Hendrix College

Private · Moderately Selective · AR

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationAR · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,100

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate63.5%

6-yr grad rate72.4%

Drop-out rate20.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$38k

Out-of-state tuition$38k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity30.6%

Gender diversity50.8%

International2.1%

IdentityUnited Methodist

Overview

Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, known for an intellectually serious, progressive campus culture that stands out in its region. Its signature is the Odyssey program, a graduation requirement that every student complete hands-on experiences — research, service, international study, and more — categorized and tracked much like coursework.

Academics

Odyssey is the defining academic structure: it formalizes experiential learning so it is not left to individual initiative, and it has made Hendrix a strong producer of student researchers and internationally experienced graduates for a college of its size. Pre-med placement is notably strong, and the sciences generally benefit from close faculty mentorship and undergraduate research opportunities that might otherwise be reserved for graduate students elsewhere.

Campus & student life

Conway is a smaller Arkansas city, but Hendrix's campus culture leans intellectual and socially progressive in ways that can feel distinct from the broader region — a draw for students who want that atmosphere without leaving the South. Small classes and a close residential community are the norm, with a real sense of intellectual engagement outside class as well as in it.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic and looks for intellectual curiosity and fit with an unusually academically serious culture — strong students who might default to a large public flagship sometimes choose Hendrix instead for the close faculty contact and Odyssey structure. Merit aid is a meaningful part of its recruiting strategy in a region where large public universities are the default choice.

After graduation

Hendrix sends a strong share of graduates to medical school and other health professions, aided by close premed advising, and its liberal arts core also produces graduates going on to law school and doctoral programs. The alumni network, while regionally concentrated, is loyal and engaged given the closeness of the undergraduate experience.

Worth knowing

The Odyssey requirement is the thing to understand before enrolling — it is not optional enrichment but a structured graduation requirement, and it shapes how students plan their four years from the start.

hendrix.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate55.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1123–1348 · ACT 23–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

Regular decisionFeb 1

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying