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Colleges in and near Hampden-Sydney

Hampden-Sydney is a college town: 81 of every 100 residents are students

Hampden-Sydney College (876 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Virginia, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town81% of residents are students

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Hampden-Sydney. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
4,300 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
Hampden-Sydney College
Residents in college
81%
Above VA (7%)
Nearest community college
39.8 mi
Central Virginia · $5,157 tuition
Nearest public university
5.7 mi
Longwood University · $15,744 in-state
Students on campus in Hampden-Sydney
876
next to 1,769 residents

What stands out about college in Hampden-Sydney

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town81 of every 100 Hampden-Sydney residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.A college in Hampden-SydneyHampden-Sydney College has 876 students on campus in Hampden-Sydney, 62% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Longwood UniversityLiving in Virginia, Longwood University charges $15,744 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $27,978. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 39.8 miles awayCentral Virginia Community College in Lynchburg: tuition and fees $5,157 a year for Virginia residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Hampden-Sydney

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

81 of every 100 Hampden-Sydney residents are in college (VA: 7).

876students on campus at Hampden-Sydney College, next to 1,769 residents (dorm students count as residents)
7college students live in Hampden-Sydney households rather than dorms
20.5median age · VA 39.0
6%of homes rented · VA 33%
Cost of livingHome prices and rentSafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundA−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Hampden-Sydney’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 0.0% of Hampden-Sydney residents are below the poverty line, 0.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 0% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (81% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Hampden-Sydney’s median age is 20.5 (Virginia 39.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Hampden-Sydney

One private college within 0.6 miles, and one public college within 5.7 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miLongwood UniversityHampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney
University or collegeCommunity college
Hampden-Sydney CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 876 on campus · In Hampden-Sydney41%admitted$22knet price62%graduate$68kearningsLongwood UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,424 on campus · 5.7 mi · Farmville90%admitted$19knet price61%graduate$52kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Hampden-Sydney’s median household income ($154,565) falls.

Longwood University5.7 mi · Farmville · sticker $34,588$26,747a year
Hampden-Sydney CollegeIn Hampden-Sydney · sticker $70,325$32,133a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Hampden-Sydney: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Hampden-Sydney CollegeLongwood University
Longwood University61% graduate$52k earnings$25k typical debt
Hampden-Sydney College62% graduate$68k earnings$26k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Hampden-Sydney

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Hampden-Sydney College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 34%Social sciences 26%History 14%Biology 7%English 4%Philosophy & religion 3%Everything else 12%

Biggest programs

Business/Managerial Economics33 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out
Biology, General22 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Economics21 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out
History20 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government12 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Hampden-Sydney

Is Hampden-Sydney a college town?

Yes. 81 of every 100 Hampden-Sydney residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Virginia. Hampden-Sydney College has 876 students on campus, next to 1,769 residents.

What colleges are in Hampden-Sydney?

Hampden-Sydney College is inside the town. Central Virginia Community College is 39.8 miles away in Lynchburg.

What is the closest community college to Hampden-Sydney, and what does it cost?

Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, 39.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,157 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $6,928, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Hampden-Sydney College?

Hampden-Sydney College admitted 41% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,030–1,250 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Hampden-Sydney. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →