About Hampshire College

Founded in 1965, Hampshire College. is a Private college. Located in Massachusetts, which is a city setting in Massachusetts, the campus itself is Suburban. The campus is home to 1,321 full time undergraduate students, and 0 full time graduate students.

The Hampshire College Academic calendar runs on a Four-one-four plan basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 10:1. There are 135 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Hampshire College include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate63%
Application Deadline15-Nov
Application Fee0
SAT Range
ACT Range

Admissions at HC are considered Selective, with ,22% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 15 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

85% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 52% were in the top quarter, and 19% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE Reviews

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Hampshire College.

4%
“We”re apathetic”
9%
“We know about current events and vote”
28%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
60%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
1%
“We save it for the classroom”
11%
“Sometimes, but not often”
35%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
54%
“All the time, including weekends”
2%
“I”m always terrified”
5%
“I only go out in groups”
29%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
64%
“I feel extremely safe”
93%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
7%
“We bought the gear”
0%
“We live for the big game”
1%
“It”s not really our thing”
6%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
33%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
60%
“We”re a very artistic group”
2%
“Haven”t met them”
7%
“Available in class”
44%
“They keep regular office hours”
46%
“They”re always available”
95%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
5%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
17%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
58%
“We only party on weekends”
25%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
1%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
12%
“There might be people who do”
39%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
48%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
4%
“We”re apathetic”
9%
“We know about current events and vote”
28%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
60%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
1%
“We save it for the classroom”
11%
“Sometimes, but not often”
35%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
54%
“All the time, including weekends”
2%
“I”m always terrified”
5%
“I only go out in groups”
29%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
64%
“I feel extremely safe”
93%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
7%
“We bought the gear”
0%
“We live for the big game”
1%
“It”s not really our thing”
6%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
33%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
60%
“We”re a very artistic group”
2%
“Haven”t met them”
7%
“Available in class”
44%
“They keep regular office hours”
46%
“They”re always available”
95%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
5%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
17%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
58%
“We only party on weekends”
25%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
1%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
12%
“There might be people who do”
39%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
48%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
Write a review, Enter to win $1,000 Scholarship

  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    52 Students rated on-campus housing 3.4 stars. 13 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    43 Students rated off-campus housing 3 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    52 Students rated campus food 2.5 stars. 6 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    52 Students rated campus facilities 3.5 stars. 17 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    52 Students rated class size 4.5 stars. 63 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    52 Students rated school activities 3.9 stars. 42 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    52 Students rated local services 3.6 stars. 29 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    52 Students rated academics 3.6 stars. 35 % gave the school a 5.0.

Hampshire College REVIEWS

What's your overall opinion of Hampshire College?

29 Students rated Hampshire College

Samantha - 05/03/2024

It is a very open and helpful campus. There is a big group all of which are full of diversity and inclusion as well as being a very new aged school. They keep track of all accommodations and they are willing to come to compromises with the students.

Kalista - 03/20/2024

As a former student who had to leave for medical reasons, I greatly enjoyed my time at Hampshire College. It was a wonderful place with wonderful people and a wonderful program. The culture is that of a group always looking to improve both the campus and themselves.

