MHC vs. Reed

Should I go to Mount Holyoke College or Reed College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MHC or Reed 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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Mount Holyoke College vs. Reed College comparison
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Mount Holyoke College Reed College
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Overview

 MHC Reed
Location South Hadley, MA Portland, OR
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 2,330 1,458
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #89 #80
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mtholyoke.edu reed.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MHC Reed
Tuition (In State) $63,904 $66,710
Tuition (Out of State) $63,904 $66,710
Room & Board $18,838 $16,820
Avg Net Price $35,782 $36,993
Avg Grant Aid $41,823 $46,317
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 55%

Admission

 MHC Reed
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,030 10,045
Admitted 1,926 2,728
Acceptance Rate 38.3% 27.2%
Enrolled % 30.5% 12.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High High
ACT Range 31/33 29/34
SAT Range 1350/1500 1300/1510
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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 MHC Reed
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Foreign Languages (15%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)

Outcomes

 MHC Reed
Graduation Rate 85% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,206 $16,000
Median Loan Payment $219 $165

Diversity

 MHC Reed
% Men 1% 1%
% Women 4% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 45% 60%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 8% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 26% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 MHC Reed
% In-State 17% 10%
% Out-of-State 58% 83%

Campus

 MHC Reed
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Mount Holyoke College is larger than than Reed based on total student enrollment (2,330 students vs. 1,458 students)

MHC vs. Reed Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MHC or Reed?

  • Reed College is 4.4% more expensive to attend than MHC for in-state tuition ($66,710.00 vs. $63,904.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.4% higher at Reed than Mount Holyoke College ($66,710.00 vs. $63,904.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mount Holyoke College than Reed ($35,782 vs. $36,993)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Reed College are 12% lower than costs at Mount Holyoke College ($16,820 vs. $18,838)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount Holyoke College than Reed College (75% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Reed College students is 10.7% larger than aid received Mount Holyoke College ($46,317 vs. $41,823)

MHC vs. Reed Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MHC or Reed? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Reed or MHC .

  • Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at MHC (3.87)
  • MHC has a higher acceptance rate (38.3%) than Reed (27.2%)

MHC vs. Reed Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MHC or Reed? 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 Reed and MHC.

  • The graduation rate at MHC is higher than Reed College (85% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Mount Holyoke College earn on average $2,800 more per year than Reed graduates after ten years. ($50,000 vs. $47,200)
  • Reed College students graduate with a $5,206 lower median federal student loan debt than MHC graduates. ($16,000 vs. $21,206)
  • Reed graduates are paying $54 less per month on federal student loans than MHC graduates. ($165 vs. $219)
  • More Reed graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MHC students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 77%)

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