Reed College vs Hampshire College

Reed College and Hampshire College, both bastions of liberal arts education, offer distinct experiences for students seeking a transformative undergraduate journey. While Reed, nestled in Portland, Oregon, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 38%, Hampshire, located in Amherst, Massachusetts, embraces a more open-door policy, welcoming nearly 60% of applicants. Their student bodies reflect this difference, with Reed's 1,400 undergraduates hailing from diverse backgrounds and Hampshire's 1,200 students representing a more regionally concentrated demographic. Both institutions excel in preparing students for postgraduate success, with Reed's 85% graduation rate and Hampshire's 80% rate attesting to their commitment to academic rigor. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two esteemed colleges, encompassing popular majors, financial aid opportunities, and notable alumni, to help you discern the ideal fit for your academic aspirations and personal growth.

	Hampshire College	Reed College
Overview
Location	Amherst, Massachusetts	Portland, Oregon
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	43.8%
Application fees		$75
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	1,340	7,010
Total number of admissions given out	1,007	3,071
Admitted students who chose to enroll	133	502
Yield rate	13.2%	16.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$66,658	$77,020
Average net price	$30,168	$33,056
Tuition	$51,000	$62,420
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,520 Meal plan: $5,912	Room/dormitory: $8,130 Meal plan: $7,510
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $36,653	58.0% Average amount $43,945
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $4,793	46.0% Average amount $4,374
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $8,793	7.0% Average amount $19,335

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	472 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	1,548 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Graduate students	N/A	18 Men 61.1% Women 38.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	88.7%
International students	6.4%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,180	1,113
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Oregon Washington New York Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Ethnic Studies	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.4%	72.7%
Dropout rate	37.3%	8.2%
Transferred out	N/A	17.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,720 Year 2: $19,829 Year 3: $23,704	English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $26,088 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,874 Year 3: $23,169 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,125 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A

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Reed College vs Hampshire College

Hampshire College

Reed College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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