HSC- Hampden-Sydney vs. VSU

Should I go to Hampden Sydney College or Virginia State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if HSC- Hampden-Sydney or VSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Hampden Sydney College vs. Virginia State University comparison
Hampden Sydney College Virginia State University College 3 College 4
Hampden Sydney College Virginia State University
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Overview

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
Location Hampden-Sydney, VA Petersburg, VA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 876 5,190
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #930
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hsc.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
Tuition (In State) $49,754 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $49,754 $17,038
Room & Board $15,110 $12,966
Avg Net Price $29,578 $16,184
Avg Grant Aid $37,555 $12,300
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 92%

Admission

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,224 10,577
Admitted 1,115 9,424
Acceptance Rate 50.1% 89.1%
Enrolled % 21.5% 15.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 14/20
SAT Range 1060/1230 800/1050
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026 May 1, 2026

Academics

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (37%)
  • History (17%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
Graduation Rate 67% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,000 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $305

Diversity

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
% Men 72% 3%
% Women 0% 4%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 81% 3%
% Black 6% 87%
% Hispanic 2% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 0%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 7%

Students

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
% In-State 61% 66%
% Out-of-State 37% 33%

Campus

 HSC- Hampden-Sydney VSU
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than HSC- Hampden-Sydney based on total student enrollment (5,190 students vs. 876 students)

HSC- Hampden-Sydney vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, HSC- Hampden-Sydney or VSU?

  • Hampden Sydney College is 798.1% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($49,754.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 192% higher at HSC- Hampden-Sydney than Virginia State University ($49,754.00 vs. $17,038.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia State University than HSC- Hampden-Sydney ($16,184 vs. $29,578)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 16.5% lower than costs at Hampden Sydney College ($12,966 vs. $15,110)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Hampden Sydney College than Virginia State University (100% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hampden Sydney College students is 205.3% larger than aid received Virginia State University ($37,555 vs. $12,300)

HSC- Hampden-Sydney vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, HSC- Hampden-Sydney or VSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between VSU or HSC- Hampden-Sydney .

  • The average SAT score at Hampden Sydney College (1112) is 255 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming HSC- Hampden-Sydney students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman HSC- Hampden-Sydney students have a 0.68 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than HSC- Hampden-Sydney (50.1%)

HSC- Hampden-Sydney vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, HSC- Hampden-Sydney or VSU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between VSU and HSC- Hampden-Sydney.

  • The graduation rate at HSC- Hampden-Sydney is higher than Virginia State University (67% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Hampden Sydney College earn on average $17,300 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($54,000 vs. $36,700)
  • Hampden Sydney College students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($27,000 vs. $29,500)
  • HSC- Hampden-Sydney graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($279 vs. $305)
  • More HSC- Hampden-Sydney graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/