Hillsdale College
Hillsdale is a Christian classical liberal arts college in southern Michigan that leans into its conservative reputation and whose influence outstrips its modest size (around 1,500 students). Hillsdale proudly refuses all government funding, which it sees as a lever that would undermine the school’s independence and academic mission. The core of that mission consists of introducing students to “the best that has been thought and said” in the Western tradition, particularly the Christian tradition. This model is meant to enable “a life pursuing the good.”
No Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) infrastructure exists at Hillsdale; the college has used its financial independence to avert past attempts at federal influence in that direction. To the contrary, Hillsdale’s mission statement decries “the dehumanizing, discriminatory trend of so-called ‘social justice’ and ‘multicultural diversity,’ which judges individuals not as individuals, but as members of a group.” Hillsdale’s president, Larry Arnn, has become a celebrated figure in conservative circles and one of the nation’s most articulate and effective defenders of classical liberal arts education.
The excellence of Hillsdale’s curriculum finds few parallels. All students at this selective institution undertake a required two-year course of study covering literature, theology, philosophy, history, the fine arts, and the natural sciences. Students learn logic and rhetoric, read great works of English literature, study Western Christian theology, encounter the classics of ancient Greece, and receive a civic education in the history and principles of the United States Constitution. The core curriculum also includes coursework in the social sciences and STEM subjects, and it culminates in a senior capstone that helps students synthesize their whole program of study. This learning happens in small, largely discussion-based contexts, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 at the college.
Students at Hillsdale enjoy academic opportunities beyond the classroom, particularly in the nation’s capital. Undergraduates can apply for the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, in which they continue coursework while doing an internship or teaching apprenticeship. Program participants live in the Hillsdale House or elsewhere on Capitol Hill, providing a solid leg up for those inclined to seek work in D.C. after graduation. Back at the Hillsdale campus in Michigan, student life features a full range of varsity and intramural sports and a small but robust Greek scene oriented toward community service. Campus community is tight-knit and residentially focused. Off campus, Hillsdale is a sleepy, small town (population under 8,000) located a long drive from any major city.
The college expresses a commitment to protecting free speech for students, faculty, and administrators, and fervently advocates for it in the national discourse. Students report very high levels of ideological tolerance compared with peer institutions. On campus, freedom of speech functionally exists within certain bounds of civility—bounds that caused the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) to affix a “warning” to its evaluation of Hillsdale. Responding to this designation, president Larry Arnn said, “The purpose of a college includes freedom of speech, but not as an absolute.” Students “may say whatever they please, if they can contrive to say it in a civil and academic manner contributing to thought.” Hillsdale forthrightly privileges Christian belief in its teaching and campus culture but does not require chapel attendance or subscription to a statement of faith as do some Christian colleges. Intrusions like classroom disruptions, illegal encampments, or shout-downs are unimaginable at Hillsdale.
Due to its refusal to accept federal funds, Hillsdale’s data on graduate earnings are not readily available. This is why Hillsdale is not included in our general rankings. Students pay only $32,730 in annual tuition, with other fees bringing the total cost up to $48,210 per year. Hillsdale funds financial aid with private donations. Thirty-six percent of incoming students take out loans, and the average recipient of aid gets more than $18,000 in grants and scholarships. The average debt at graduation is almost $28,000; the default rate is unknown.
Hillsdale graduates regularly secure good jobs in law, politics, and finance, with a particularly strong presence in positions of influence in Washington. Many enter prestigious graduate programs, and K-12 education is another popular career field.