Quad

Head-to-head

Hampden-Sydney
Ave Maria

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Hampden-Sydney grads earn $18.1K more ten years out than Ave Maria's ($67,640 vs. $49,520)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Hampden-Sydney's grants cover 59% of its full price on average, vs. 45% at Ave Maria

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Ave Maria's yield is 13 pts higher than Hampden-Sydney's

    Yield rate
  4. 4

    Ave Maria is more diverse (index 0.49 vs. 0.37)

    Diversity index
  5. 5

    Hampden-Sydney graduates 10 pts more of its students than Ave Maria (68% vs. 57%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Ave Maria is a bit larger (1,298 vs. 946)

    Undergrads

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%, Ave Maria 41%; Ave Maria's yield is higher, at 33%.

Acceptance rate
Hampden-Sydney37%
Ave Maria41%
Quad's selectivity
  • Hampden-SydneySelective
  • Ave MariaSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
Hampden-Sydney
1030–1250
Ave MariaTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Hampden-SydneySchool record required
  • Ave MariaGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Ave Maria is a bit larger than Hampden-Sydney (1,298 vs. 946 undergrads); Hampden-Sydney has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Hampden-Sydney946
Ave Maria1.3K
Pell Grant share
Hampden-Sydney23%
Ave Maria21%

Majors and faculty

Business/Managerial Economics leads at Hampden-Sydney, and Theology/Theological Studies at Ave Maria; Hampden-Sydney has 9 students per faculty member to Ave Maria's 17.

Students per faculty member
Hampden-Sydney9 to 1
Ave Maria17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Hampden-SydneyBusiness/Managerial Economics34%
  • Ave MariaTheology/Theological Studies11%

What each costs

Ave Maria costs about $3K less a year than Hampden-Sydney on average; Hampden-Sydney's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Hampden-Sydney$28.8K
Ave Maria$25.8K
Aid generosity
Hampden-Sydney59%
Ave Maria45%

What each pays off

Hampden-Sydney's former students earn more, a median $67.6K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Hampden-Sydney$67.6K
Ave Maria$49.5K
Graduation rate
Hampden-Sydney68%
Ave Maria57%

How each has changed

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

Applications, 10-year change
  • Hampden-SydneyShrinking−13%
  • Ave MariaGrowing+55%
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