More selective than 58% of Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $43,898. College Scorecard.
Higher than 35% of Virginia colleges we cover and 45% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 36% of Virginia colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Sweet Briar College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,136 applicants, Sweet Briar College admitted 815 and 138 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1100–1310 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Sweet Briar College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Virginia residents studying full-time at eligible private nonprofit Virginia colleges may receive the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG): up to $5,250 a year for undergraduates in 2025-26, depending on state funding. Not included in the prices above. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), VTAG
Sweet Briar College majors, earnings & careers
Sweet Briar College offers 26 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Business & Finance · 2
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Sweet Briar College
Not enough graduates in any one major to report earnings.
Quick list of all 26 majors
- Anthropology—
- Archeology—
- Biology—
- Business—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Dance—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Engineering Science—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- History—
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Sociology—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lynchburg
Overall prices in the Lynchburg, VA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,117. Housing costs 36% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 16 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Amherst County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Amherst County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Sweet Briar College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Briar College | 76% | $17,758 | 52% | $51,943 | This school |
| Virginia Wesleyan University | 73% | $19,676 | 42% | $50,074 | |
| Emory & Henry University | 84% | $19,061 | 56% | $47,385 | |
| Patrick Henry College | 77% | — | 74% | — | |
| Hollins University | 68% | $20,896 | 65% | $40,075 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Sweet Briar College would cost you $1,918 less per year than Virginia Wesleyan University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Sweet Briar College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$11,340).
- Virginia Wesleyan University gives aided families $5,439 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | Sweet Briar College | VWU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $26,160 | $37,500 | −$11,340 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $1,500 | −$100 |
| Housing & meals | $14,720 | $11,513 | +$3,207 |
| Personal & travel | $2,850 | $3,100 | −$250 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,232 | −$2,358 | +$1,126 |
| Sticker price | $43,898 | $51,255 | −$7,357 |
| Average grants | −$26,140 | −$31,579 | +$5,439 |
| You pay | $17,758 | $19,676 | −$1,918 |
“+” means Sweet Briar College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Sweet Briar College
What is the Sweet Briar College acceptance rate?
Sweet Briar College accepts 76% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 815 of 1,136 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1100–1310 on the SAT.
How much does Sweet Briar College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $43,898 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,758 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,734 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,710.
How much do Sweet Briar College graduates earn?
Former Sweet Briar College students earn a median $51,943 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Sweet Briar College graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.
Is Sweet Briar College the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Sweet Briar College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/sweet-briar-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).