate Teaching
  • #28 A-plus Schools for B Students
  • #157 Top Performers on Social Mobility
  • #356 Undergraduate Nursing Programs
• Strength in engineering:
  Hope’s engineering program is ranked 87th in the overview of 230 ABET-accredited programs at institutions where the highest degree is a bachelor's or master's.

Niche Best Colleges

• Niche ranks Hope the #1 Best Liberal Arts College , #2 Best Christian College #2 Best Small College in Michigan.
• Niche ranks Hope the #1 Best College in the Grand Rapids metro area.
• Niche ranked Hope #20 of 345 Best Christian Colleges in America, #62 out of 314 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America, and #80 out of 969 Best Small Colleges in America.

BEST CHOICE

Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education

• Hope is in the top 100 of the "Best liberal arts colleges in the United States 2022" from the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings.
• Hope ranks 55th in the Midwest and in the top third, at 264 overall, in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings 2022.
• Right choice: Hope was given a 8.5/10 score for "if you could start over, would you still choose this college?"

BEST VALUE

Kiplinger’s

Hope College is on the most recent Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the “Top 400 Best College Values” for embodying exceptional academic quality and affordability.

• Hope ranks #62 in Kiplinger’s list of 100 Best Values in Liberal Arts Colleges
• Hope ranks #124 among all colleges

TOP COLLEGE, WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT

Forbes

• America’s Top Colleges: Hope is included in Forbes’ 2022 list of “America’s Top Colleges” and ranks #50 in the Midwest. 
• Top Liberal Arts Universities: Hope ranks #65 among liberal arts universities in the nation.
• Grateful Grads: Hope is #156 and one of only 200 private colleges to make Forbes’ 2019 Grateful Graduates Index, which considers private donations and gifts per student over 10 years.

GREAT EDUCATION AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

Money Magazine

Affordable: Hope College was included in the most recent list of “The 50 Most Affordable Private Colleges,” ranked #30 for offering a high-quality four-year education at a cost below average.

“These colleges tend not to load students or parents up with burdensome debts, and all fall in the top half of MONEY’s overall rankings, so they excel in educational quality and alumni success too.”
—Money Magazine

Valuable: In 2022, Hope also ranks in the top third of Money’s overall rankings of "Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value," recognizing a select group of four-year colleges and universities for delivering the most value — "schools that combine quality and affordability while admitting at least 20% of applicants." 

LendEDU

According to LendEDU, Hope is included in the "Top 500 Colleges & Universities with the Lowest Student Loan Debt for Parents" and recognized for "One of the Lowest Default Rates in Michigan and the country."

Great Value Colleges

Great Value Colleges named Hope one of the 30 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Midwest.

College Factual

Hope has been ranked as one of the "Best Schools for the Money" 2021 in the U.S. by College Factual. This places Hope in the Top 15% nationally of all colleges for value which takes into account the average yearly cost, the average time students take to graduate and the quality the school provides. 

Return on investment

Hope College is listed in the Top 10 Higher Education Institutions by Median Lifetime Return on Investment (ROI) in Michigan. A Hope College graduate's ROI is over $340,000 higher than the mean ROI according to the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. ($554,407 compared to $214,085).

Commitment to Economic diversity

New York Times

Hope was included on The New York Times’ third annual College Access Index, a ranking of just 150 colleges based on their commitment to economic diversity. Headlined the “Top Colleges Doing the Most for the American Dream,” the ranking is based on a combination of the number of lower- and middle-income students enrolled and the price it charges these students.

AMONG THE BEST AND MOST INTERESTING

Fiske Guide to Colleges

Hope is one of only about 320 colleges and universities highlighted as “the best and most interesting institutions in the nation — the ones that students most want to know about.” The 2022 Fiske Guide to Colleges said this about Hope:

• “I feel pushed to work hard and study to perform at my best.”
• “This is a place where people are involved and love to build community.”
• “Hope is a place where students are challenged to become better students…  but, more important, better people.”

