Hollins University Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

None of those three facts, by itself, tells you whether this school is right for your daughter or son. Together, they begin to portray a specific institution, with a profile worth understanding before putting it on the list or taking it off. That is what we will do here: examine together what the federal government reports about Hollins University, without inflating it or playing it down. In the end, you decide how much weight to give it in your family’s plan.

What kind of school it really is

Let’s start with the basics: what is Hollins University?

It is a private, nonprofit, four-year-or-higher institution. The federal system that classifies colleges and universities in the United States—Carnegie—places it among very small, highly residential baccalaureate colleges focused on arts and sciences. “Highly residential” is not just a loose adjective: it means that, at the time of that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. Carnegie also places it in its selective-admissions group.

Here is the first truth worth stating plainly, without embellishment: being classified as “highly residential” does not mean that living on campus is included in tuition. Room and board are charged separately, and they are almost never bundled with tuition in the first brochure you receive. If living on campus is part of the plan for your daughter, ask for that cost separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other.

As for the academic level it offers: IPEDS—the Department of Education’s data system—records it as a degree-granting institution that primarily awards bachelor’s degrees or higher-level credentials, and reports that the highest level it says it offers is a post-master’s certificate. That is a general institutional fact. It does not tell you whether the specific major that interests your daughter is available here or whether there is a clear undergraduate-to-graduate pathway in that field. That must be asked program by program.

Where it is. Hollins University is in Roanoke, Virginia, within Roanoke County and the city’s metropolitan area. But its census code places it in a suburb: inside the urbanized area but outside the central city. What living there feels like—how close everything is, what getting around without a car is like—is something you can learn only by going to see it. If your daughter plans to live at home and commute to class, drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time she would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.

A clarification worth making early. Hollins University is not recorded as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. These are three different designations with different histories, and among the 3,012 institutions in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of the three. Hollins not being on that list says nothing about which communities it serves or how your daughter will feel on that campus. That cannot be read from a checkbox: ask directly, during a visit or by phone, which student organizations and cultural supports are available today.

A small community with a very distinctive profile

If I had to summarize Hollins University in one word, it would be: small. And that changes almost everything else.

In the most recent official fall count, the school had 782 students enrolled in total: 673 undergraduates and 109 graduate students. It is, above all, a bachelor’s-level institution. Compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools in this census that report this figure, Hollins is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have more students than Hollins does.

That size is neither good nor bad by itself. What is worth asking, if your daughter enrolls here, is whether courses in her major are offered every semester or only once a year. At a small school, that can determine how long it actually takes her to graduate.

Now, its composition. In the reported fall term, 10 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, although compared with the 941 selective private schools in this census, Hollins is above the midpoint of the group for that percentage—without reaching the highest quarter. That comparison has a real limitation: it is constructed by school type, not by state, and does not account for where in the country Hollins is located. If there are few Latinos in the surrounding area, that also affects the number. If this matters for your daughter, ask during the visit what specifically exists: a Latino student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.

And here is the fact most likely to catch your attention: the undergraduate count records no men, so the percentage of women is 100. In this undergraduate population, there are almost no adult students—only 3 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old—and just over half of first-time students, 58 out of every 100, reported a permanent address in Virginia when they applied. Overall, it is a young community, predominantly from within the state, and composed entirely of women at the bachelor’s level.

How the academic year is structured

Hollins University uses a 4-1-4 calendar: four courses over four months, one month with a single course, and another four courses during the following four months. It is a format with fixed, matching dates for all students.

The school reported two ways for what your daughter learned before enrolling to count for credit: it accepts credit from AP exams, and it also accepts what IPEDS calls “credit for life experiences”—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses or certifications, or military or professional experience. It also reports accepting credit for military training. In 2023, it responded that it did not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.

Here is a hard truth that should not be softened: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam your daughter takes. The report does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits apply to the major she wants. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not calculate potential savings until you have that document in hand.

What can students study there? In the most recent year reported, Hollins University awarded 153 bachelor’s degrees across 16 fields of study. No field accounts for a large share: visual and performing arts was the largest, and even it represented only 15 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Among the 942 selective private schools in this census that report this figure, Hollins is in the quarter awarding the fewest bachelor’s degrees per year.

With numbers this small, the count can shift considerably from year to year. If you are interested in a particular program, ask for the last three years for that exact major—do not treat a snapshot from one year as if it were the current program offering.

