Liberal arts college
#10 Most affordable colleges with strong academics in MassachusettsHampshire College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $24,034 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,893 (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
In Massachusetts
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.54%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.78%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,599
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: $74,195 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) | 717 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 38% · Women 62% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 14% |
| Total students | 717 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $24,034 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $74,195 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,893 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 54% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 67% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 69% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 73% |
| First-year retention | 78% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $46,938 |
| Admission rate | 75% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 39% |
Value: Solid (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 |
|---|---|
| Liberal arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agriculture, Anthropology, Architecture, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biology, Botany/Plant Biology, Business administration, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Chemistry, Classical and Ancient Studies, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Computer science, Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis, Dance, Design, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Economics, Education (general), English, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Design, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Film and video, Fine arts, Food Science and Technology, Global studies, Graphic communications, History, Human Biology, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Journalism, Kinesiology and exercise science, Linguistics, Mathematics, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Outdoor Education, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Physics, Physiology and pathology, Political science, Pre-law and legal studies, Psychology, Public Policy Analysis, Public health, Religious studies, Sociology, Software and media applications, Theatre, Urban Studies/Affairs, Writing and rhetoric, Zoology/Animal Biology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Visual and performing arts | |
| English | |
| Biology | |
| Area and ethnic studies | |
| Physical sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Rural |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 5% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,958 |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 81%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $44,690Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Bradley International Airport (BDL)About 28 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 77 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 24°F1991–2020 normal, from AMHERST, MA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 72°F1991–2020 normal, from AMHERST, MA US, about 4 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 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 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 Hampshire College’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B-). 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 Hampshire College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $24,034 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 Hampshire College?
- Hampshire College admitted 75% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Hampshire College’s graduates do?
- 54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $46,938; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,893.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 166018
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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