Liberal arts college
#13 Best colleges in VirginiaHampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $22,400 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#114 of 906
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#96 of 690
- Best colleges for business in America#228 of 1,563
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Best colleges for psychology in America#253 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#329 of 1,829
Show 11 more
- Best colleges for English in America#240 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#255 of 1,358
- Most selective colleges in America#129 of 683
- Best test-optional colleges in America#286 of 1,481
- Best colleges for art and design in America#239 of 1,187
- Best colleges for history in America#252 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#252 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#256 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#251 of 1,116
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
- Best colleges for computer science in America#182 of 750
In Virginia
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Virginia#2 of 19
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Virginia#3 of 20
- Best colleges for mathematics in Virginia#7 of 38
- Best colleges for business in Virginia#9 of 47
- Best colleges for psychology in Virginia#8 of 41
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Virginia#8 of 38
Show 12 more
- Best colleges for English in Virginia#8 of 38
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Virginia#8 of 38
- Best colleges for art and design in Virginia#7 of 33
- Best colleges for computer science in Virginia#4 of 18
- Best colleges for chemistry in Virginia#8 of 36
- Best colleges for history in Virginia#9 of 40
- Best colleges in Virginia#13 of 51
- Best small colleges in Virginia#8 of 30
- Best colleges for engineering in Virginia#6 of 22
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Virginia#6 of 22
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Virginia#6 of 22
- Most selective colleges in Virginia#6 of 22
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.62%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,207 · ACT 25.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$20,153
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $70,325 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 876 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 100% · Women 0% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 38% |
| Total students | 876 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $22,400 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $70,325 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 62% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 56% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 60% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 79% |
| First-year retention | 84% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $67,640 |
| Admission rate | 41% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 23% |
| Average SAT | 1207 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 520–640 |
| SAT math | 510–610 |
| ACT composite | 23–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 42% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Managerial economics | |
| Economics | |
| Political science | |
| Biology | |
| History |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Classics, Computer science, Engineering Physics, English, Fine arts, German, International relations, Mathematics, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Other philosophy and religious studies, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religious studies, Romance languages, Theatre, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Business | |
| History | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Rural |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,732 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 90%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $277,116Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Lynchburg Regional Airport - Preston Glenn Field (LYH)About 41 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 1,7692020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | DurhamAbout 91 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 37°F1991–2020 normal, from FARMVILLE 2 N, VA US, about 7 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 78°F1991–2020 normal, from FARMVILLE 2 N, VA US, about 7 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 1.06 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 3.17 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1.06 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Hampden-Sydney College’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 18% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Hampden-Sydney College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $22,400 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Hampden-Sydney College?
- Hampden-Sydney College admitted 41% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Hampden-Sydney College’s graduates do?
- 62% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $67,640; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 232256
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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