What follows is not an opinion about whether Hiram College is "good" or "bad." It is what the United States government reports about it through the IPEDS system: who studies there, how much it costs, who gets in, who stays, and who graduates. I will explain it fully, with the numbers in their exact place, so you can incorporate it into the decision that belongs to your family.
What Kind of School Hiram College Is
Hiram College is in Hiram, Ohio, in Portage County. The area around the campus is rural, away from any large urban area. If your family does not live nearby, this matters from the outset: it means your child would probably have to move, and you should separately find out what day-to-day life there would be like, because this information only identifies the school's location, not how long it takes to get anywhere.
It is a private, four-year, nonprofit institution. The Carnegie system—which classifies United States colleges and universities by what they do—describes it as a baccalaureate college with diverse fields, very small and highly residential: at least half of its undergraduate students live in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and eight out of ten study full-time. It reports a master's degree as the highest level it offers, although that is general institutional information; it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in is available there or whether it connects to a graduate program.
One thing worth clarifying now: Hiram College has none of three specific designations that some of the other 138 colleges and universities among the 3,012 in this national directory do have. It is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. This says nothing about which students it serves or how your child would feel there. You find that out directly by speaking with someone who studies there today.
And since we are talking about living on campus: according to Carnegie, it is highly residential, but housing costs are almost never listed with tuition in the brochure. Ask for them separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other.
A Small Community, and Who Makes It Up
Hiram had an official fall enrollment of 1,011 students: 983 undergraduates and 28 graduate students. Above all, it is a baccalaureate college. Compared with the 941 selective private schools in this census, it is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have higher enrollment.
Within that community, 6 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority and is below the midpoint of its comparable schools. This neither removes Hiram from the list nor puts it on the list. But if your child will be one of the few, it is worth asking during the visit which student group, cultural center, or person in the admissions office speaks your child's language. One more thing: 20 out of every 100 students or more were reported in the unknown race or ethnicity category, so this number is a floor, not the complete count.
The campus is nearly evenly split between men and women, with women accounting for 53 out of every 100 students. There are almost no adult students: only 3 out of every 100 are between the ages of 25 and 64. And 75 out of every 100 first-time students came from Ohio itself. In that sense, it is a school that primarily attracts people from nearby.
Being a small school does not guarantee more attention for your child, just as being large does not guarantee more options. What does help is asking about the specific major your child is interested in, not about the school as a whole.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broad the Offerings Are
The academic calendar uses semesters, two terms of about 15 weeks each. Hiram stated that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience: independent study, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses, and military training. Its stating this does not mean your child will automatically receive that credit. Ask for a written transfer-credit evaluation with the exact number of credits before counting on those savings.
It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
As for degrees: in the reported year, Hiram awarded 167 bachelor's degrees across 19 fields of study. The largest was business and management, accounting for 29 out of every 100 degrees, but no other field accounts for the bulk of what remains. Compared with 942 similar schools, Hiram is in the quarter awarding the fewest degrees per year. Nineteen active fields do not mean exactly nineteen majors—a field groups several programs and may report zero—so if your child already knows what they want to study, verify that the exact program is currently in the catalog.
The official student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 10 to 1, a low figure compared with similar schools. It is an aggregate ratio calculated using full-time equivalents; it does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class. Ask about that separately.
Hiram also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research alongside faculty, and several pathways to teacher certification, including state approval of its initial certification program. If your child is interested in teaching, this is worth exploring in depth.
Getting Into Hiram: What They Require and How Likely a Yes Is
Here is one of the most important facts in this article. Hiram College reported 1,906 first-time applicants in 2023 and accepted 1,780 of them. That is 93 out of every 100. Compared with 942 selective private schools, Hiram is on the high side for acceptance: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, accept a smaller percentage of their applicants.
Put simply: out of every 100 applicants, 93 receive a yes. It is one of the schools that does accept applicants. Even so, the application must be complete and submitted on time.
Hiram does not have open admission: it reviews application components before deciding. Of nine possible considerations, it marked three as required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, and the English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in another language, ask now whether that exam applies and what would exempt your child—it is one of those things people discover late, making everything more complicated.
Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the college-preparatory course plan, the essay, and letters of recommendation. The application fee is $0.
Regarding the SAT and ACT: Hiram reported that it does not consider them in the admissions decision, even if they are submitted. This does not say whether it uses them for scholarships or course placement; ask about that separately.
Here is a fact that changes the perspective. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 13 ultimately enrolled. In other words, out of every 8 young people who receive a yes from Hiram, about one ends up attending. The other seven had a place and did not take it. Compared with similar schools, Hiram is on the low side for this number.
Do not read this as a mark against the school. Receiving the letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and the federal record does not say why each person made their choice. What this does tell you is that other people's decisions do not predict what your family will be offered. Wait for your letter with the net price—what the year will actually cost you—before removing Hiram from or adding it to the list.
