Quad

Head-to-head

Hampden-Sydney
Alma

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Hampden-Sydney grads earn $12.9K more ten years out than Alma's ($67,640 vs. $54,742)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Hampden-Sydney's yield is 11 pts higher than Alma's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Alma costs about $6.5K less per year on average than Hampden-Sydney ($22,322 vs. $28,778, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Alma's grants cover 65% of its full price on average, vs. 59% at Hampden-Sydney

    Aid generosity
  5. 5

    Hampden-Sydney is 1.5× more selective than Alma

    Acceptance rate
  6. 6

    Alma has 4 pts more Pell recipients than Hampden-Sydney (27% vs. 23%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Hampden-Sydney admits 37%, Alma 57%; Hampden-Sydney's yield is higher, at 20%.

Acceptance rate
Hampden-Sydney37%
Alma57%
Quad's selectivity
  • Hampden-SydneySelective
  • AlmaSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
Hampden-Sydney
1030–1250
AlmaTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Hampden-SydneySchool record required
  • AlmaGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Alma is a bit larger than Hampden-Sydney (1,148 vs. 946 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Hampden-Sydney946
Alma1.1K
Pell Grant share
Hampden-Sydney23%
Alma27%

Majors and faculty

Business/Managerial Economics leads at Hampden-Sydney, and Business Administration and Management at Alma; Hampden-Sydney has 9 students per faculty member to Alma's 14.

Students per faculty member
Hampden-Sydney9 to 1
Alma14 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Hampden-SydneyBusiness/Managerial Economics34%
  • AlmaBusiness Administration and Management, General15%

What each costs

Alma costs about $6.5K less a year than Hampden-Sydney on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Hampden-Sydney$28.8K
Alma$22.3K
Aid generosity
Hampden-Sydney59%
Alma65%

What each pays off

Hampden-Sydney's former students earn more, a median $67.6K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Hampden-Sydney$67.6K
Alma$54.7K
Graduation rate
Hampden-Sydney68%
Alma63%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Alma but fell at Hampden-Sydney; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Hampden-SydneyShrinking−13%
  • AlmaGrowing+123%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Hampden-Sydney College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why