Why H-SC

Hampden-Sydney: Among the Best Colleges for Graduate Earnings

Forget questioning the ROI of a liberal arts education. At Hampden-Sydney College, the facts speak for themselves: our graduates start their careers earning more than their peers from other institutions.

This isn't a coincidence—it's by design. The Princeton Review ranks Hampden-Sydney as one of the best colleges for career preparation:

• 3rd among private schools for Internships and Alumni Networks
• 12th nationally for Career Services

And that's just one of many national ranking organizations to recognize H-SC's commitment to student success beyond graduation.

A Hampden-Sydney education pays dividends throughout your career. Niche reports our alumni consistently out-earn the national average, maintaining this advantage over time.

The Numbers Behind One of Virginia's Best Colleges

For the data-driven, Hampden-Sydney's credentials as one of the best colleges are clear:

• Best Value College (Princeton Review): 90/99 for ROI
• #4 Best Liberal Arts College in Virginia (Niche)
• 2nd Best College Library nationally
• #1 for Most Active Student Government
• 1 of just 10% of colleges with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter
• Graduation rate 8% above the national average for men

Choosing the best college means investing in your future. Hampden-Sydney's focus on career readiness and proven alumni achievement make it a top choice for students seeking both academic excellence and financial success.

Small classes and an engaged community create the kind of environment where young men learn best. The student-to-faculty ratio at Hampden-Sydney is 9:1, which means that students have tremendous guidance from professors in an intimate and collaborative environment. Students get to know their instructors well, both in and out of class, and faculty are supportive, but demanding.

Hampden-Sydney men are fused by the transformative experience of living and learning alongside their brothers. When you enter the gates of Hampden-Sydney, you're not just beginning college. You're joining a brotherhood older than America itself.

Lifelong friendships are the foundation of the College's culture and the cornerstone of its brotherhood, and when you leave the Hill, you'll join one of the top ten alumni networks in the United States. 

The cornerstone of our academic experience since 1978, the Rhetoric Program ensures that every Hampden-Sydney student graduates with the ability to express himself clearly, confidently, and effectively. Those who've gone through this program include novelists and Hollywood directors, congressmen and CEOs, and even a late night talk show host by the name of Stephen Colbert '86. Designed with young men in mind, the Rhetoric Program will give you a competitive edge in graduate school or your career.

At Hampden-Sydney, every student has the opportunity to develop the ability to lead. We offer many paths to explore and sharpen your skills. No matter which path you choose, you will strengthen your ability to work effectively with others and to make a difference in your community, your workplace, and the world.

With more than 240 years of experience, Hampden-Sydney knows a little something about tradition. Some traditions are informal, such as the polite greetings between community members on the sidewalk, or the ties and sundresses you'll find dotting the Hill during football games. Other traditions at Hampden-Sydney are more ceremonial, such as the moment when each freshman signs the honor code bearing witness to a sacred and solemn pledge. These traditions undoubtedly reinforce the bonds of the Hampden-Sydney brotherhood.

With the College's mission in mind, life at Hampden-Sydney is guided by two codes. The Honor Code decrees that the "Hampden-Sydney student will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do," while under the student Code of Conduct, the H-SC student "will behave as a gentleman at all times and in all places."

These codes — and the accompanying discipline for any offender — are student-governed, and it is up to the members of this brotherhood, year after year, to preserve the standards of decency and ethical behavior. Fostering a culture of mutual trust and respect, honor and civility have been the foundations of student life since before the American revolution.

As the tenth oldest college in the United States, Hampden-Sydney has been as much a part of American history as a witness to it. The College held its first classes on November 10, 1775—the same day the U.S. Marine Corps was founded. Hampden-Sydney's charter trustees included Patrick Henry and James Madison, and William Henry Harrison was a member of the class of 1791 before becoming President of the United States.

At Hampden-Sydney, the past meets the present. According to the Virginia Travel Blog, "A walk through Hampden-Sydney College acts as a portal through time, to an age where genteel southern tradition and untouched countryside were the rule rather than the exception."