Alexander - 08/23/2022

I absolutely love Hampshire. I am about to go into sophomore year and over the summer found myself wanting to go back. There's no doubt that Hampshire has a tiny student body. Before attending, I was a bit nervous about that in particular, but I've actually found it to be a benefit. Class sizes are small, which means that they are spaces for meaningful instruction and conversation rather than never being able to participate or ask questions. Teachers are always available to help if you have concerns - instead of being a number on the attendance sheet, they know your name and are eager to help. Everyone - faculty, staff and students - are passionate about what they do. Hampshire was designed to be exactly the institution for that - instead of letter or number grades, you are assessed through "narrative evaluations", which are essentially essays written by your professor, going into detail about strengths in your coursework and participation, and maybe what they'd like to see you work on. Because of this method of assessment, you as a student can focus on ACTUALLY learning, rather than worrying if you'll get an A on the test. On the topic of classes, a special thing about Hampshire is their majors. Hamp is an "interdisciplinary school", which means that instead of being confined to a major and minor, students are able to study everything they're interested in. As someone who is interested in psychology, photography, fine arts and performance, this has been amazing. There are tons of things to do on campus, as well as off. Amherst is a college town, which means there are an array of restaurants, book stores, etc to explore. On campus, there are events every day, and lots of clubs to join. Hampshire is part of the "Five College Consortium", which consists of Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, UMass Amherst, and (of course) Hamp. The consortium allows students to take classes at any of the four colleges for free (included in tuition). I have very much benefitted from this - taking a course at another school not only broadened my options in classes but my social network as well. I have found dorming to be awesome because (most) of the rooms at Hamp are singles - if you want a double, you have to ask. I am a big fan of my room being a space to decompress, and not having to share one is fantastic. Straying a bit from the good things about Hamp, I will say that the food is not good. Although there are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options at every meal, meal choices are very limited and change every day. It's edible, but not the greatest thing in the world. On the bright side, if you take a class at one of the other schools, you are able to use a meal swipe at THEIR dining halls, and a heads up - UMass was rated number one college dining in America. I have literally paid to eat there, and I promise, it very much lives up to that ranking. In short, Hampshire is a great school with a diverse student population, engaging classes and teachers, awesome dorming situations and a great learning atmosphere. I highly recommend this school.

Connor - 06/20/2022

Hampshire College is a pretty great place to go to school. I love it personally, because I feel safe there. Hampshire has a very prominent Queer community and is extremely accessible to transgender students. Disability accommodations are pretty good but could be better. Professors could do with a little bit more sensitivity training in the areas of race and ability. Overall I feel it's the most progressive school you can go to, but that it does still need improvement.

Hampshire College FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Hampshire College?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Hampshire College is 63%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    Hampshire is a nice community. It is very expensive which sucks. And the school has like no $ to spend because it is a brand new college with no endowments. But, basically you are paying to be who you want to be and do what you want. There is no one telling you what to do, the education is self guided. When i tell people i go to hampshire, they immediatly want to talk about hampshire halloween or easter keg hunt.

    Read all 61 answers

  3. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    -Self absorbed hipster film students -Stoned hippies who talk about changing the world, but really are just stoned and need a shower.

    Read all 59 answers

  4. What are the academics like at your school?

    Hampshire academics are amazing!!!! small classes, discussion based. no tests. no grades, just evaluations. professors are almost always available to help you outside of class. I have been invited over with my whole class to my professors house.

    Read all 59 answers

  5. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    Well. A lot of Hampshire kids do a lot of drugs, but a lot dont. The majority smoke pot. Hallucinogens are in plenty. The school is NOT a bunch hippies, which i was very disappointed about. You will definitly find some, but the majority is like emo kids. Or just kids which are unique to themselves. You will meet people that you never thought you would be friends with.

    Read all 57 answers

  6. Describe the students at your school.

    Generally a very accepting community. The only concern would be if your views are socially more conservative.

    Read all 55 answers

  7. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    Circus club is pretty cool, as is Anime club.

    Read all 52 answers

  8. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    you can express yourself here!

    Read all 28 answers

  9. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    First look for schools which are strong in the area of study in which you are interested (obviously). If you're not sure what you want to study, look for schools that allow you more academic freedom to take many different classes and experience different subjects. I feel that the best of these even allow you to integrate several subjects and create an individual course of study. Small class sizes means it is easier to participate in class and ask questions. Smaller schools allow for greater contact with faculty. Talk to as many students as possible; the students who got there will give you the best picture of the school. Schools which require a lot of independant work and project-based assignments may be weird at first if you're more used to a traditional system of listening to a lecture, studying and taking a test; but there are major advantages to such schools. Independant work forces you to think critically about subjects, be creative and ultimately get a great deal more knowledge and experience out of your education. Bottom line: If you're not happy there you won't be able to learn as much.

