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Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, Virginia · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Rural

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At a glance

Average net price
$17,758What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
50%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
443
In-state tuition
$26,160Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$26,160
SAT midpoint
1,140
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$51,943Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$17,758

Better than 77% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

50%

Better than 35% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$51,943

Better than 42% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$27,000

Better than 4% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$43,898

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$17,758

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Sweet Briar College
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time50%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return69%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$27,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$51,943

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Sweet Briar College by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Business/Commerce, GeneralNot reported11
Biology, GeneralNot reported9
Psychology, GeneralNot reported9
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchNot reported9
Engineering ScienceNot reported6
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsNot reported5
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesNot reported5
Fine and Studio ArtsNot reported4
Political Science and GovernmentNot reported4
HistoryNot reported3
ArcheologyNot reported2
Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralNot reported2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherNot reported1
PhilosophyNot reported1
MathematicsNot reported1
EconomicsNot reported1
DanceNot reportedNot reported
International Relations and National Security StudiesNot reportedNot reported
MusicNot reportedNot reported
AnthropologyNot reportedNot reported
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftNot reportedNot reported
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesNot reportedNot reported
ChemistryNot reportedNot reported
PhysicsNot reportedNot reported
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reportedNot reported
SociologyNot reportedNot reported

All 26 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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