Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Liberty University, Samford University, Hampden-Sydney College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA | Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL | Hampden-SydneyHampden-Sydney, VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 99.0% | 82.4% | 40.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedLiberty University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1070–1250 | 1030–1250 |
| Average net price | $29,35738.3% on Pell grants | $32,62211.1% on Pell grants | $22,40022.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $22,465Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $40,150Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $54,550Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 65.3% | 77.0% | 62.2% |
| First-year retention | 80.1% | 92.9% | 83.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 38.3% | 11.1% | 22.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $44,813 | $58,469 | $67,640 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,500 | $19,500 | $26,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 18:1 | 14:1 | 9:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 50,012 | 4,206 | 946 |
| Consensus percentile | 47Lower is better | 47Lower is better | 46Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 80 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 73 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 78 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Liberty University | Samford University | Hampden-Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | Not ranked by this source | #179 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #103 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #254 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #318 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #315 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1245 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1286 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #499 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #248 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #115 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #517 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #246 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #208 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Liberty University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Samford University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Hampden-Sydney College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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