Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 61/100

Hollins University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

Compare This College

Roanoke, Virginia

About Hollins University

Thinking about Hollins University, a college in Virginia where more students graduate in Visual & Performing Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Hollins University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Roanoke, Virginia. It enrolls 665 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
68%
Graduation
58.7%
Net Price
$20,896
Median Earnings (10yr)
$40,075
Enrollment
665
Student : Faculty
8:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar 4-1-4 Plan

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 53
Value 17
Affordability 57
Selectivity 66

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Hollins University admits 68% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
68%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1150 – 1340
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Hollins University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 0.4 pts since 2019
71.2%201980.8%202074.7%202172.4%202270.9%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $20,896 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$20,896
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
39%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
56%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$43,560
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,800
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,720
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,860
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,210
Total Cost of Attendance
$58,698

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $17,511
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $19,304
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $20,395
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $20,721
  • Over $110,000
    $26,826

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,500
10% percentile
$5,750
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$35,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $23,250 ↓ $3,750
No Pell $19,750 ↓ $7,250
Dependent students $23,250 ↓ $3,750
Independent students $15,750 ↓ $11,250
Pell recipients: 28.4% (7,655 students)No Pell: 24.1% (6,503 students)Dependent students: 28.4% (7,655 students)Independent students: 19.2% (5,186 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,450, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

59% of students who start here finish within six years, and 74% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
59%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $40,075 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,075
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$28,000$32,000$35,000$38,000$42,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$33,300

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$40,200

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$39,800

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 15.7 pts across 6 years
58.5%1yr65.2%3yr69.1%5yr74.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 665 students, a small, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
665
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
26%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 60.2% 400
Black 15.6% 104
Hispanic 11.7% 78
International 5.7% 38
Other 4.5% 30
Asian 1.8% 12
White: 60.2% (400 students)Black: 15.6% (104 students)Hispanic: 11.7% (78 students)International: 5.7% (38 students)Other: 4.5% (30 students)Asian: 1.8% (12 students)Total665

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Hollins University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize Suburb Roanoke, Virginia
Housing
Strongly residential 695 beds for 665 students
Adult Learners
3% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
4-1-4 Plan scheduling structure
Designation
Women's college

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for English graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Hollins University offers a varied set of programs: 34 distinct programs across 18 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

7 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$360M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$65,081
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

87 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 17 20% $82,497
Associate Professors 19 22% $69,634
Assistant Professors 44 51% $59,406
Lecturers 5 6% $51,930
No Rank 2 2% $48,253

Pros & Cons of Hollins University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Hollins University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, Hollins University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hollins University

The questions families ask most about Hollins University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Hollins University hard to get into?
Admissions at Hollins University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 68%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Hollins University?
68% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Hollins University?
Aim for 1340 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1150 and 1340 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Hollins University cost?
Budget around $20,896 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Hollins University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $40,075 a year against a net price of $20,896, about 1.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Hollins University known for?
Mostly Psychology, English, Biology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Hollins University graduates earn?
About $40,075 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Hollins University accredited?
Yes. Hollins University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Hollins University?
665 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Hollins University?
59% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Hollins University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Hollins University located?
Hollins University is located in Roanoke, Virginia.
What programs does Hollins University offer?
34 different programs, most commonly Psychology, English, Biology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Hollins University?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.