Hillsdale College
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $423.7 million
- Spending
- $292.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 60%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 2,350
- Volunteers
- 905
- Highest pay
- $1.3 million, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 31% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1560% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2533 of 35 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.
Results it reports
- Private aid replacing government aid assisted 483 students in the academic year.Work delivered
- Approximately 99 percent of students qualify for and receive some form of institutional aid.Work delivered
- The admissions office conducted personal interviews with 99 percent of applicants.Work delivered
- The college has a 98 percent five-year graduate placement average.Change achieved
- 72 percent of the surveyed graduating class were employed.Change achieved
- 26 percent of the surveyed graduating class were in continuing education and graduate programs.Change achieved
- 2 percent of the surveyed graduating class were in military and volunteer service.Change achieved
Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $86.3 million spent. STUDENT INSTRUCTION HILLSDALE COLLEGE MAINTAINS ITS DEFENSE OF THE CLASSICAL LIBERAL ARTS CURRICULUM, CONVINCED THAT IT IS THE BEST PREPARATION FOR MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN LIFE AND THAT IT OFFERS TO ALL PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS NOT ONLY AN IMPORTANT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE, BUT ALSO TIMELESS TRUTHS ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION. THE LIBERAL ARTS ARE DEDICATED TO STIMULATING STUDENTS' INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, TO ENCOURAGING THE CRITICAL, WELL-DISCIPLINED MIND, AND TO FOSTERING PERSONAL GROWTH THROUGH ACADEMIC CHALLENGE. AS SUCH, THE COLLEGE MAINTAINS A RIGOROUS CORE CURRICULUM OF 50 ACADEMIC CREDITS, INCLUDING REQUIRED COURSES IN WESTERN AND AMERICAN HISTORY, THE GREAT BOOKS, THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, LOGIC AND RHETORIC, PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY, MATHEMATICS, THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND MORE. IN ADDITION TO THE CORE CURRICULUM, STUDENTS CHOOSE FROM 30 MAJORS AND SEVEN INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJORS. SEVEN MINORS-ONLY PROGRAMS AND NINE PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS ARE ALSO OFFERED. THE FOUR-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE COURSE OF STUDY CULMINATES IN A BACHELOR OF ARTS OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE. HILLSDALE COLLEGE IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED HIGH ON LISTS OF THE BEST LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES IN THE NATION BY SUCH PUBLICATIONS AS U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, THE PRINCETON REVIEW, FORBES, AND KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE. IN ADDITION TO ITS UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION, THE COLLEGE OPERATES THE VAN ANDEL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF STATESMANSHIP ON CAMPUS, OFFERING MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES IN POLITICS; THE STEVE & AMY VAN ANDEL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON, D.C., OFFERING A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN GOVERNMENT; AND THE DIANA DAVIS SPENCER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL EDUCATION OFFERING A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN CLASSICAL EDUCATION. THE COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO THE EXCELLENCE OF ITS STUDENTS IN BOTH INTELLECT AND CHARACTER. THIS COMMITMENT IS REFLECTED IN THE STUDENT HONOR CODE, WHICH READS, "A HILLSDALE COLLEGE STUDENT IS HONORABLE IN CONDUCT, HONEST IN WORD AND DEED, DUTIFUL IN STUDY AND SERVICE, AND RESPECTFUL OF THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. THROUGH EDUCATION THE STUDENT RISES TO SELF-GOVERNMENT." HILLSDALE BOASTS A STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO OF 8 TO 1. IT HAS 170 FULL-TIME AND 71 ADJUNCT FACULTY, 91 PERCENT OF WHOM HOLD THE HIGHEST DEGREE IN THEIR DISCIPLINES.
- $39.7 million spent. STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS HILLSDALE COLLEGE HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO INDEPENDENCE SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1844. WHEN A 1984 U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING THREATENED HILLSDALE WITH THE ENTIRE RANGE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS BECAUSE SOME OF ITS STUDENTS RECEIVED FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID, THE COLLEGE RESOLVED THAT NOT A SINGLE HILLSDALE STUDENT WOULD ACCEPT EVEN ONE CENT OF FEDERAL GRANTS, LOANS, OR SCHOLARSHIPS. INSTEAD, HILLSDALE ESTABLISHED THE PRIVATELY FUNDED STUDENT INDEPENDENCE SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN FUND IN PLACE OF TAXPAYER-FUNDED AID FOR DESERVING STUDENTS WHO SEEK THE KIND OF CLASSICAL LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION OFFERED AT HILLSDALE. SINCE THE STUDENT INDEPENDENCE SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1985, HILLSDALE HAS REPLACED FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS AND LOANS WITH OVER $157 MILLION IN PRIVATE AWARDS. THE COST OF REPLACING GOVERNMENT AID WAS OVER $7.3 MILLION IN THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR; THIS TOTAL ASSISTED 483 STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, THE COLLEGE AWARDED APPROXIMATELY $35.5 MILLION IN PRIVATE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT YEAR ON THE BASIS OF FINANCIAL NEED, ACADEMIC MERIT, CAMPUS LEADERSHIP, ATHLETIC AND MUSIC PARTICIPATION, AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS. APPROXIMATELY 99 PERCENT OF HILLSDALE STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR AND RECEIVE SOME FORM OF INSTITUTIONAL AID.
- $19.0 million spent. STUDENT SERVICES HILLSDALE'S STUDENT SERVICES INCLUDE THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE, CAREER SERVICES, ACADEMIC SERVICES, STUDENT AFFAIRS, AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES. THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE RECEIVES AN INCREASING NUMBER AND HIGHER CALIBER OF APPLICATIONS EACH YEAR, LEADING TO A SELECTIVE ACCEPTANCE RATE OF JUST UNDER 20 PERCENT FOR THE MOST RECENT ACADEMIC YEAR. THE OFFICE EMPHASIZES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO APPLICATION REVIEWS AND CONDUCTS PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH 99 PERCENT OF APPLICANTS. THE CAREER SERVICES OFFICE HELPS STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR STRENGTHS AND INTRODUCES THEM TO OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH MENTORING, NETWORK-BUILDING, JOB FAIRS, AND OTHER PROGRAMS. THE COLLEGE HAS A 98 PERCENT FIVE-YEAR GRADUATE PLACEMENT AVERAGE. A SURVEY OF THE 2024 GRADUATING CLASS SHOWED THAT 72 PERCENT WERE EMPLOYED, 26 PERCENT IN CONTINUING EDUCATION AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS, AND 2 PERCENT IN MILITARY AND VOLUNTEER SERVICE. HILLSDALE'S STUDENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OVERSEES A NUMBER OF STUDENT INTEREST GROUPS, ACADEMIC HONORARIES, VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE COLLEGE'S FOUR FRATERNITIES AND THREE SORORITIES. HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES PROVIDES MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF.
- $30.6 million spent. THESE ADDITIONAL PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, AUXILIARY SERVICES (BOOKSTORE, RESIDENTIAL, DINING) AND PLAN AND MAINTENANCE OF CAMPUS GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1943.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.