Regarding transfers: in the fall of 2023, the count of students arriving at Hiram for the first time after studying at another college was 29. That is a low count compared with similar schools, but it is consistent with the institution's small size. The transfer-out rate—how many of those who start there transfer elsewhere—is not reported in this file. That does not prove that no one transfers; it simply is not published.
The Sticker Price and What Families Actually Pay
At Hiram College, among 46 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $17,197. Among 27 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $19,558; among 36 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $25,313. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 46 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 36 students, is $8,116. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $21,362.
$17,197 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
None of these figures is a quote for your child. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter sent to you. In the meantime, run the net price calculator on the school's website.
Financial Aid and Loans: How Students Pay in Practice
At Hiram, 95 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. It is common here, not the exception. Among recipients, the year's average was $17,070—that number is not spread across everyone; it counts only those who actually received something. In addition, 43 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need.
A high number is not a promise. It is what happened with other students in the 2022-23 school year. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the scholarship if grades fall.
Regarding loans: 55 out of every 100 Hiram undergraduate students received a federal loan that year. Among borrowers, the average amount per person was $6,485. Compared with similar schools, this share is in the middle of the group, neither among the highest nor among the lowest.
It is useful to do a simple calculation here: if your child borrowed a similar amount in each of four years, the total would be around $25,940, not counting interest. Do that calculation before the first signature, not at the end. And this number covers only federal loans in the student's name—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone leaves upon graduating; that would require adding every year, and that information is not in this report.
Hiram also offers an installment tuition payment plan and participates in a Promise program. It is worth asking the financial services office directly about the details of both.
Campus Life, Sports, and Support
Hiram has institution-owned housing, with a reported capacity of 719 students on or off campus. It is not required for all first-time, full-time students, although that does not rule out a requirement for a specific program. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying according to the selected plan. Ask in writing for the current year's rate and whether housing is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
For ROTC, the only branch confirmed in writing is the Air Force. Army and Navy are not marked, which does not mean they are unavailable: it means you need to ask directly.
Hiram competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say which division each sport competes in or whether athletic scholarships are available. If your child wants to continue competing, write directly to the coach for that sport and request a written answer.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 4 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes that way; the rest combine them with in-person classes. The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary lending. Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment support for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, and a page dedicated to services for students with disabilities.
Who Stays and Who Graduates
This is the section where we need to face the hard numbers directly, without softening them.
Of the cohort of first-time, full-time students who entered in the fall of 2022—191 people—65 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already graduated one year later. Compared with similar schools, Hiram is near the bottom. This does not say what happened to the other 35 out of every 100: the source does not distinguish among those who transferred, paused their studies, or had another reason. Not appearing as retained is not the same as having given up.
Regarding graduation: of the 257 full-time students who began bachelor's-degree study in 2017, 152 graduated from Hiram within six years. That is 59 out of every 100. With a four-year time frame, the figure falls to 50 out of every 100—a difference of 9 points between allowing four years and allowing six. Compared with 920 similar schools, Hiram is below the group's midpoint.
This rate follows only first-time, full-time students. It does not include transfer or part-time students. And the available data do not allow a complete reconstruction of what happened to the rest of that original cohort: an absent row does not automatically become a dropout.
There is a third measure, at eight years, with a broader cohort—309 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including full-time and part-time students. As of August 2023, 57 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Hiram. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 54 out of every 100, five points below the figure for nonrecipients. Compared with similar schools, Hiram is below the group's midpoint.
One additional fact: among members of that cohort, 19 out of every 100—exactly 58 people—had an unknown enrollment status at the final reporting date. Unknown does not mean they did not continue studying elsewhere; it simply means the report was unable to determine their status. The two figures—credentials earned and subsequent enrollment—do not add up to one hundred, and that is precisely the incomplete nature of the data: not everything that happened to every student was recorded in this system.
What These Numbers Can Do for Your Family
You now know an important part of the picture: what Hiram College is like according to what the government records about it. You know that it accepts the great majority of applicants, but that only a fraction of those admitted decide to enroll. You know that almost everyone receives some type of grant or scholarship aid, that most also take out loans, and that graduation—although it exceeds half—leaves unanswered questions about the rest.
None of this tells you whether Hiram is the right school for your child. That depends on what your child wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan comes from those three pieces together—the college, the student, and the family.
What you can do today is request the AP credit evaluation in writing, ask about the English proficiency exam if it applies, run the net price calculator on Hiram's website, and wait for the financial aid letter before making any final decision. That is your next step, and it is one that belongs to you.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by Hiram College to the United States Department of Education's IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Hiram College or the United States government; this article organizes and explains public data to help you understand it.