Hampshire College

Private · Moderately Selective · MA

Photo: Photographer contracted by Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingRural

Undergrads839

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate2.8%

6-yr grad rate54.3%

Drop-out rate21.6%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$59k

Out-of-state tuition$59k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity37.8%

Gender diversity62.5%

International5.1%

Identity—

Overview

Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, is one of the most academically unconventional colleges in the country: there are no majors and no letter grades, and students instead design individualized programs of study evaluated through narrative written assessments. It draws students who want to build their own course of study rather than choose from a pre-set list of majors.

Academics

Instead of departments and majors, students move through a three-division structure culminating in a substantial independent capstone project, developed with a committee of faculty advisors. Membership in the Five College Consortium lets Hampshire students cross-register for courses at Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and UMass Amherst, dramatically widening the range of subjects and instructors actually available on top of Hampshire's own small faculty.

Campus & student life

Hampshire's campus culture is famously self-directed and unconventional, attracting students drawn to independent thinking, activism, and interdisciplinary interests over traditional campus institutions like Greek life or big-time athletics. Its rural western Massachusetts setting places it directly alongside its consortium partners, so student life often stretches across all five campuses rather than staying contained to Hampshire's own.

Getting in

Hampshire's application process is unusually attuned to fit: because there are no grades in the traditional sense once enrolled, admissions puts heavy weight on essays, self-directed projects, and evidence a student can thrive without externally imposed structure. Hampshire has also been a long-standing test-optional pioneer, deemphasizing standardized scores well before that became common practice elsewhere.

After graduation

Hampshire alumni are disproportionately represented in creative, entrepreneurial, and academic fields, including a number of well-known figures in film, writing, and technology; the narrative-transcript model means graduate schools and employers evaluate Hampshire graduates through recommendation letters and portfolios more than GPA. The alumni network, while not large, is notably loyal to the college's distinct model.

Worth knowing

Hampshire went through a period of serious financial and enrollment uncertainty in 2019, including a stretch without an incoming class, and has since stabilized under new leadership and a returned first-year cohort — students researching the college should know that history informs its more cautious, community-driven governance today. The absence of grades and majors is the organizing principle of the entire education, not a small logistical detail, and it suits some students far better than others.

hampshire.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate75.3%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 15

Regular decisionJan 15

Applying