Hamilton College

About Hamilton College

Hamilton College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in Clinton, New York. In 2007, U.S. News & World Report ranked Hamilton the 17th best liberal arts college in the United States. The college is known for its emphasis on writing and speaking. The school was founded in 1793, chartered as Hamilton College in 1812, and has been coeducational since 1978, when it merged with Kirkland College.

Hamilton is sometimes referred to as the "College on the Hill", due to the school's location on top of College Hill, just outside of downtown Clinton. Hamilton College is considered to be one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country, and is considered one of the "Little Ivies." A separate article listing notable Hamilton College alumni includes leaders in business, government, academics, arts, sports, and other fields.

Hamilton currently offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in any of over 50 areas of concentration. Additionally, Hamilton students may study abroad. The College runs programs in China, France, and Spain, as well as programs closer to home in New York City and Washington, DC. Hamilton is well known for its unique "open" curriculum, for which there are no distributional requirements; students have nearly total freedom over their course selection. Hamilton College, Brown University and Smith College are institutions with such a policy. The college has a tradition of adherence to an academic honor code. Every student matriculating at Hamilton must sign a pledge to observe the Honor Code, and many examinations are not proctored. Hamilton has been part of the SAT optional movement for undergraduate admission since 2002.