Regarding faculty attention, Hollins reports a ratio of 8 students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. It is one of the lowest ratios among the 941 similar schools in this census: it is in the bottom quarter, meaning its ratio is lower than that of three out of four comparable schools. But pay attention to what this does not say: a low ratio does not measure actual class size or faculty availability. It compares aggregate numbers of students and staff, not seats in a classroom. If that matters to you, ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.

The academic pathways the school reports offering

Hollins reports offering these structured pathways: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, the option to complete preparation there in certain teacher-specialization areas, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program.

If any of these pathways—especially teacher certification—is part of your daughter’s plan, this is exactly the kind of information worth confirming with admissions using current details: which specific courses are involved, in which state the certification applies, and what additional requirements exist.

Getting into Hollins: what it requires and what actually happens

This is where precision matters, because “selective” means different things at different schools.

Hollins University reported that it does not have open admissions: it reviews specific application components before deciding. Out of nine possible considerations, it marked five as required: high school record, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. It considers class rank, the college-preparatory course plan, and work experience, although they are not required. The undergraduate application fee is $0.

The simple truth here is that gathering documents is not enough. The essay is required, so your daughter has to write—and write well. Have her start that essay in the summer, not during the week of the deadline. The first draft is almost never the one that gets submitted.

Now, the numbers from the most recent admissions cycle:

Among the 942 selective private schools in this census, that 71 percent acceptance rate is common: it falls near the middle of the group, slightly below its midpoint. Put plainly, seven or eight out of ten applicants receive a yes. That does not make admission automatic, but it is a real reason for your daughter to submit her application on time instead of leaving it until the last moment. And remember: that percentage comes from a single cycle, not a permanent rule at the school. When it is your daughter’s turn, check the number again for the exact year in which she applies.

Now for the other side, which almost no one looks at: out of every 100 admitted students, only 9 enrolled. Put another way: out of every 11 students who receive a yes from Hollins, about one ends up attending. The other ten had a place here and chose something else. Among the 942 comparable schools, this is one of the lowest percentages: nine out of ten of those schools are above it.

Do not read that as a mark against the institution. The federal record does not say why each person made that decision, and a low enrollment yield does not mean the school is bad. What it does mean is this: what others decided tells you nothing about what your family will be offered. Wait for your daughter’s letter with the actual net price. With that number in hand—not before—you can decide whether Hollins stays on the list.

Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required at Hollins. If your daughter submits them, they are considered; if she does not, her application remains active just the same. Of the first-time students who enrolled, 25 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores. Among them, the middle half scored between 550 and 710 in reading and writing, and between 550 and 620 in math. Those ranges describe students who enrolled and chose to submit scores—not all applicants—and they do not prove that the score affected the admission decision. A score of 550 is not a minimum, and a score of 710 does not guarantee anything either.

Regarding transfer students: in the most recent fall term, 13 undergraduate students entered Hollins for the first time after studying at another institution. That is a count of people, not a proportion, and among the 942 comparable schools in this census, the number places Hollins in the lower half—which is tied in large part to the school’s small size. The transfer-out rate—how many of those who entered in 2017 left for another institution within the normal time frame—is not reported this year. That does not prove that no one transfers from here; it means only that this specific data point is blank.

The listed price and what students actually pay

At Hollins University, among 28 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $16,579. Among 29 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $24,291; among 41 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $26,329. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.

The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (28 students) and the highest-income band (41 students) is $9,750. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $23,444.

$16,579 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.

None of these figures is a quote for your child. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter sent to you. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school’s website.

Grants, Pell, and loans: the complete financial picture

At Hollins University, nearly 100 percent of degree-seeking students received some type of grant or scholarship aid. Among those who received it, the annual average was $35,258. That is real money, but it is not a price: the average includes people who received much more and people who received much less. What determines the decision is not the size of the discount, but the number left afterward: what your family would have to pay out of pocket.

The Pell Grant—federal aid for low-income families—reached 33 out of every 100 degree-seeking students.

Regarding loans: 59 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the reported academic year. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,565 that year. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, that share of students with loans is common, near the middle of the group.

Here is a hard truth that should not be dressed up: financing an education with debt is normal at this school. If your daughter borrows a similar amount each year during the four-year plan, the total—before interest—is around $26,260. That number is decided before the first signature, not at the end of the journey. And an important clarification: that average is for a single year and only for federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt from private banks, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates; calculating that would require adding all the years, and that number is not in this report.