    Read all 24 answers

  10. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    Since my college is both small and new it cannot offer as much finacial aid as other colleges around it. It also has a difficult time offering all of the classes that it would like to and relies a policy with the four other colleges around it for the classes and majors that it does not offer.

    Read all 10 answers

  11. What kind of person should attend this school?

    Someone who wants to learn more than just what's in the book and who wants to take that knowledge and put it into practice for every class. Someone who can work independantly and be creative with course work and assignments (there is a lot of independant work required and the more you can put into in, the more you will get out of it). Those who has many interests and maybe can't choose just one will be the happiest: you are not restricted by a traditional major; you integrate many subjects into a concentration.

    Read all 7 answers

  12. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    Weed smoking, and other hippy type activitys.

    Read all 6 answers

  13. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    Fails to deliver on its promises of a well-rounded, personal-interest guided education.

    Read all 6 answers

  14. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    The most common stereotype that I heard while applying was that Hampshire students were all pot-smoking hippie slackers. While there are definitely stoners, slackers, and hippies around campus, we're not all like that. Most of us are incredibly passionate about what we do and we work hard in our classes and activities. Without tests or grades, we are judged on essays and class participation, so in order to succeed, all students are expected to speak in class and to learn to write effectively. Some students come in without these skills, but I have seen many of my classmates rise to the occasion and produce great work.

    Read all 5 answers

  15. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    The freedom in choicing classes, and the make you own major aproatch oh and no grades, gpas or credits.

    Read all 4 answers

  16. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    I wish I knew how expensive it would have been because I did not want to cause my parents as much trouble as paying for Hampshire College has caused them

    Read all 3 answers

  17. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    Someone who wants a traditional major that has all the classes they will ever take lined up for all four years. Someone who dosn't want to structure their own course of study. Someone who just wants to get the book, read the book, listen to the professor and take a test at the end of each course.

    Read all 3 answers

  18. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    It is a very small school, so the availability of classes can be tough, but the program of the 5 College Consortium remedies this.

    Read all 3 answers

  19. Tell us about the sports scene on campus.

    There is none

    Read all 2 answers

  20. What's unique about your campus?

    The best thing about Hampshire College is the ability to pursue whatever you want. There are no majors or curriculums set out for you; you create your own academic path. You have a committee of teachers that work with you, to help you create your education no matter what it might be. Also, because Hampshire is part of the Five-College Consortium, I can take classes at any of the five colleges to fulfill my academic needs, even if they are grad-level courses. Hampshire is a place for individuals who want individualised education.

    Read all 2 answers

  21. Tell us about the food and dining options.

    There is one dining hall. The food is managed by Sodexho, an evil multinational company who offers levels of food service--guess which level we get?! That's right, bottom of the barrel. There's not much to choose from, and they serve disgusting pizza and reheated pasta everyday. Some people like the food, but I can only assume they never had a mother like mine who fed me nutritious, good-tasting food. Your best bet is the salad bar, but it gets old... fast. Breakfast is the best meal of the day, but they serve it wayyyy too early. Plus it's not exactly good for you, just mega-tasty.

    Read all 1 answers

Student Body

Students

62%

female

38%

male

1,321

Total Undergrad Enrollment

N/A

Total Grad Students

73%

Out-Of-State

21%

In-State

6%

International

Organizations

125

Student Organizations

N/A

Fraternities

N/A

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

79%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
2%
% Black or African-American
6%
% Hispanic/Latino
10%
% White or Caucasian
65%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

95% of students attending Hampshire College receive some sort of financial aid. 29% were awarded federal grants. While 66% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$50,238

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$850

Books and Supplies

$13,274

Room and Board

64,362

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$17,055
$30 - $48K
$20,248
$48 - $75K
$22,643
$75 - $110K
$29,212
$110K & UP
$44,324

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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