Dickinson College User Reviews and Ratings
It's fabulous being a Dickinsonian
By SM, From East Coast
The best thing here at Dickinson is the community. We're a close knit community and a pretty collaborative atmosphere exists among students here. The academics are topi quality and challenging especially around finals. As for the town, the downtown is cute but also small but there are some nice places to eat at. Bigger cities are not that far away. I love the fact that my college is getting more and more diverse too.
What best describes you? Current Student
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：1
Dorms & Housing
Score：2
Health & Safety
Score：5
Rigorous academics on a lively and very fun campus
By Alumnus2018, From Philadelphia, PA
I am an alumnus and can only say amazing things about my experience at Dickinson. The professors were leaders in their fields, the students were hard working and bright, the D3 sports were great and created school spirit, and the campus is among the most beautiful in the country!
What best describes you? Alumni
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：5
Health & Safety
Score：5
Satisfied parent
By Fond Memories, From DC
My daughter wanted a college with a strong study abroad program and offered Japanese. She did her research and selected Dickinson. She studied abroad in high school and was delighted Dickinson offered Japan. She graduated May 2017 and moved to Japan August 2017. She speaks Japanese fluently and returns home yearly at Christmas. I owe the college of her choice and the high school of my choice my deepest thanks for helping my daughter find and make her way in the world. She began working as a full time teacher. Then found other things she enjoys i.e. modeling, food critic and a professional conversationalist. She now teaches part time in an all girl school very similar to her high school. She has made many friends and has time to travel. I am extremely proud of her.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：4
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：4
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：3
Health & Safety
Score：3
Very Selective school with a great student body!
By proud parent, From Massachusetts
Perfect school for the student who worked hard in academics and knows how to think outside the box. Globally oriented and a top school for environmental sustainability, Dickinson offers a top notch education with very invested faculty. Our son couldn't be happier with his decision. The student body is very happy and articulate. Impressed with the quality of students and how excited they are to be a Dickinsonian! Carlisle is a beautiful and charming town and the proximity to Harrisburg to catch a flight home is ideal. Close to Baltimore, DC, Philadelphia, NYC, the Appilachian Trail and the Poconos makes it a great spot to attend college!
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：5
Dorms & Housing
Score：5
Health & Safety
Score：5
Dickinson deserves more praise than some folks are giving it
By Ling Family, From Chicago, IL
No place is perfect; not even Yale or Stanford. But it's unfair to rate Dickinson College so low, because of grievances. This is the call-out culture and it can be a bit cruel when places don't meet up to expectations. We've had our differences with Dickinson admins over our daughter's ongoing medical concerns, but they've always listened to us and tried to understand our perspective, even if they felt policies prevented them from helping more! A lot of colleges and universities won't even take the time to listen to parents legitimate concerns and that's a shame. But Dickinson really does care about all of its students & the quality of its professors and programs is very high! You get an exceptional educational experience at Dickinson, whether or not you experience medical concerns. It's just a small college and you may not always agree with the mindset of those running this institution of higher ed. But that is the same anywhere you go.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：4
going down
By ydickinson, From philadelphia pa
its ranking has dropped for years and it tells you something. the quality of a Dickinson education is not as good as others in this range.
What best describes you? Current Student
Activities & Social Life
Score：3
City & Setting
Score：3
Classes & Teachers
Score：1
Dining & Food
Score：3
Dorms & Housing
Score：3
Health & Safety
Score：3
rigorous academics but lots of support
By Class of 2021, From California
Our S transferred from a large university to Dickinson College in Carlisle and he loves it there. Says you have to work really hard in your classes because professors at top in their fields and expect a lot out of students. His intro Psych class was not in a large 300 person lecture hall but in a small group of 25 students who not only had to do in class work and lots of homework, tests and quizzes but also external practicum in the area. We are confused as to why it isn't higher in the current U.S. News rankings. Dickinson is as strong or better a college than similar liberal arts schools: Oberlin, Oxy, Hamilton, Grinnell. DIning food could be better, though, but there are cute restaurants just a short walk away!
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：4
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：2
Dorms & Housing
Score：3
Health & Safety
Score：4
Education is amazing, very global feel to campus
By parentapproved, From chicago, il
Our kids all see these fancy brochures and websites as they check into colleges, but then it can be really disappointing once you get on campus. Not so with Dickinson. When we visited with our daughter, we found it even nicer than what's on the digital world! It's a beautiful but not overstated campus with a pretty safe nearby town. The education is, as the website says, amazing and the administration will work with both students and their families to help them attend Dickinson. Our daughter's only complaint is the food in the cafeteria not being the greatest. That said, Dickinson is well worth visiting and spending four years there among talented, intelligent & super friendly kids from all over the globe.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：4
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：2
Dorms & Housing
Score：3
Health & Safety
Score：5
Great experiences so far at Dickinson
By noface, From pennsylvania
I had a really hard time picking the college I wanted to spend the next 4 years at, but I eventually chose Dickinson because of their generous financial aid. And I'm very happy with my decision. The academics are really tough, but I like the challenges of trying new subjects. And there's a ton of activities going on that I wish I had more time to try! There's not too much going on in Carlisle, but we do now have a great Nepalese restaurant that a lot of students like and the town is pretty cute and historic.
What best describes you? Current Student
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：3
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：2
Dorms & Housing
Score：3
Health & Safety
Score：4
Awesome College with Excellent Courses and Nice Students!
By Ling '21, From Chicago, IL
I loved my first year at Dickinson! I was worried because of the negative comments about the nearby town- Carlisle. But it's really a quaint, friendly town for college students! The academics at Dickinson are top-notch; equal to any of the other liberal arts or Little Ivies. We work very hard in our courses but no one brags about their gpa or their opportunities. Everyone is really engaging and friendly, and the campus has a real cosmopolitan feel-thanks in part to our new, amazing college president (Margee Ensign). If you want an excellent education in a very friendly, diverse community with a pretty safe nearby town, Dickinson is it!
What best describes you? Current Student
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：3
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