Finally, Hollins reports two formal payment mechanisms: a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan. If your family’s cash flow is steadier month to month than it is for one large payment each semester, it is worth asking directly about those two options.

Campus life, athletics, and what the school says it offers

Hollins does have its own housing. The institution responded that it does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—which rules out a universal requirement but does not exclude the possibility that a particular program or year may require it. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. IPEDS reports a maximum housing capacity of 695 students, on or off campus.

The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed in the year your daughter arrives. Ask in writing for the current rate, the housing application deadline, and whether she is guaranteed a place or would be placed on a waiting list.

Regarding ROTC: in its most recent report, Hollins did not mark any ROTC opportunity, either the general option or any of the three branches. Among the four-year institutions in this guide, 926 out of 1,786 did mark it; Hollins was not among them. That does not prove that there is no nearby pathway or an agreement not reported in this field. If that scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions directly before ruling it out.

Athletics: Hollins does compete in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA—specifically, it reports membership for soccer, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This information does not identify the division in which each sport competes or whether athletic scholarships are offered. If this matters, write directly to the coach of the specific sport and request the answer in writing.

Distance education: Hollins offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and it even reports having at least one complete program that can be finished that way. But in the most recent fall count, 0 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load remotely: all took at least one in-person class. If online study is part of the plan, confirm in writing the exact academic level and major to which it applies.

Library: it operates with paid staff, annual expenditures above the government-recorded threshold of $100,000, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that it has the specific databases needed for your daughter’s major; ask about them by program name.

Reported services and supports: combined academic and career counseling, job-placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and a published web address for disability services. Their being reported does not show how accessible, effective, or comprehensive they are in practice. Confirm that by speaking with the appropriate office.

Who stays and who graduates

We have reached the part that matters most for measuring a school’s commitment to its own students after they enroll.

First-year retention. Of the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in fall 2022—210 people—156 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later: 74 out of every 100. Compared with the 930 selective private schools in this census, Hollins falls slightly below the midpoint of the group. On the other side, 54 people do not appear in that official outcome, and the data do not explain what happened to them: not returning is not the same as dropping out, because someone who transferred and continued studying elsewhere is counted the same as someone who left school altogether.

Graduation. IPEDS tracked 155 students who entered a bachelor’s-degree program at Hollins in 2017 as first-time, full-time students.

The gap between the two time frames is small: only 7 points. Compared with the 920 selective private schools in this census, at least half of the group reported an equal or lower proportion graduating within six years, so Hollins is above that median. This calculation follows only first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students; it does not include transfer or part-time students. The available data do not allow a complete reconstruction of what happened to the rest: a missing row does not equal zero and does not justify saying that they transferred, remained on pause, or dropped out.

At eight years, with more detail by income. Of a cohort of 246 undergraduate students who entered Hollins between July 2015 and June 2016, 61 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Only 1 out of every 100 were still listed as having no credential and not having enrolled at another institution—although this figure has a definitional ambiguity in the federal report, so it cannot be read as an exact count of who was still enrolled on that specific day.

Here a difference appears that is worth examining directly: among students who received a Pell Grant, 54 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate within eight years, 13 points below the group that did not receive Pell. Compared with the 935 selective private schools in this census, Hollins is below the midpoint of the group on this eight-year measure.

Your family qualifying for Pell today does not determine your daughter’s outcome. But if it applies, this is a fair and direct question to ask the school: what specific support is available for students with Pell Grants? Is there an assigned counselor, emergency aid, or automatic annual renewal of the institutional scholarship? Request that answer in writing.

What you now know and what remains yours to decide

None of these numbers decides for you. The university’s role is to admit, deny, and offer aid—and you have now seen how it does that. Your daughter’s role is to write her essay, choose her major, decide whether this community feels right for her, and do her part once she is there. Your role is different: understand your family’s actual finances, request the aid letter before deciding, verify in writing what this report leaves as open questions—AP equivalencies, guaranteed housing, support for Pell recipients, athletic scholarships, or ROTC scholarships—and support the decision without carrying it alone or leaving your daughter to carry it alone.

You now have a deep understanding of one of the pieces you need to decide. Combine it with what your daughter wants to study, what she has already built during high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.

Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by Hollins University to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, with comparisons against a census of 3,012 institutions and its subgroups of selective private four-year schools. Best College Aid does not represent Hollins University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data and does not replace the admission or financial aid letter that the school sends directly to your family.