Middlebury vs Hamilton

tk21769
Mon, 29 Aug 2016 13:16:12 +0000

Which campus has (how do I put it?) the most affluent student population in your knowledge?

No significant difference.

All 4 are private colleges with very high sticker prices. At all 4, the percentage of students who receive need-based financial aid is about 45%-55%. None of them award much (if any) merit aid. So at any of the 4, about half of all students would have to be wealthy enough for their families to afford $60K-$70K/year with no aid.

At all 4, the average need-based aid award is about $40K-$45K. The average recipient presumably comes from a middle income family (to be able to afford the average ~$20K/year balance). Selective, private “full need” colleges like these 4 typically award some need-based aid even to families earning over $150K/year.

From students graduating from the nation’s top ~10 “elite” high schools (Exeter, Hotchkiss, Horace Mann, Trinity/NY, Harvard-Westlake … ), all 4 are among the ~10 LACs that get the most matriculations
(see post #23 at: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19856574#Comment_19856574).

Across most of the ~60 selective, private “full need” colleges, I think you’d find relatively little difference in the income distributions of students’ families. Nevertheless you may see differences in displays of wealth (cars, clothes, etc). The best way to check this out (if you care one way or the other) is by an overnight visit to each school.