Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts · Private Nonprofit · 75.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 27/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Hampshire College scores 27 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The data is clear and unfavorable: $24,900 in average 6-year earnings against a $24,034 net price produces a 19.8-year payback period and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08 - meaning graduates carry more debt than their annual salary. The only program with Scorecard data is Liberal Arts and Sciences, which reports 0 graduates in the recent cohort (a suppressed or near-zero count), $21,113 year-one, $36,508 at year four, with an F ROI grade. The 54.3% completion rate means nearly half of students do not graduate, compounding the debt risk. Hampshire's model attracts independent, intellectually driven students who are not pursuing conventional career paths.
How Hampshire College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score27/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.08 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period19.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Hampshire College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $58,896/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $58,896/yr |
| Average net price | $24,034/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $96,136 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,938 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,893 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $285 |
| Estimated payback period | 19.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 839 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $58,896/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $24,034/year, or roughly $96,136 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $13,749/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $37,221/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,893, which works out to about $285 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($24,900) and comes to 1.08, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $13,749 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,251 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,165 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,447 |
| $110,001+ | $37,221 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 bracket pays $13,749 per year at Hampshire. Four-year cost around $55,000 against $24,900 in average 6-year earnings is a difficult financial equation for low-income students. The 54.3% completion rate and debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08 mean that low-income students face real financial stress, particularly if they do not complete. Hampshire's aid is meaningful but the cost-outcome mismatch is significant at this income level.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $18,165, and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $25,447. At $18,000-$25,000 per year, four-year costs of $72,000-$102,000 represent a major investment against $24,900 in average six-year earnings. Middle-income families should evaluate whether the Hampshire experience - its intellectual independence model and community - provides non-financial value that justifies this cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $37,221 per year. Four-year cost is around $149,000 against $24,900 in average earnings six years after entry. Full-pay Hampshire enrollment is a purely values-driven decision; the Scorecard financial case is essentially absent.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Hampshire College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $36,508 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences is the only Scorecard-reported program at Hampshire: 0 reported graduates (suppressed cohort), $21,113 year-one, $36,508 at year four, ROI grade F, debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.255 with $26,500 median debt. Year-one earnings of $21k against $26,500 in debt reflects a cohort entering low-wage creative, nonprofit, social service, and graduate school tracks. The F ROI grade reflects the near-term financial reality. Hampshire graduates' long-run outcomes in unconventional careers are not fully captured by the six-year Scorecard window.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 73.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 74.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 80.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Hampshire College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 75.3% |
| Enrollment | 839 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 39.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,085 |
Hampshire admits 75.3% of applicants and Scorecard does not report test score data. The admission filter is primarily motivation and intellectual fit with the self-designed curriculum model rather than test scores. Hampshire's approach requires students who can structure their own learning; students who benefit from conventional curriculum structure may struggle.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire College (this school) | 27 | $24,034 | $46,938 |
| Amherst College | 90 | $23,367 | $77,644 |
| American International College | 38 | $23,274 | $53,124 |
| Lees-McRae College | 28 | $28,340 | $43,415 |
| Chestnut Hill College | 28 | $27,970 | $52,015 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
Who Thrives Here
Hampshire admits 75.3% of applicants. Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT ranges. Enrollment is 839. Hampshire's self-designed curriculum, no traditional grades, and Division III project-based model attract students who do not fit conventional academic structures. This is a high-risk, high-individuality institution: completion rates (54.3%) reflect both the model's selectivity of mindset and the financial strain of the price. The financial data is an important counterweight to the institution's distinctive appeal.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Hampshire College scores 27/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,034 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,938 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 19.8 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,893 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $24,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Hampshire College: Common Questions
Is Hampshire College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Hampshire College scores 27/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,034 a year after aid against $46,938 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 19.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Hampshire College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $24,034 a year, or roughly $96,136 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Hampshire College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,938 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,138 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Hampshire College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 19.8 years for Hampshire College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Hampshire College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,893, against average earnings of $24,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Hampshire College?
The six-year graduation rate is 54.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.