Forbes Magazine, US News and World Report, and The Princeton Review have all called Hampden-Sydney College one of the best private colleges in America.

Hampden-Sydney College is a private liberal arts college of 1,100 students located in picturesque Southside Virginia, about an hour southwest of Richmond. The College prides itself on upholding its longstanding mission to "form good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning," as it has since its founding in 1775 with Patrick Henry and James Madison among its first Trustees. Students enter as youths and leave as thoughtful and honorable men, prepared to serve society on a regional, national, and global level.

In continuous operation since November 10, 1775, the College is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States, holds the oldest (1783) private charter in the South, and is the oldest of the country's few remaining colleges for men.

Honor

Hampden-Sydney men hold each other accountable for their actions. For over two and a half centuries, the student-run justice system has subscribed to two basic statements of honorable behavior:

"The Hampden-Sydney student will behave as a gentleman at all times and in all places."
"The Hampden-Sydney student will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do." 

Academics

Hampden-Sydney's liberal arts curriculum is directed toward the cultivation of a literate, articulate, and critical mind through the study of the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. The College offers over 25 majors and over 20 minors toward a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Hampden-Sydney is proud of its Rhetoric Program, which is a reflection of the mission articulated by the school's first President, Samuel Stanhope Smith. Smith, a Valedictorian of Princeton University, aimed to model Hampden-Sydney after his alma mater, but with a "greater emphasis upon the cultivation of the English language than is usually done in places of public education." Smith's goal lives on today as all Hampden-Sydney men learn to express themselves grammatically and persuasively in both writing and speech.

Student Life

Students enjoy a vital and rigorous life at Hampden-Sydney College. Though each Hampden-Sydney man is a student first, student organizations and student government provide excellent opportunities for practicing the principles taught in the classroom, and used in life beyond "The Hill."

With more than 60 clubs ranging from philanthropy and service to athletics and music, 14 honor societies, and 9 social fraternities, Hampden-Sydney has a special interest to suit just about any man. If you like hunting, fishing, trap shooting, biking, or camping, Hampden-Sydney boasts an Outdoor Experience with easy access to forests, fields, streams, and open water.

Student Body

Hampden-Sydney is currently enrolling nearly 1,100 men. Currently, 26 states and 19 countries are represented in the student body. Of those students enrolled, approximately 71% hail from the Commonwealth of Virginia, though traditionally, Virginia residents have represented closer to 60% of the student body. The current student to faculty ratio is 11:1 and the average class has 15 students. Nearly half of the graduating seniors enter graduate or professional school.

Athletics

The athletic program is important at any college, but is particularly important at Hampden-Sydney because of our students' overwhelming interest in athletics. Approximately 30% of the student body participates in intercollegiate athletics and over 70% participate in the intramural program. Athletics, quite simply, is vital to the wholeness of the College.

Faculty

There are 96 highly motivated and dedicated members of the full-time teaching faculty, and a varying number of adjunct professors. The student-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 allows for intellectual intimacy, providing the individual attention young men need to develop a lifelong love of learning. H-SC faculty have a special talent for motivating young men to reach above and beyond their abilities. They are practicing scholars who demonstrate passion for their fields of study both in the classroom and beyond through scholarship, study, and research.

Leadership

24th President of Hampden-Sydney College, Dr. Christopher B. Howard, is one of the youngest college presidents in the United States.

Location

Part of the 1,330-acre campus, picturesquely set in Virginia's historic Southside, 70 miles southwest of Richmond, has been designated a National Historic Preservation Zone. Farmville, a town of 6500, is seven miles north. None of the eighteenth-century buildings survives, but the Federal architecture first used for the western portion of the Alamo (1817, destroyed 1994) has been maintained as the dominant style for the campus.

Mission

Hampden-Sydney College seeks to "form good men and good citizens" in an atmosphere of sound learning.

Accreditation

Hampden-Sydney is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; 404-679-4500) and is a member of the Association of Virginia Colleges, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, the Association of American Colleges, the Southern University Conference, the College Entrance Examination Board, the American Chemical Society, and the College Scholarship Service.

Notice of Non-Discriminatory Policy

Hampden-Sydney College, while exempted from Subpart C of the Title IX regulation with respect to its admission and recruitment activities, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, handicap, sexual orientation, or veteran status in the operation of its educational programs and with respect to employment. For information on this non-discrimination policy, contact Barbara Armentrout, Director of Human Resources, Box 127, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943, telephone (434) 223-6220.

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