Washington Monthly

Washington Monthly ranks Hope #55 of only 215 best Liberal Arts Colleges 2021 based on contributions to social mobility, research and providing opportunities for public service. It also ranked Hope #102 in the 2021 Midwest Best Bang for the Buck Rankings.

EDsmart

EDsmart ranks Hope #4 Best Liberal Arts College in the U.S. based on affordability, student satisfaction, and student outcomes.

StateUniversity

StateUniversity.com has ranked Hope College #4 academically of all colleges and universities in Michigan in 2020.

BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS

Outstandingcolleges.com

Hope was ranked among the “7 Most Beautiful Christian College Campuses” by outstandingcolleges.com “when it comes to an impeccable campus in terms of design, landscaping, calmness and architecture.” The site noted Hope specifically for being in a beautiful area and for “exquisite” Dimnent Memorial Chapel.

OnlineChristianColleges.com

In 2021, Hope was ranked #30 Most Beautiful Christian College Campuses in North America based on awards and recognition, student enjoyment, notable features, and historical significance/environmental friendliness.

BEST IN THE MIDWEST

Princeton Review

Hope is one of 158 institutions that The Princeton Review recommends in its 2023 “Best in the Midwest” listing. Hope is also included in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition for having exceptional commitment to sustainability.

Hidden Gems in the Great Lakes

Hope was one of only 15 institutions selected as a 2022 Hidden Gems in the Great lakes by College Raptor.

CHANGING LIVES

Hope is included in the book Colleges that Change Lives, which recognizes 45 colleges that develop a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college. According to the book, “Hope is first rate across the board, attracting students because of the reputation of its programs. Hope raises higher education’s moral and intellectual level.”

Innovative

Out of the "50 Underrated Colleges Doing Great Things," Hope is ranked #23 by College Consensus who also ranked Hope #20 in Best Christian Colleges & Universities and in the top 100 Best Colleges in the Midwest.

ADVANCING SCIENCE

Hope was named by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement as the #1 undergraduate institution for dollars received in the foundation’s 100-year history (2012).

Top 25 for Peace Corps Volunteers

Coming in at #22, Hope made the top 25 among small colleges and universities producing Peace Corps Volunteers in 2017 — the only school from Michigan on the "small institutions" list and one of only three Michigan institutions of any size to be recognized.

INCLUDED IN THE LATEST EDITIONS OF:

• All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals and People of Faith
• Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully 
  Hope is one of of 10 faith-based colleges highlighted for doing an exemplary job in educating students holistically.
• Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers
  Hope’s dance and writing programs recognized as among the best in the nation.
• The Insider's Guide to Colleges

OTHER NOTABLES

• The first private, four-year, undergraduate liberal arts college in the country to achieve national accreditation in all four of the arts. 
• The only college or university in Michigan where business students can participate in the George F. Baker Scholars Program, which provides a wide range of real-world experiences beyond the classroom. One of only several dozen Baker Scholars Programs in the country.
• One of only 286 institutions in the U.S. to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest scholastic honorary society.
• Hope is ranked #22 Best Bachelor's in Biology in the country for 2021 by BachelorsDegreeCenter.org.
• 13th in the nation for CPA exam pass rates among 294 comparable institutions
• 75% of Hope graduates were employed and 22% were in graduate school within six months of graduation.
• 97% of Hope seniors who apply to graduate school are accepted to their first or second choice.
• 85% of Hope pre-med students with a 3.5 GPA or higher are accepted to medical school.
• 75% of all Hope pre-med students get into medical school.
• On average, Hope's medical school acceptance rate is more than 30% higher than the national average for all applicants.
• 86% of Hope pre-dental students with a 3.3 GPA or higher get into dental school.
• 85% of Hope pre-law students are accepted to law school.
• 83% of the most recent graduating class are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their jobs.
• Hope ranks in the top 0.7% of colleges for graduates pursuing Ph.D.s in chemistry.
• Hope ranks among the top 5% of colleges for grads pursuing Ph.D.s in all fields.
• Hope grads consistently land fellowships at top Ph.D. programs — Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Michigan, Stanford and more.

See the Grad Survey with data from our most recent graduating class