Forbes ranks Hollins among the top 100 of "America's Best Colleges."

Hollins University is ranked number 95 in Forbes magazine's second-annual list of America's best colleges (published in 2009). The rankings are put together by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP).

Forbes

Hollins University is among 372 most interesting schools according to the 2008 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get Into College" guide.

Hollins is featured in the guide which includes articles on "Facebook's Freshmen," "How to Pay All Those Bills," and "20 Things You'll Learn at College."

Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get Into College" Guide

Hollins University was named a “Best in the Southeast” College and featured among “The Best 373 Colleges” by The Princeton Review

Hollins is one of 133 colleges and universities The Princeton Review recommends in the "Best in the Southeast" section of its Web site feature, "2011 Best Colleges: Region by Region." The 12-state Southeast Region includes colleges in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Hollins is also featured in the 2011 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual college guide, The Best 373 Colleges. Only about 15% of the country’s 2,500 four-year colleges are in the book, which includes profiles based on surveys completed by students. In their responses, Hollins students stated they were "not just a number" at the university, and the school produced "strong female leaders ready to face the world." Hollins, they said, was "about individuality and free speech," leaving "enough room and attention for you to grow."

The Princeton Review's Best 373 Colleges

Hollins University is among "America's 25 hot schools" according to the 2005 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get into College" guide. The guide names Hollins the country's "hottest riding school."

In recognizing Hollins' riding program, Kaplan/Newsweek says the university "offers outstanding training for equestriennes... Many Hollins students work with horses after graduation as trainers, riders or veterinarians."

Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get Into College" Guide

The Washington Monthly college guide takes a unique approach to ranking colleges and universities. Operating from a basic question, "What are reasonable indicators of how much a school is benefiting the country?," the guide's editors look at how well a college performs as an engine of social mobility, how well it does in fostering scientific and humanistic research, and how well it promotes an ethic of service to the country.

In the category Liberal Arts Colleges, Hollins is ranked 56 out of a total of 253 schools nationally, and second among liberal arts colleges in Virginia. It outranks a number of other prestigious institutions, including Centre College (#91); Gettysburg College (#110); Scripps College (#128); DePauw University (#142); and Rhodes College (#161).

The Washington Monthly [2009]

Hollins University is listed among the top seven women's colleges in the country. The guide also lauds Hollins as one of the small colleges and universities strong in the following fields: art, film, and dance.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges

The NSSE is designed to obtain information from students about the nature of the undergraduate experience. Specifically, it measures the extent to which students engage in effective education practices that are empirically linked with learning, personal development and other desired outcomes such as student satisfaction, persistence, and graduation.

Here are some highlights from the 2006 survey:

• There is more student-faculty interaction going on at Hollins, especially among faculty and first-year students than their peers.
• Hollins students report having significantly more enriching educational experiences than their peers, especially seniors.

Click here to read more highlights. (PDF)

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

"What small university has produced more published writers than any other college its size in the United States?"

"If you're all set to say the name of a prestigious East Coast, ivy-covered institution costing almost $30,000 a year, repeat after me: Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia." Hollins was selected among 260 best buys in the nation.

Barron's Best Buys in College Education

Hollins is ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in the 2010 edition of U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges. Also, Hollins was ranked as the 29th most popular liberal arts college in the nation, based on yield (the percentage of applicants accepted by a college who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall).

America's Best Colleges

"Great Dorms," "Colleges Where Values are Particularly Important," "Colleges for the Student Interested in Building Leadership Skill," "Colleges with Active Honor Codes," "Colleges With Strong Foreign Study Programs," and "Career-Oriented Colleges." Also cited for "strong programs" in basketball, equestrian, lacrosse, and tennis, and "Alma Maters of Writers and Journalists" for Ann Compton, ABC News, and Annie Dillard, Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

The College Finder: Choosing the School That's Right for You

"In all areas, students proudly tell us, 'The main focus of the professors is the student body. Classes are small and challenging, and the base of liberal arts is wonderful.' Students also love the honor code, which allows them to take self-scheduled, unproctored exams, and the 'amazing' study abroad opportunities, which sends two-thirds of the student body [to] spend at least a semester abroad."

The Princeton Review's The Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges

"Committed to active learning, personal growth, achievement, service to society, and fulfilling work, Hollins University challenges women, nurturing them in a community with a deep sense of purpose, a strong commitment to learning, and a track record of preparing graduates who take leadership roles throughout society."

Colleges of Distinction