The Hope College campus is located near the eastern shores of Lake Michigan and is 2.5 hours away from two major cities, Chicago and Detroit.

This is drawn from a speech by Albertus van Raalte, the leader of the community, on the occasion of the founding of the Pioneer School in 1851: "This is my anchor of hope for this people in the future," (an allusion to Hebrews 6:19).

Van Vleck Hall, which originally housed the Pioneer School, is the oldest building on campus (1858) and serves as a dormitory.

The college also sponsored the Presidential Colloquium lecture series, which featured an address by David Brooks on Christian education in the 21st century.

[5] The inscription reads: In 1851, four years after settlers from the Netherlands founded Holland, the Pioneer School was established to meet some of the educational needs of the young colony.

This school, the predecessor of Hope College, received direction and financial support from the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America.

Albertus C. Van Raalte, who said of the Pioneer School, “This is my Anchor of Hope for this people in the future.” In the decades that followed, a strong college of arts and sciences was developed which continues to serve the church and the community.

Hope Forward has gained national attention, including an episode of in June 2023 of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, titled "A Good Circle", which highlights the potential for this innovative model to transform higher education.

[citation needed] The college offers 80 student-led clubs and organization such as Dance Marathon and Relay for Life, an FM radio station (WTHS), newspaper (The Anchor), literary magazine (Opus), and yearbook (Milestone), plus a variety of academic, musical, spiritual, literary, social and athletic clubs.

[citation needed] "The Pull" is an annual tug-of-war between the freshman and sophomore classes at Hope College.

[citation needed] The Nykerk Cup Competition is a multifaceted tradition between freshmen and sophomore women involving song, play, and oration.

Junior and senior coaches arrange the music, write the plays, and guide the orators as they craft seven-minute monologues.

Upperclassmen also apply and are selected for a leadership board that plays an essential role in making this event a reality.

A panel of judges scores the performances of each class and the winning team claims the highly coveted Nykerk Cup.

Students may attend in large groups or with dates, and the college offers transportation to Grand Rapids, where it takes place.

To date, Hope College Dance Marathon has raised over $4 million for Helen Devos Children’s Hospital in the last 24 years.

[citation needed] Each December, Hope College hosts a musical Christmas service in Dimnent Chapel.

[citation needed] The college marked the completion of the "Greater Hope"[28] campaign in October 2015 with the dedication of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.

[29] The Jim and Eileen Heeringa Dance Wing addition and Dow Center renovations, opened in fall of 2024, provide a dedicated performance space, expand wellness facilities, maintain arts accreditation and foster professional partnerships for Hope’s dance and theatre departments.

[3] The school colors are blue and orange (possibly chosen because the Dutch royal family is the House of Orange-Nassau).

The college sponsors club ice hockey and rugby in addition to a popular intramural sports program.