A top-ranked liberal arts college in upstate New York emphasizing creative thinking, rigorous academics, and experiential learning.
Skidmore offers 44 undergraduate majors and more than 1,000 courses across sciences, humanities, social sciences, business, arts, and education. The college emphasizes a liberal arts curriculum organized around four core areas: Integrations (Scribner Seminars, Bridge Experiences, Senior Codas), Foundations (quantitative reasoning, global perspectives, language, writing), Inquiries (artistic, humanistic, and scientific practice), and Proficiencies (information literacy, communication, technology, visual literacy, writing). Nearly 85% of students participate in internships during their Skidmore career, with opportunities available year-round for credit.
The 850-acre Jonsson Campus, relocated to its current location in the late 1960s, features modern academic buildings (Palamountain, Tisch, Bolton, Ladd), the Dana Science Center, and the newly completed Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences (2024) with 46 research labs. The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, designed by architect Antoine Predock and opened in 2000, receives approximately 40,000 visitors annually. About 90% of students live on campus. The college supports approximately 100 student clubs and organizations, including athletics, arts groups, and community-service initiatives. Student publications include Salmagundi (a nationally recognized humanities journal founded in 1969), The Skidmore News (weekly student newspaper), and The Skidmo' Daily (satirical publication).
For the Class of 2027 (fall 2023), Skidmore received 12,144 applications with a 23% acceptance rate and 27% yield rate. The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1320–1440 on the SAT and 30–33 on the ACT. The college offers multiple application pathways (Common Application, Coalition Application, QuestBridge) with Early Decision I deadline November 1 and Early Decision II/Regular Decision deadline January 8. Skidmore meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students and does not gap aid packages.
Skidmore is ranked #36 among national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report (2025), #46 by Washington Monthly (2024), and #122 overall by Forbes (2026). The college is recognized as a 'Hidden Ivy' and consistently earns high marks for student quality of life, sustainability, and financial aid. Recent graduates (Class of 2026) have joined organizations including Amazon, Boston Children's Hospital, CVS Health, Ernst & Young, Fidelity Investments, and Paramount Global, with many pursuing graduate studies at Columbia, Northwestern, and Yale.